Barton has not played for Mark Warburton’s Glasgow Rangers side since September.
Rangers manager Mark Warburton
Ian Ferguson has criticised Mark Warburton’s failure to make a swift decision regarding Joey Barton’s Rangers future, and suggested that the ongoing saga is not good for the Ibrox club, the Evening Times reports.
The 34-year-old has not played for the Gers since the Old Firm defeat in September after being suspended following a training ground bust-up. And with the Evening Times reporting that his exile is ongoing after a meeting to discuss his future was cancelled, it appears that his days at Ibrox are numbered.
Rangers’ Joey Barton
Nevertheless, with no official resolution seemingly in sight, Ferguson – who was part of the Light Blues side when Graeme Souness reprimanded Graham Roberts (via Evening Times) – has slammed the handling of the situation.
“There are a lot more important matters at Rangers than Joey Barton at the moment. It is like a pantomime and our friends in the East will be happy to see all of this unfolding,” he told the Evening Times.
“As I say, do a Graeme Souness and make your mind up. Let the guy know if he is on board or if he is gone.
“There is no need for three or four weeks out and then come back and see me. That is ludicrous, it is an absolute pantomime and it is not good for Rangers.”
While it appears that Barton’s imminent departure seems almost inevitable given the recent events, the fact that his future does remain unresolved means that there will be something of a cloud hanging over the club until the saga does come to an end.
And as Ferguson suggests, the way that Warburton handles the saga from this point could have an impact on how the rest of the season pans out for the Gers, and perhaps how he is viewed for the rest of his tenure.
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