The great big Gareth Barry saga

From the Telegraph 2 days ago


Rafael Benitez has identified Gareth Barry as his main transfer target for the summer as well as renewing his interested in Manchester City midfielder Michael Johnson.

The Spaniard was said to be seriously considering his long-term future at the club after revelations over the weekend that co-owner Tom Hicks had a second meeting with Jürgen Klinsmann over the possibility of replacing Benitez towards the end of last year.

However, the uncertainty surrounding the club at boardroom level has not prevented Benitez from drawing up a list of players he wants to add to the squad, should he remain in charge, with Barry a priority.

Benitez has requested a meeting with chief executive Rick Parry to clear the air after details of the second meeting emerged. Parry and other members of the Liverpool board were present at the New York meeting in Novemeber but not at Hicks' holiday home in California during Thanksgiving weekend.

Benitez's interest in the England midfield player is longstanding and reports suggest Hicks and Benitez have discussed a possible £12 million transfer already with Villa officials. Parry was not party to those discussions.

Barry, 27, has established himself as a mainstay of the England squad over the last season since moving to a more central, holding role under Martin O'Neill.

England manager Fabio Capello has spoken of his admiration for the technical qualities of the player and, though Liverpool appear well stocked with central midfielders, his addition would give depth to Liverpool's squad in an important area.


More media bullcrap for mine but worth mentioning and seeing everyone's reaction. Personally, dont want him or need him if he is playing a holding role OR on the left. Thats my opinion, yours?

What you said!

he is good (at best) but there are better players avalible

On the Skysports website they are suggesting that we are offering £10 million + a player exchange, possibly Carson (fair enough) or Crouch! I think they'd be getting the best out of this deal if we gave them our second best striker along with the money... I, for one, hope that this talk about Crouch is just rumours...

Reds offer players in Barry deal
Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill claims Liverpool have made "an offer involving a mish-mash of nameless player exchanges" for Gareth Barry.

Reports earlier on Friday had suggested Liverpool had made a £10million cash bid to try and lure Barry to Anfield from Villa Park.

But O'Neill has revealed the offer is far from straightforward and has also criticised the Reds for leaking news of the approach.

Barry, who has two years to run on his current contract, recently admitted he might have to consider his future at Villa as he wants to be challenging for honours at this stage of his career.

O'Neill is understood to be interested in bringing Liverpool striker Peter Crouch back to Villa Park, while Scott Carson, currently on loan at the club, and defender John Arne Riise could also come into the equation if a cash-plus-players deal materialises.

But O'Neill would still want to keep hold of Barry if at all possible and insists Villa are "not a feeder club".

O'Neill told the club's official website: "Gareth Barry still has two years of his contract left to run and from my two years' experience of working with him, he's not one who would be wanting to break contracts lightly.

"Liverpool haven't made a straight cash offer. They have made an offer involving a mish-mash of nameless player exchanges.

"I'm particularly disappointed to hear that business is being conducted in public and I just want to be clear on this in that we're trying to build a side here and we're not a feeder club.

"We want to be trying to challenge. At some stage we want to get to the position that this football club once held. That will demand an awful lot of effort. It will take a supreme effort and it will take very, very good players."

O'Neill added: "I don't want to be in a position of letting really good players go. Gareth Barry is a really good player who still has two years left on his contract.

"I haven't discussed these things with him yet. At some stage obviously I will do. But the day before probably our most important game of the season is not the time to be discussing it.

"A couple of weeks ago Gareth said he would prefer to wait until the end of the season before we start discussing things and I think that would be the right thing to do.

"It's particularly disappointing to find out that Liverpool have carried the story in their local paper. It's certainly not the way that the Liverpool of old conducted business. I prefer to do things with a bit or privacy and a bit of confidentiality.

"That's particularly disappointing, especially at this time.

"We've got two important games coming up. Liverpool's season might effectively be over as they have qualified for the Champions League and their interest in this season's Champions League ended a couple of nights ago.

"I'd rather be waiting until the end of the season before I discussed things."

We are being accused of tapping him up now pretty much. Just leave him rafa dont even want him, leave him to be villas captain they need him way more than we do.

Atleast we're seeing improvements on what was being quoted in the papers as our targets. Barry isnt a bad player at all, i think we expect a heap of world class signings but i guess this is a step towards that.

