Despite seeing his side record a big 4-1 win at Hull on Saturday, Pardew was the major talking point of the day after he headbutted Hull's Meylor when his side were 3-1 up and coasting towards a much-needed three points.
Barton himself is no stranger to controversy and the current Queens Park Rangers midfielder, who served the second of his two-match suspension as his side drew 1-1 with Leeds United in the Championship, believes Pardew to be one of the best he has worked with in his career.
He wrote on his official Twitter account: “Seen Pardew incident. As per usual. Massively over-hyped...
“Don't let a couple of stupid incidents detract from the job he has done at Newcastle. Especially with what goes on behind the scenes there.
“Got a lot of time for Pardew. Regardless of what people think, he is a top manager. One of the best I've worked with.”