Ex-Rangers winger Neil McCann has pointed the finger at boss Mark Warburton for the situation around Joey Barton spinning out of control.
Barton, Warburton's star summer signing on a two-year deal, is currently serving a three-week club suspension. The tigerish midfielder was involved in a bust-up with team-mate Andy Halliday, which originally saw him miss close to a week's training and a weekend match against Ross County.
He then met Warburton on the Monday and was subsequently suspended for three weeks; it is unclear why the three-week suspension was given.
McCann believes that what happened in Warburton's office during the Monday meeting saw the three-week suspension imposed, while he questioned just why the Englishman would bring in a player known to be opinionated and then become unhappy when he aired his opinions.
The former winger also revealed that from what he has heard, Barton has not been a disruptive influence at Rangers.
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"If Joey Barton is a bad influence and a disruptive influence in the dressing room and on the training field, being a bad professional, get rid of him", McCann, acting as a pundit at the Aberdeen-Rangers game, said on Sky Sports 1.
"What I've heard is he's not a bad professional, he's not been a bad influence.
"Yes, he's a bit mouthy, but we all know Joey is like that anyway.
"So deal with it – and that leads me to Mark Warburton.
"If you're signing Joey Barton, you know what he's coming with. He's opinionated, he's strongly opinionated", McCann explained.
"But I think Joey Barton is quite a driven guy.
"I watched the Old Firm game and I thought did he chuck it? He didn't chuck it even when [Moussa] Dembele is scoring the fifth goal – he's still throwing himself at it.
"So he's been brought up here with a reputation. Now if you are frightened of that reputation, don't give a forum to someone like that to air their views, otherwise you're going to have some sharp comments made.
"Now whether he's upsetting guys within the dressing room or on the training field, I've been there, we've all had arguments, that's fine.
"What's happened upstairs in that office with Mark Warburton is quite clearly what has led to the suspension.
"It all goes back to the fact you have to manage a guy like that and I don't think Mark Warburton has managed it like that."
McCann claims that signing a player like Barton means that he must be embraced, while he also feels that the midfielder is able to bring a lot to the table for Rangers.
"If you're bringing someone like that, embrace it.
"I believe Joey Barton is a good footballer and can offer a lot to Rangers on the pitch still."
