HAVE YOUR SAY – Can anyone see Barry staying at Villa Park?

April 29, 2009 by Martin Banks
Filed under: Aston Villa, Hot topic debates 

Last summer it was the biggest rollercoaster transfer saga of the summer. It even got more press coverage than the Ronaldo-to-Real-Madrid speculation. And this year it has already started;

Will Gareth Barry leave Aston Villa after 11 great years?

Barry is (currently) part of a dying breed of one-club-men, having played his entire professional career for the Villa. He has made 434 appearances and is 8th in the all-time list (but still over 200 games away from Charlie Aitken). The man has been through some real crap times with the Villa and has played in almost every position on the park. He earnt his England wings with Villa (twice). He has been captain for us, though he lost that honour for a while after last summer’s shenanigans.

Barry has given his view on the potential summer saga:

“I’ve learnt a lot from what happened and last season I learned a lot off the pitch

“I’m looking for a completely opposite scale of things and I’m confident it won’t be one of those sagas again.

“There are things I’ll do differently. I’m not dreading it at all. I know what’s coming. It’s not something you dread, it’s part of the game.

“From the experience of last year I’m hoping to deal with it better.

“It would be disrespectful to the fans and the club if I’m thinking about anything else rather than trying to get maximum points from the last four games – that’s where my head is at this moment.

“It will definitely be a difficult decision but we’ll see where we are at the end of the season before making any decision. It’s always going to be a tough one, no matter what happens.

“A lot of the spotlight was on me because of what happened in the summer so it was important I just got my head down and did what I try and do. That’s what’s happened.

“It’s helped with the way my team-mates have played, there’s a lot of individuals who have performed very highly, so being part of a successful team helps.

“I’ve been happy with the way I’ve been playing and, touch wood, I’ve managed to stay fit again and play the majority of the games.”

Does that give us any insight into Barry’s plans beyond the summer? Or is just the same old stuff that all players always say?

Villa without Barry, for most, is an unimaginable thought and there are many fearing the club would collapse on the pitch without his influence. But there are also some that feel we would be better off without him. Barry has been at Villa for a donkey’s yonk and is part of the furniture, but whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is subject to some debate.

How could Villa replace Barry on the field? Many names have been mentioned, but many have not got the experience necessary for Villa to maintain their league position next year. Other names have an attraction in not necessarily being as good as Barry but maybe more suitable to the fast, attacking style we play.

Myself, I think Barry is superb and a large part of why we have been top 6 for the last 2 seasons and it would be nigh on impossible to replace his vision and precision without spending the kind of money we’re unlikely to have available. Occasionally though, I find myself thinking; Sod it, let him leave, get it over with and let’s begin to rebuild around his absence and there’s no point keeping a player who doesn’t have his heart in it.

The injury to Laursen adds to the desire to keep a rock like Barry and means we will have less to spend on a midfielder as we will have to buy an expensive defender in the summer now.


Comments

2 Comments on HAVE YOUR SAY – Can anyone see Barry staying at Villa Park?

  1. andy villa on Wed, 29th Apr 2009 12:15

    2. i am in the “not bothered” camp…

    anyone with a bit of composure on the ball, and neat passing, could replace him…

    add more creativity, some pace, and someone with a bit of attacking instinct, and we improve on the position…

    manuel fernandes, would be my choice, with johnjo shelvey and fabian delph as back up…

    the very fact that we would be forced to look elsewhere, means that we would be forced to look outside of the comfort zone…

    and to the people who will complain about replacing barry with a youngster from the lower leagues, just remember where barry came from in the first place…

  2. AVe IIIttt!! on Wed, 29th Apr 2009 12:28

    3. In the bothered but it wont be the end of the world camp.
    For a few seasons you could watch the team play and Barry stood out like a sore thumb due to the fact he was so much better than anyone else in the team. Not so much the case now.
    Whilst i would prefer he stays i hope that any exit is early and clean and can let the team get on with rebuilding as soon as possible without a circus.
    Then we can watch from afar as he warms a bench and loses his world cup place!
    Only kidding, good luck to him, he served us well and im sure we will all watch out for him

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