Gareth Barry: Would a Move to Liverpool be a Massive Mistake for the Aston Villa Captain?
Aston Villa Captain Gareth Barry has given his biggest hint yet that he wants to join Liverpool this summer. Once again an England international has been lured by the big 4 after continually joining up with fellow international squad members who play regularly in the Champions League with their clubs. Just as Michael Carrick left Spurs for Manchester United it would seem that Gareth Barry is heading to Anfield.
The 27-year-old had this to say whilst on international duty last week, “Champions League football helps any player. You only have to look at the England squad to see the amount of players who get in the squad and start the games - the majority play in the Champions League. Liverpool are in the Champions League and Villa are trying to push for that. That’s all part of my decision if a bid gets accepted. It’s obviously very flattering, the team has made a bid for me, but until the bid gets accepted I can’t even think about it.” Take from that what you will, but it seems Barry’s head has already been turned by the Merseyside giants.
If a move does come off it would end Barry’s 11-year association with the club. He has been a mainstay of the Villans team for the past 10 seasons and has made 327 League appearances for the second city side. He is currently the leader of a young, exciting Villa team which could be on the verge of great things under the mercurial tutelage of Martin O’Neill. So would a move to Liverpool be a major mistake? After all, his England prospects have been boosted by playing week in, week out for his club whilst he won’t be a definite starter under Rafa Benitez at Anfield. He would also stand no chance of wrestling the captain’s armband off of Steven Gerrard so he’ll be much further down the pecking order at his prospective new club. On a plus side Barry would finally get his Champions League chance but as Peter Crouch, Francis Jeffers, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jermaine Pennant have found out to their cost, a move to the big 4 does not necessarily improve your career.
Is the grass really greener at Anfield? Let’s hear your views.
Tags: Aston Villa, Gareth Barry, Liverpool
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:37
Are liverpool really that much of a step up, a few new signings and we could easily compete with them…O’Neill is a far better coach too!
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:40
this is the best Villa side for a long time and he would be a fool to go to a team that can barely finish 4th and is hardly improving like we are!
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:44
Yeah, they use evergreen there!! Makes lawns lush and green
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:51
No disrespect to Villa but you are not in the same class bracket as Liverpool, in terms of squad, finances, class and size…a move would be an obvious step up!
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:52
Villa will never break into the top 4. Whilst O’Neill has done good job they are miles away from the top 4..Gareth Barry has to play Champions League Football at this stage of his career, and he has absolutely zero chance of achieving that at Aston Villa..You cant blame the lad for wanting to play for bigger club and at a higher level.
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:56
Don’t mention class - Lerner has brought it in spades to Villa. Charity shirt association; fantastic new mosaic in the Holte End facia. An owner who truly recognises the heritage of a great club - compare the Hicks / Gillett buffons and then let’s talk about who has class!
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:56
One look at the Liverpool trophey room and one look at his own trophies i.e 0 will be enough for Gareth. And as for barely finishing 4th HA!!!! you’ve got to be in Europe to win it……..
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:58
The Villa fans are a deluded. Livepool signed three top class young players last year, Torres, Babel and Mascherano. The won the reserve league with a team of under 21 year olds. Where do you get the idea that Livepool are not a progressive team. The gap between villa and liverpool in terms of points was bigger this year than the previous year also. Get real will you. Liverpool is a massive step up from Villa.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:00
Liverpool are a far bigger club. Liverpool two world class players. Liverpool have a recent history of winning things or getting to the later stages of cups.
To say O’Neill is a better manager is laughable. Jesus would have struggled to win the champions league with Josemi, Biscan and Traore. O’Neill hasn’t won anything apart from 2 league cups (I’m discounting anything in Scotland). He’s a sh1t polisher.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:01
WHY does Barry have to play CL?? He has been England captain and the ONLY player to play for England in all their games this season. All whilst PLAYING FOR THE MIGHTY VILLA. Now I know Villa are a bit (not miles) away from 4th but with the right signings we can get there. Hey if Everton can and Spuds nearly did it then Villa sure have a good shout.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:03
# Mark Says:
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:58
The Villa fans are a deluded. Livepool signed three top class young players last year, Torres, Babel and Mascherano. The won the reserve league with a team of under 21 year olds. Where do you get the idea that Livepool are not a progressive team. The gap between villa and liverpool in terms of points was bigger this year than the previous year also. Get real will you. Liverpool is a massive step up from Villa.
