I think sometimes Bartons reputation proceeds him. Much like Lee Cattermole and a couple of others, it's instant carding when it's one of those which is a bit sad really. Yeah they can be a bit fiesty but they're great players.
No doubt Barton is a helmet on the pitch, but it's his role in the team. He's a wind up merchant much like Robbie Savage was. He's still a very good footballer and sometimes that is forgotten due to his apparent Twitter addiction, but if you look into it he's a pretty bright lad.
Tevez threw the first blow and in typical Rat style he went down like he'd been shot 68 times when he got a dig back. I don't blame Barton for "trying to take one with him", sometimes you have to do things for the good of the team and if he'd have got Aguero or Kompany a card too then QPR would have beat them, they were there for the taking.
Not defending him, he needs to remember he's a role model being a professional etc., but I do at least understand where he was coming from. I was hoping we'd sign him before he went to QPR, we need somebody like him in our midfield.