A couple of questions about the Gareth Barry proposed transfer from Aston Villa to Liverpool.

Des never really had a chance of playing for England! He’s scottish

Don’t Liverpool need more Homegrown players in there squad ? hence Barry for Alonso

Firstly in response to your question about the seemingly uncivilised nature of transfers I believe it is just another knock on effect from the huge amounts of money in the game these days. The big 4 are the only clubs accused of doing it but in all reality every club at some point or another uses whatever media tricks or underhand means necessary to unsettle a player or at least make them aware of another teams interest. So I find it extremly hypocritical from supporters who will condemn any club for using tapping up tactics when the reality of the situation every club in europe uses any means necessary to manipulate a player situation or transfer for their own clubs gain.

Secondly you ask a question I have been asking myslef and still dont have the answer for. Alonso may not have had a very productive previous two seasons in terms of his performance for Liverpool but he still remains a very good player. so it baffles me how the Champions League and European championships winner can be deemed firstly to be any worse than Barry or secondly less expensive than Barry. Sometimes a change in surroundings is needed and maybe that is what Alonso needs to get back on his game but how MON values barry at 2 million more than Liverpool value Alonso is beyond me. Personally I think it highlights the nature of inflated prices of average english talent. Andd this is another reason why there is also a lack of top English talent playing for the top clubs in england. They just arent worth their inflated transfer prices, you get better cheaper alternatives abroad

The answer : 1. Martin O Neil is making a mess out of this transfer. Rafa has said a million times that he wants to but Barry and Neil has slammed back a million times that he does not want to sell his skipper. Rafa has the intentions of making Barry a World Class player not only for Liverpool but for England as well and the only way to do that is playin Champions League football. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to understand that but Neil is making life difficult for Barry and himself. He has promised Barry things which i really really doubt and that is to get Aston Villa into the Champions League spot. Who are they kidding??Look at MU , Chelsea and Arsenal or even Spurs rebuilding back the teams. Simple as this – Dont make promises that you can full fill coz Barry knows that and he is not stupid.
2. Is Alonso better than Barry ? Alonso was regarded as a ” pass master ” in the Premier League once but last season has been dissapointing. He has also failed to step up at times required . Its a fact that he is a EURO 2008 winner but remember it’s because of that SPAIN team and not him alone. Simple as this – Barry is the captain and he knows what is required mentally to be a winner and he gels well with Gerard in midfiled.

Liverpool were quite open with the fact that they were interested in Garreth Barry – why is it always Liverpool that is looked on badly when it is they that are involved.Why has Alex Ferguson got away with it for over the past twenty years? – he has openly per’sued players and unsettled them,and has continued to do so ! – but then complains when Real Madrid ( who have also been doing it for years), openly state that they would like to have Ronaldo playing for them. There is definately a different rule for the likes of Ferguson !
I’ll be very interested as to whether or not you people will edit what I have said (the way you did with my last comments)? I mean,numerous papers etc; are loathe to say anything detremental towards ‘Alex’ or Mancester United,are they not ! By the way,I am not an anti MU person – but one does notice these things. ‘Now print it please’

Firstly the news that LFC wanted Barry was leaked by the Villa, this was confirmed by the reporter that wrote the story. Rafa did speak to Maureen O’ Squeal who promptly threw his toys out of the cot and then proceeded to throw the cot out of the window. When the approach was made public all and sundry had their say, which can be laid directly at MON door and the way he has reacted. A dignified response is what was needed, a talk with his captain expressing his desire to build the Villa team around him and then if Barry was adamant to leave a dignified acceptance of the fact. After all football is a business and the players are assets. Squealing, complaining and moaning to the press was extremely immature and counter productive.

As to whether Barry is better than Alonso the answer is no but he is better suited to the Prem and will give LFC a better and quicker counter attacking option. Also he is more versatile and more importantly left footed, so what we loose in the passing department we more than gain in other areas. Personal I think it is a good piece of business on Rafa’s behalf

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11677_3449912,00.html

Laursen on Crouch:

“This is a club who are going places. We have a lot of good young players here, so an England striker like Peter Crouch should be interested in coming to Aston Villa.”

Young on Crouch:

“I’d love to see him here because he’s such a clever player,” Young, who is the record signing for Villa, said in the Mirror.

“He’s gangly and awkward-looking but he’s got incredible feet and he knows where the goal is.

“It seems to be only talk but if he came here in the January transfer window it would be great because you can never have too many good strikers.

“We’ve got quick players like Gabriel Agbonlahor and Luke Moore but Crouchy is something different again.”

