Joey Barton has slammed Manchester City, saying if he were a fan, he would not have paid to watch the Blues at home this season.

City drew 1-1 away to Watford on Saturday, a result which relegated the Hornets, but it is City's home form that is of concern to Barton. Stuart Pearce's side have not scored at Eastlands since New Year's Day, and with investment in the club still uncertain new signings will be at a premium in the summer transfer market.

City nearly got dragged into relegation contention several weeks ago, but a decent run over their last six games has seen them escape the dogfight. Nevertheless, Barton feels a club of City's size should not be underperforming so badly.
"This club and its fans deserve to be at the highest level," he told BBC Radio Manchester.

"But I have to be brutally honest, if I was a fan I wouldn't have paid to watch us at home this season.
"I know a lot of the supporters are umming and ahhing about whether to buy their season tickets. They go out and work hard.

It is a lot of money to buy a season ticket at our place and they are not getting value for money."
Barton pinpoints one of the major reasons for City's disappointing season as the investments made in the team, and he is convinced that if City had spent their money a little wiser, they could be competing higher up the table.
"There is no way Reading have spent more than us and no way Everton have either, but they seem to have overachieved," he said.

"Bolton have not spent big either. I know they paid a lot of money for Nicolas Anelka but we paid a lot for Georgios Samaras.
"You have to face facts.

We have not brought quality in. One or two have done all right but not enough to take the team onto the next level. There has to be a plan.

Everyone seems to have one in place but at the moment it just feels like this club is praying to get the right players in the summer.
"We can't gamble on players who have scored six goals in six games in the Pontins League or in Belgium.