TROUBLED NEWCASTLE MIDFIELDER Joey Barton may have had something of a traumatic weekend– being released by his club and placed on the transfer list count as that, right?– but in what comes as a welcome realisation for fans of Twitter comedy, his enthusiasm for social networking appears to have survived the ordeal intact.

Nietzsche may be more in line with his football philosophy, but Mike Ashley appears to have left the budding political theorist reaching for the works of a certain English novelist.

Prior to arriving for training with Newcastle this morning, he tweeted an inflammatory quote from George Orwell…

… and followed it up with a another, equally inflammatory, if less hyerbolic dismissal of Newcastle’s disciplinary policy.

We’re not sure if publicising the more unsavoury aspects of your £67,000-a-week job quite counts as speaking the truth to power, but at least the spirit’s there. Orwell would be proud.

Philosophical questions aside, an article on Football365 quotes Barton’s agent, Willie McKay as accusing Newcastle United of “suicidal” behaviour.

“There will be a lot of takers. Joey would hope to go to a top club and in actual fact a couple of top clubs have been in contact already.

“There won’t be a problem finding Joey a home. He’s a very good player and approaching his prime. I just can’t understand what Newcastle are doing.

“I think he is capable of playing Champions League. He’s a very good player.”

Arsenal, Aston Villa and Tottenham are among the favourites to sign the volatile midfielder.

Read more from Barton’s agent on the Football365 website>

View a slideshow of Barton’s most memorable tweets>

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