If the story in the papers is inaccurate, reporting we've offered £10m when in reality we've offered a player exchange, how does that suggest the club leaked it?

If the story in the papers is inaccurate, reporting we've offered £10m when in reality we've offered a player exchange, how does that suggest the club leaked it?

Exactly. There's no quotes from our club saying we've offered for him. Not even quotes saying we're interested in him.

I cant believe some of the post on this thread!! F***ing unbelievable some of you are. Gareth Barry is a world class midfield player who is adaptable and can pretty much play well in any position. Now let me think..... there is only one other player I know who could do that(play in any position and be good at it) thats SG our current Captain. Barry is quality through and through and I for one would be delighted for him to come to us, in fact over the F***ing moon because he is a world class left sided player of which we have none at this present time.

What gets me is some of you stating that we should have a more attacking left winger in the likes of Quaresma, give me a F***ing break, Quaresma is as overrated as they come and in it just for the money, its refreshing to see Rafa spalsh the cash on an Englishman with some F***ing back bone instead of a Portugeuse who dives every time he is touched. Correct me if Im wrong but there is player like that who plays for the scum just like that and if anyone goes to tackle or touch him Ferguson goes mental.

Its plain to see some of you really dont watch that much EPL football of other teams and some of you really dont know the arse end of a football from the other you just listen to what media consensus suggest from so called football writers who think they know the game inside out, these are the sorts of people who are sitting at bars with their bellies hanging over the barstool 20 fags in one hand a pint of lager in the other and deep fried pie on plate resting on the top of their beer belly. Come on people start using your noodle and we have a reputation to keep here as being the most knowledgable fans in the game and some of your comments are letting the side down.

And to top it off nicely if Gareth Barry does come it will resurrect the midfield song quite nicely me thinks..

We got the best midfield in the world

Gareth Barry , Xabi ALonso , Gerrard and Mascheranooooeoooooeoooo eooooooo

I cant believe some of the post on this thread!! F***ing unbelievable some of you are. Gareth Barry is a world class midfield player who is adaptable and can pretty much play well in any position. Now let me think..... there is only one other player I know who could do that(play in any position and be good at it) thats SG our current Captain. Barry is quality through and through and I for one would be delighted for him to come to us, in fact over the F***ing moon because he is a world class left sided player of which we have none at this present time.

What gets me is some of you stating that we should have a more attacking left winger in the likes of Quaresma, give me a F***ing break, Quaresma is as overrated as they come and in it just for the money, its refreshing to see Rafa spalsh the cash on an Englishman with some F***ing back bone instead of a Portugeuse who dives every time he is touched. Correct me if Im wrong but there is player like that who plays for the scum just like that and if anyone goes to tackle or touch him Ferguson goes mental.

Its plain to see some of you really dont watch that much EPL football of other teams and some of you really dont know the arse end of a football from the other you just listen to what media consensus suggest from so called football writers who think they know the game inside out, these are the sorts of people who are sitting at bars with their bellies hanging over the barstool 20 fags in one hand a pint of lager in the other and deep fried pie on plate resting on the top of their beer belly. Come on people start using your noodle and we have a reputation to keep here as being the most knowledgable fans in the game and some of your comments are letting the side down.

And to top it off nicely if Gareth Barry does come it will resurrect the midfield song quite nicely me thinks..

We got the best midfield in the world

Gareth Barry , Xabi ALonso , Gerrard and Mascheranooooeoooooeoooo eooooooo

Someone else see's the truth in Quaresma!!!

And to top it off nicely if Gareth Barry does come it will resurrect the midfield song quite nicely me thinks..

We got the best midfield in the world

Gareth Barry , Xabi ALonso , Gerrard and Mascheranooooeoooooeoooo eooooooo

Do you think he might be willing to change his surname to 'Barry-O'?

It would fit better

barry would be a good addition to our squad

I think Barry would add valuable experience to your midfield - we saw when he played with England a few months ago against Russia and Israel how well he and Gerrard linked up very well, and I think he and Mascherano could also develop a partnership as DM's

Do you think he might be willing to change his surname to 'Barry-O'?

It would fit better

Sing it to yourself Edward you will see that it fits nicely without the cheerio at the end 

I love how this thread started as "no we dont want him, too expensive." and now people thinking of songs to include him in.

Er, we wouldn't be able to sing Best Midfield in the World again because should Barry join I can't see Xabi staying for much longer, as that would leave 5 first squad central midfielders.

