Comment by Lou Macari

IT’S not for me to tell Tony Pulis who, and who not to buy this summer, but I’d be amazed if he made any kind of move for Joey Barton.

The troubled midfielder is being hawked around the Premier League after not so much burning his bridges at Newcastle as blowing them to smithereens.

Now his agent will be contacting various clubs – Stoke included, I wouldn’t be surprised – to see if a deal can be done to get him away from Alan Shearer and Tyneside.

The boy has talent, I don’t think anyone would disagree with that, but I’m afraid there’s also more baggage there than you see in Oxford Street on a Saturday afternoon.

Tony’s priority in terms of his homework this summer won’t be the calibre of a player because he will have seen that for himself.

No, it will be those bits you can’t see with the naked eye, such as his general character and off-field activities.

Believe me, a bad character in the dressing room can be as destructive as a wonderful player can be creative.

I know for a fact that certain clubs have worked tirelessly to get certain players through the exit door this season because they were upsetting the applecart.

Stoke have prided themselves on a solid and capable dressing room forging a solid and capable team spirit – and goodness knows how many points that’s brought in this season.

To risk upsetting that by sticking your neck out on a good player with a wayward temperament is surely a gamble Tony won’t take.

Can you imagine a Joey Barton reacting as professionally as an Andy Griffin when it comes to long spells omitted from the team?

Griff is captain of the club, has been there a long time, but hasn’t had a sniff in recent months.

Yet we haven’t heard a squeak of discontent from him in the media because he’s the kind of character who knows you have to put team before individual when you’re in Stoke’s current position.

Nor do I remember Dave Kitson bad-mouthing the football club or the manager when he was obviously going through a difficult time personally at Stoke.

The same could be said of one or two others in the Stoke camp, such as Michael Tonge.

It proves a player doesn’t necessarily necessarily have to be playing 38 Premier League games to show he was a good signing.

I’m delighted Pesch has gone for a Burton

CONGRATULATIONS to my old striker Paul Peschisolido for landing his first job in management at Football League newcomers Burton Albion.

I can’t say I saw that one coming. I was as surprised by that appointment as I was by Alan Shearer’s at Newcastle.

I suppose the Burton people are hoping lightning strikes twice after taking on a young Nigel Clough in similar circumstances for his first managerial role there some 10 years ago.

Joe Jordan actually brought Pesch to Stoke in the mid-1990s, but he was still there when I returned and I have to say he was a good, polite young man.

I’m not really sure what his management credentials are because I’m not aware of what he’s been up to coaching-wise in the last year or two.

But let’s hope it’s the right club at the right time as far as he’s concerned as they take their first few steps into the Football League.

Other Stoke City stories online today:
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Lou Macari: Character is key to City's summer signings
Lou Macari: Midlands fans finally have something to shout about
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