Joey Barton has hit back at Wayne Rooney’s claims about the final day of the 2011/12 Premier League season, which saw Manchester City crowned champions at Manchester United’s expense.
As City and United fans will certainly remember, the final day of the 2011/12 campaign was like no other.
The Red Devils thought they had clinched the title courtesy of a 1-0 win away at Sunderland thanks to Rooney’s strike and were top of the league for most of the day.
Meanwhile, Roberto Mancini’s City side had to beat relegation-threatened Queens Park Rangers to lift the title, but trailed 2-1 with just over two minutes remaining.
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However, against all odds, goals from Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero secured City’s first top-flight title since 1968.
Rooney has since offered his thoughts on the day and labelled the result as “strange” as well as suggesting that after City’s equaliser “QPR kick it straight back to them” before saying that he finds it odd that the result has never been questioned.
The Liverpudlian also homed in on the fact QPR forward Djibril Cisse was celebrating with the City players after the game, although the Frenchman has since claimed that he was simply “happy” for his long-time friend and then-City player Samir Nasri.
Barton also featured for QPR but lasted just 55 minutes as he was sent off for violent misconduct after elbowing Carlos Tevez in the face before kicking Aguero and aiming a headbutt at Vincent Kompany.
He was later fined six weeks’ wages and received a 12-match ban from the Football Association as well as a £75,000 fine.
Barton has now given his thoughts on Rooney’s accusations about the match.
In an X-rated rant on the Common Sense podcast, Barton said: “I have to disagree with Wayne. Wayne is trying to say that this game is some kind of bent fixture, that the lads had given up. He does say Paddy Kenny has basically thrown the two goals in that led to City winning the league. I don't think Paddy knew.
“You might say Paddy should have done better with the goals, but I don't think Paddy Kenny is the type of lad to throw a game to help Man City win the league.”
Barton then claimed Rooney’s “conspiracy theories” are “untrue” before doubling down that the “game at Man City was not thrown”.
The former England midfielder added: “To say that me, or Djibril Cisse, or Shaun Wright-Phillips, or Nedum Onuoha, or Paddy Kenny have somehow concocted to make sure you don't win the league is b******.”
The 42-year-old former Bristol Rovers manager then stressed that United should have got themselves into a better position before ending his explicit rant by saying “get f*****”.
Topics: Joey Barton, Wayne Rooney, Manchester City, Manchester United, Premier League, Football
Luke Davies