Ashley and Tyler Young (foto: Official TW/IG/FB account)
Joey Barton has defended Darren Ferguson’s decision to leave Tyler Young on the bench during Peterborough’s FA Cup clash against Everton, dismissing the backlash as an unnecessary fuss.
The FA Cup third-round tie on 9 January saw Everton defeat Peterborough 2-0, but the post-match controversy wasn’t about the result. It revolved around Darren Ferguson’s choice not to bring on Tyler Young, son of Peterborough’s assistant coach Ashley Young, despite the historic possibility of having a father-son duo play against each other in the same match.
Ferguson opted to use all five of his substitutions without giving the 18-year-old midfielder a chance to step onto the pitch, sparking criticism from some corners of the football world. Barton, however, was quick to back Ferguson’s decision, posting on X (formerly Twitter) on 10 January and calling the criticism “disgraceful.”
"Have to disagree. You get on the pitch on merit, not because your dad plays for the other team," Barton wrote. He added, "Ferguson’s team were 1-0 down and still in the game. He made substitutes to try and get back in it. By the time Everton made it 2-0, he’d already used his subs to chase an equaliser."
Barton praised Ferguson for prioritizing the team’s needs over sentimental moments, stating, "Forget sentiment. History must be earned. I applaud a manager for doing what’s right for his team, not pandering to outside noise."
While many believe it would have been a special moment to see Tyler Young make history by playing against his father, Barton’s argument highlights the pressure on managers to make the best decisions for their team, especially in a high-stakes competition like the FA Cup.
Peterborough, a League One club, had a slim chance of leveling the score until Everton sealed their victory with a second goal in the eighth minute of added time. With significant financial rewards at stake for progressing in the competition, Ferguson’s focus was understandably on giving his team the best possible chance of success.
In hindsight, giving Tyler Young some minutes may not have changed the outcome of the game, but as Barton pointed out, Ferguson’s decision-making was based on merit and competitiveness rather than sentimentality. As Barton concluded, "History must be earned."