Lol Villa fans deluded….you lot have spent MILLIONS and still no closer to what you really want the League title.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:03
Villa are a decent side with some very good young players but I can only see 1 team challenging for the top 4 and i hate admitting it coz i hate them but its spurs. Modric and dos santos, keane and berbatov… They are better than u Villa, you just have a few good players mixed in with some really average ones and martin O’Neil will be mentioned in the same breath as Rafa Benitez when hes won the CL, until then zip it
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:04
Villathriller, please get real man.
Read what you have written, you are kidding yourself if you really think Villa can compete with Liverpool.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:05
Reds rule…… yeah right!
Squad size maybe, class we have in abundance and Finances! We have got plenty of cash unlike liverpool who will have to sell to buy this season and why your slapping price tags like 10 mill on Carson! and 15 on crouch! and then you try and offer 12 mill for Barry. You have got to be having a laugh! Rafa the tapa (is he ever gonna celebrate when you score!
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:05
Villa are trying to build something here. Losing Barry at this stage would be a massive step back in our development.
Liverpool are an attractive club for any player at the highest level. I dont understand why they’d want Barry!? Surely they’d have enough quality in the middle even if they sell Xabi. Barry, in my mind, will be a plug at Anfield, he’l be put where ever they need him, thus putting him back into international obscurity. I understand him wanting to play at the highest level, but the truth is, he is!! He should use his international status as a Villa player to attract players to Villa rather than transfer to a ready made Champions league outfit.
Villa, over a course of a season do not have the capabilities to challange the top 4 at this stage, but we have proven we can be a match to them on the day.
The future is still bright!!
UTV
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:08
Gareth Barry is a class player and class players should play champions league, for the sake of the player and the national side. Can Villa offer that in the next 12 to 24 months? I would love to think so but the reality is unlikely. It’s now down the whether O’Neill can convince him to stay. Perhaps asking him to give Villa 1 more season to try and achieve it and then let him go should it not happen. I don’t know but it’s not the end of the World should he leave, a big loss but not the end of the World.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:09
Impartial fan here, support neither Villa or Liverpool and support neither clubs respective rivals either.
Speaking as an England fan, I think it would be great for Gerrard and Barry to play alongside each other at club level.
Champions League football is where every player wants to be, and Villa are a long, long way off that and will face a huge battle next season just t finish in the top 7 in my opinion.
As long as Villa get a nice lump sum for Barry so they can re-invest and O’Neill can continue his good work, this move won’t be too bad for all concerned.
I say Barry should go for it.
Liverpool can give him the challenges he is looking for at this stage in his career.
If he was 22 or 23 he could give Villa another 3 or 4 seasons to get it right, but he is getting on a bit and should move up now or live to regret it.
Sorry Villa fans.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:15
Just accept it Villa fans, once Rafa comes a calling any player would want to come! Perhaps we could throw Ashley Young in too and you can have Crouchy and Carson…fair is fair!
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:22
RedsRule.
Liverpool FC are the attraction, not Rafa. I’m think the bloke is a clown and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
June 3rd, 2008 at 12:36
The Villa fans are deluded? That’s interesting because i’m sure you’ve spent over £50 million in one transfer window and EVEN FURTHER away from the League title than before. Who’s deluded?
June 3rd, 2008 at 13:07
Firstly, I’m a Man City fan, who happens to think Gareth Barry is bordering on becoming the best midfielder in the country and I think Benitez can see this, that’s why he wants to replace Alonso with him.
One thing that really frustrates me in all this and I think shows a lot of disrespect towards Aston Villa and other clubs, is everyone saying he needs Champions League football to further his international career, why does he? He’s played every England game this season, he’s been man of the match about 4 times, all while at Villa, which means he’s outplayed Champions League players at Internatinal level, doesn’t it.
Liverpool could get knocked out of the Champions League in the first round, Aston Villa could reach the latter stages of the UEFA cup, where’s his European experience then if he goes to Liverpool?
Moving would be a bad bad idea if you ask me, Villa impressed me last season and look a very good young exciting team.
June 3rd, 2008 at 13:12
Also an impartial fan, yet I struggle to see how Liverpool can be a major step up for Barry.
They have very inconsistent league form and there is obvious disarray at the club with owners clearly not in it in the interests of the club.
Liverpool IMO are currently ahead of an emerging young Villa side but also a long way away from the top 3 in league terms. I do not see Liverpool performing again in Europe. They have done well but got through by the skin of their teeth last year.