The whole thing comes down to whether you want Barry or Alonso, and whether Benitez will stick with this 4-2-3-1 formation he's been playing. I can't see him buying Barry and switching to 4-4-2 considering Mascherano's prowess in that position and the natural choice of Stevie G in there (unless we're seeing Stevie shifted over to the right, or Barry plays left midfield...).

Whilst he's a good player, if it comes down to a straight decision, Alonso or Barry, I would go for Xabi.

My betting is Alonso is off - and he's hoping to buy Barry as a replacement.

Again though - Rafa transfer targets completely baffle me...!

Barry can play at left back just as well as in midfield so maybe rafa is getting him in for that position and will bring in Bentley, Quaresma, Mancini or someone similar for the right wing.

we really dont need barry, guy's a good player but when will rafa finally stop buying flexible players and get one specialized player.. dont waste those millions on him we already got lucas,alonso,masch and gerrard.. just get in a winger and a leftback! its not fair to be using barry as a left back either when he's proved he can play mid f.. just let go off him i say

I think he is a very good player but I dont know what the plan is for him, is he going to be used in babels position and babel be moved to upfront ? played at LB ? Played as another CM ?

Agree about quaresma with the diving but I think people want him mostly because he has undoubted talent. I have given up on us getting him but I am smart enough to see he would be a great player to sign, his talent is clear to see.

Personally at the moment I dont want barry mainly because I dont know what the plan is for him, if he is to be used in babels position with babel being astriker then im all for it but I dont think we would get the best out of barry using him as a LB and I think our central midfield area is getting so congested its ridiculous. Im all for buying him as a left forward kind of player though, he puts some wicked deliveries into the box and can hit the ball aswell. When you think about paying £10 million plus on him when we could buy mancini for £4-10 million and use him on the left or add 2-5 million and get bentley for the wing i would prefer one of the latter as its more their natural position, if he is for LB we seem poised to get amorbieta who is only 23 and seems a likely signing. Im not against us signing barry but im very unsure right now about it, i think i could come around to the idea of getting him though.

It seems people are torn between two opinions on barry, some think he is good and some think he is more than just a good player, some see him as a first teamer and others a squad player, I think he is a very good player but as I said im split between opinions due to which position he will be played in.

Er, we wouldn't be able to sing Best Midfield in the World again because should Barry join I can't see Xabi staying for much longer, as that would leave 5 first squad central midfielders.

The whole thing comes down to whether you want Barry or Alonso, and whether Benitez will stick with this 4-2-3-1 formation he's been playing. I can't see him buying Barry and switching to 4-4-2 considering Mascherano's prowess in that position and the natural choice of Stevie G in there (unless we're seeing Stevie shifted over to the right, or Barry plays left midfield...).

Whilst he's a good player, if it comes down to a straight decision, Alonso or Barry, I would go for Xabi.

Im sorry but where has this rumour come from about Xabis future?? There is no evidence to suggest signing Barry would lead to Xabi leaving us. This again is pure F***ing media bullshit to try to unsettle things at LFC. Barry signing would only cement the squad including Xabi even further and if you bothered to read what Rafa was saying in his press conference he even stated about strength in depth needed to challenge for the title.

Yet again for want of repeating myself Rafa has put his plate forward and proved that football is no longer a team game but a squad game. Everyone and their Aunt Fanny has slagged the bloke off for the way he works and very little praise comes from any quarter about the things he does right. If signing Barry is putting other players positions at risk I say you are talking bollox because we need strength in depth and by signing Barry this proves Rafas intent.

The Xabi leaving thing is all media crap and also people assuming he would leave if barry came as barry seems a replacement for him and we dont need any more CM's so it seems one would leave and barry would come in to play the position he plays in most, and Xabi is seen as the most likely CM to leave.

Plus the fact Guillem Balague said Xabi would leave and alot of people believed it was happening due to that. I've been saying all along Xabi will stay and i hope he does, i still cant see him leaving.

If Barry came here with our current squad he would be:

1) The best left back at the club
2) The best left winger at the club (I don't count Babel as a winger BTW)
3) The third best defensive midfielder at the club

This to me is well worth paying £10m for.

I really haven't seen Barry play apart from when he partnered Gerrard for England. All I can say is that I'll trust Rafa's decesion to whoever he signs.