‘The Gareth Barry Saga – Part 2′ is set to be even bigger than the first one
Where does the future lie for Gareth Barry?
It’s no secret that Villa will lose Gareth Barry at the end of the season if we don’t make it into the Champions League and now as the shadows of doubt appear on our chances, the rumours begin to fly around.
The new addition to the fray this summer will be Manchester City, with Mark Hughes naming Bazza and John Terry as his main targets. Myself I can’t see him getting either. Terry seems happy at Chelsea and even if he did move I can’t see it being to a club that are yet to qualify for the Champions League. The same condition would apply for Barry.
Barry made it very clear that he wanted to join Liverpool for their Champions League status and if we can secure that this season that he’ll stay with us. I honestly think he secretly hopes we don’t make it.
Not that I think Barry dislikes us, I think he has enjoyed the time he’s spent with us but now that he has improved so much and become recognised as a quality player he has raised his ambitions and wants to play for a Champions League side that will compete to win the competition. Which he doesn’t see us as.
If (and that is still a big task) we qualify, we will really struggle to get far in the competition in our first season in there. O’Neill’s plans are not to win the Champions League next season but simply to qualify for it. By qualifying we can build the squad and then aim to be successful in it a few seasons in. It’s a long term plan is O’Neill’s.
But Barry is thinking shorter term.
The clock is ticking for Barry and he doesn’t have as much time to spare as MON, which will most likely see him join Liverpool (or Arsenal if they come back in for him) this summer.
Barry leaving would really throw a spanner on the works for us, as he will be very difficult to replace. Even if we do manage to entice a player of equal quality as Barry, he won’t know how to play with us like Barry does. Barry has been with us so long that he is part of the furniture on the pitch. New players come in and play around him moreso than he learns to play with them, so a newcomer may well get to grips over time but we won’t be as good without Barry for a few months at the very least.
It’s also a bit of a catch-22 because CL football is about the only way we could entice a player of Barry’s class but it’s also the only yardstick by which he’ll commit to stay.
This is only the beginning of this one. It’s going to roll and roll, you watch.
Gareth Barry – Do Villa fans want him to stay at all costs or move along?
Happy B-day Bazza
Gareth Barry is celebrating his 28th birthday today, so first of all; Happy Birthday Gareth (I wonder what present you buy for someone on his wages?!).
The News Of The World yesterday ran a story of how Barry will stay at the Villa… IF we qualify for Champions League (Isn’t this story seven months old?). We have known for ages that Barry is only willing to commit to us if we make the holy grail of Champions League football and we are also aware of the unrelenting rumour that Benitez will be back for him in the summer (that’s if Rafa still has a job at Liverpool!).
So what do we think? Do we want to keep Bazza at all costs? Or would we rather see the back of him?
Barry has been a sensational player for Villa for a number of years now and has been a huge part of why we have been as successful as we have. Last season he was of monumental importance to our league position and whilst we had many good players, Barry was the key man who held us together as a team. It was no surprise that a top four side wanted him, and that Villa wanted big money. The biggest surprise for me was that Liverpool didn’t cough up and pay the asking price. If you ask me, he was worth every penny (in today’s market).
Barry was in phenomenal form at the time and as Liverpool were willing to meet Keane’s price, why the hell not Barry’s? Barry would’ve been a much better investment for them, especially with how the whole Keane fiasco eventually panned out.
At Villa, he is an integral cog of the machine, a backbone to our team (particularly alongside Stiliyan Petrov), whereas at a team like Liverpool he would be just a squad player. But he would be more guaranteed Champions League on Merseyside. So there’s pros and cons from his point of view.
The big question of replacing him
Who could fill his boots? Steve Sidwell was brought in as his replacement last summer but then Barry ended up staying and Sidwell’s Villa career was hindered somewhat by that, but could he step in if Barry leaves? Or do Villa need to look into the market? Who do you feel could do Barry’s job and would want to come to Villa Park?
Gardner plays superb for England U21s, Agbonlahor and Young now with good chance of senior England action… at last and Barry remains regular in the national side
Filed under: Ashley Young, Aston Villa, Craig Gardner, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Gareth Barry, International Football, Match Previews, Match Reports, Player Profiles
Last night saw an England international friendly take place, not quite to the same media frenzy as tonight’s senior game against Germany, but successful all the same. Stuart Pearce’s U21 side took on the Czech Republic U21 at Bramall Lane and triumphed 2-0, thanks to goals from Manchester United’s Fraizer Campbell, currently out on loan at Harry Rednkapp’s Tottenham Hotspur, and none other than Villa’s own home-grown talent; Craig Gardner.
Campbell opened the scoring ten minutes into the game with a deftly taken goal, played through by Peterborough goalie Joe Lewis, who had a great game till he went off injured. The second goal came at the same length into the second half, from a free-kick by Gardner that you couldn’t quite tell if he meant it or not. It was a low free-kick, that went under the wall and into the bottom corner of the net. Through pride for one of our own, we’ll say: Played for… and got! Well done Craig.
In addition to the goal, Gardner also played a good commanding role in the midfield for the side, showing he could have potential to get back in the Villa side, but with our current crop of players you can only see him making it if injuries help him out. A loan move would certainly benefit him, but I doubt O’Neill would sanction letting players go when we still don’t have the largest of squads.
On to the senior England team Read more
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