I also think come European football time Mascherano would get the nod hence leaving Barry to continue playing premiership games only.
Yes Villa are a long way from Arsenal, Chelsea and Man U but they are not that far from Liverpool. If he were to leave Villa I think he should try and go to the top 3.
June 3rd, 2008 at 13:19
Not sure what season AJ Villan just watched but I am sure Liverpool reduced the gap to 11 points on the Mancs and reached the semi final of the champions league. The previous season it was over 20 points difference. Villa are nobody’s and never will be’s. Let the boy go and at least have a chance of winning something
June 3rd, 2008 at 13:27
John Matthews, at last a sensible observation and decent response. Gareth can only improve by staying at Villa, in my opinion, as he will play every game next season in the position he favours most - go to Liverpool and he could be playing anywhere, keeping the bench warm and basically being rotated as is Rafa’s want. He will be playing European football next season, and I think that and a good season in the league will cement his position in the England set up, in preparation for a really good World Cup qualification. Stay with Villa GB you know it makes sense.
I am not getting in to the whose club is biger, better, etc debate as there will always be disagreements, but I think Villa is the place for GB for the next 3 years at least.
June 3rd, 2008 at 14:22
villa will never be as big as lfc, you villa fans can dream thats all. what have you won with barry? is,t it not time for you lot to have a change. but ask yourself this how many players will pick villa instead of l,pool ? mon knows this noone will pick any team out of the top 4 noone thats top class that is.it made me laugh when you wanted henry. ask yourself this would torres play for villa ..no
June 3rd, 2008 at 15:14
class, part of the reason is that we are not prepared to pay extortionate wages that Liverpool are readily happy to throw at their players. Look at the stats, the top 4 are all in heavy debt due to the overpriced transfer and wages structures at these clubs, we aren’t because we don’t waste!! I will happily sell GB to Liverpool for £15m and Crouch - we can use that to buy Sidwell, SWP and Shorey, happy days!!
June 3rd, 2008 at 17:53
Without a doubt it will be a serious mistake for Barry if he joins Lverpool. Villa are going to be a class act. I can see them breaking the top four next year at the expense of Liverpool. I really believe Liverpool are flakey. Rafa to get sacked, board about to implode, no money to spend, Barry would be crazy to go . I still thnk he might go, but oh boy will he be sorry about this time next year. I am not a Toffee but I also think Liverpool may overtake ‘Pool next year too.
June 3rd, 2008 at 17:54
Substitute ‘Everton will overtake ‘Pool next year too’.
June 3rd, 2008 at 23:38
Must be villa’s turn this year!!
June 4th, 2008 at 05:14
My tottenham team are the only team within reach of the top four, although that is still a few seasons away. I believe my ability to sign key signings will be the deciding factor, along with tottenham having the balls to actually go for a top four spot.
David Bowie said it well when he said
We can be heroes , just for Juande
June 4th, 2008 at 10:45
Villa got 6th place last season by default.
Spurs had a poor season that was over League wise by Christmas(although they still had a better season overall than Villa)and Portsmouth put all their eggs in the FA Cup basket over the last 6 or 7 League games. They also had a better season overall than Villa did.
Add Everton finishing above Villa and going further in the League Cup and of course the added UEFA Cup run, and I fail to see just how Villa are such an emerging force.
They had no Cup run to hinder their league form and yet still finsihed way off the top 4(Spurs were the last side to have no cup runs to hinder their League form and they finished barley a point off 4th)
I honestly cannot see Villa being top 6 next season.
Everton will and Tottenham, with Modric and a full pre-season under Ramos are pretty much assured 5th place in my opinion. Then you have City with Hughes at the helm, loads a money and of course Pompey who look like strengthening.
Next season Villa will do well to finsih top 8, with or without Barry.
June 4th, 2008 at 12:10
John, you need to take the blinkers off mate!! OK, we may not have had much else to occupy us (cup wise), but with the smallest squad in the league most of our players probably played as many minutes as some of the teams involved in cup runs, etc. As for Tottenham having an overall better season!!!!! I would rather have had Villas than yours anyday - your league finished in October didn’t it? Oh, yes you won the Carling Cup……….. Modric will suddenly change your team and you will win everything, just like Bent did - what was he, £16M? Money well spent there then. Come back at the end of next season when Villa WILL be Top 8, and you will continue to leak goals…