WELL that lasted long, eh? Eight games after it first began in a midsummer night’s dream against Annan, the Joey Barton nightmare which has marred Rangers’ return to the Premiership is finally at an end.

The outspoken Liverpudlian will now have no need to stick a call into his publishers for them to clear the decks for an extra chapter in his recently-released autobiography to detail all of his successes and trophy trails in light blue. Instead the playing aspect of his time at Ibrox could probably fit on the back of a betting slip, but we’ll not go there.

If he ever feels compelled to do so, the memoirs of his short sojourn to Glasgow will still make interesting reading as a proclamation to take the country by storm was followed just a couple of months later with a gushing farewell Tweet to the Rangers fans for their support. He failed to thank the club for the £600,000 he’s pocketed during that time, though.

The truth is, though, the lesson from Barton’s signing should not stop with the sight of him hastily rushing home down the M74. It should act as a wake-up call to a club that’s been left with egg on its face as a result of this entire fiasco.

It is easy with the benefit of hindsight to criticise the Rangers board and management team for bringing in such a temperamental and high-risk player in the first place. Many, including me, thought the arrival of Barton, along with the likes of Brendan Rodgers and Moussa Dembele, would only help raise the profile of the Scottish game. To that extent, you’ve got to say he’s at least managed that.

However, it will still be of no surprise that things went sour for Barton at Murray Park. And relatively quickly, either.

His arrival was part of a two-pronged attack. Yes, the midfielder was brought in to add quality to the spine of Mark Warburton’s team, and without looking sensational seemed to do okay. He was also used as a marquee signing to get bums on seats and to try and show that Rangers could still have the pulling power of years gone by.

Roy Keane, anyone?

But what it now does do is raise serious questions as to where Rangers go from here. Since their arrival into the Scottish top flight in the summer, the money simply hasn’t been spent effectively to facilitate an attempt to not even catch up with Celtic but to just maintain a chasm that already exists. Barton is only part of a much greater problem.

Joe Garner, the lauded Preston North End striker, has done virtually nothing to suggest the £1.8million thrown away on him in August was well spent. Three goals in 13 games is simply not good enough. Philippe Senderos, Lee Hodson, Matt Crooks, arguably the best summer acquisition is Clint Hill. Who’d have thought that.

Warburton and recruitment chief Frank McParland have delved into the lower leagues of England for talent and bargain buys. In one of the most inflated markets in world football, it’s proving an expensive shopping exercise.

Surely Rangers would be much better turning their attention further afield in a bid to unearth some talent that not only can help their team, but can be sold on at a hefty profit in the years to come.

With £20,000 a week saved as a result of Barton’s departure, one would rightly expect the Rangers board to spend when the January transfer window comes round. They must learn from the error of theirs way and do it wisely.

Speculate to accumulate and all that.

AND ANOTHER THING

It was not the omen we were hoping for, but all credit must go to the Scottish Media team who valiantly went down fighting in a 12-10 defeat to the Auld Enemy at Wembley yesterday.

Filled with more has-beens than I’m A Celebrity, the plucky Scots turned in a dogged performance as Herald and Times man Matthew Lindsay pulled one back late on with a 20-yard screamer, colleague Neil Cameron pulled a hamstring and I pulled a horse and cart.

There’s always next year…