The last time I looked Crouch is a Liverpool player. Pot calling the kettle black perhaps?

Barry will be used as a right sidedack up to mascherano

first point i agree with,it should be club to club negiations but it seems the way of the agent is now the main currancy of the world of football, followed by the player then the club. on the question if barry is better than alonso then i’d have to say no, but it is important to remember that Alonso is a central midfield and thats it, while barry can play in serveral posistions well, so this makes him valueable to rafa who likes to have an adpatable team on the pitch IMHO. Barry will end up going to liverpool for 15million a fair price all around

Good questions I’d like to get an answer to myself. Read/heard somewhere Rafa has this policy of keeping a given part of the team/squad British/Irish. Can’t think of any other reason a player of Barry’s qualities is rated above Xabi’s. It’s a crazy world and Villa’s price tag of 18 million and our willingness to go by it just proves it. Barry’s not the way forward/upward, it’s more of the same we had the last 18 years. Keane I can see the point in trying to sign, but not this mediocre nobody. Is footy management really that hard?

it’s not necessarily about who is the ‘best’ player. It’s more about which players suit a particular system, or compliment each others abilities.

Alonso and Gerrard don’t seem to play together all that well. Lampard and Gerard definitely don’t play together well. Barry and Gerrard could make an excellent balanced midfield.

as a villa fan i remember mortimer and bremner. neither of which were england
regulars, or even considered likely, but they won the league as part of a team.

England in the past have always suffered from the same ‘pick the 11 best players in the country’ syndrome, rather than picking the players that make up the most effective team. see Spain in this years euros – no Raul or Guti. unthinkable. admittedly they have a much larger pool of talent.

as for your first question. I think the mass media and internet coverage, and the large sums of money potentially at stake, has just amplified the always existing seedy, used car dealer/scrap metal merchant way of doing transfer business.

it’s not necessarily about who is the ‘best’ player. It’s more about which players suit a particular system, or compliment each others abilities.

Alonso and Gerrard don’t seem to play together all that well. Lampard and Gerard definitely don’t play together well. Barry and Gerrard could make an excellent balanced midfield.

as a villa fan i remember mortimer and bremner. neither of which were england
regulars, or even considered likely, but they won the league as part of a team.

England in the past have always suffered from the same ‘pick the 11 best players in the country’ syndrome, rather than picking the players that make up the most effective team. see Spain in this years euros – no Raul or Guti. unthinkable. admittedly they have a much larger pool of talent.

as for your first question. I think the mass media and internet coverage, and the large sums of money potentially at stake, has just amplified the always existing seedy, used car dealer/scrap metal merchant way of doing transfer business.

Good questions I’d like to get an answer to myself. Read/heard somewhere Rafa has this policy of keeping a given part of the team/squad British/Irish. Can’t think of any other reason a player of Barry’s qualities is rated above Xabi’s. It’s a crazy world and Villa’s price tag of 18 million and our willingness to go by it just proves it. Barry’s not the way forward/upward, it’s more of the same we had the last 18 years. Keane I can see the point in trying to sign, but not this mediocre nobody. Is footy management really that hard?

first point i agree with,it should be club to club negiations but it seems the way of the agent is now the main currancy of the world of football, followed by the player then the club. on the question if barry is better than alonso then i’d have to say no, but it is important to remember that Alonso is a central midfield and thats it, while barry can play in serveral posistions well, so this makes him valueable to rafa who likes to have an adpatable team on the pitch IMHO. Barry will end up going to liverpool for 15million a fair price all around

Barry will be used as a right sidedack up to mascherano

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11677_3449912,00.html

Laursen on Crouch:

“This is a club who are going places. We have a lot of good young players here, so an England striker like Peter Crouch should be interested in coming to Aston Villa.”

Young on Crouch:

“I’d love to see him here because he’s such a clever player,” Young, who is the record signing for Villa, said in the Mirror.

“He’s gangly and awkward-looking but he’s got incredible feet and he knows where the goal is.

“It seems to be only talk but if he came here in the January transfer window it would be great because you can never have too many good strikers.

“We’ve got quick players like Gabriel Agbonlahor and Luke Moore but Crouchy is something different again.”

The last time I looked Crouch is a Liverpool player. Pot calling the kettle black perhaps?

Firstly the news that LFC wanted Barry was leaked by the Villa, this was confirmed by the reporter that wrote the story. Rafa did speak to Maureen O’ Squeal who promptly threw his toys out of the cot and then proceeded to throw the cot out of the window. When the approach was made public all and sundry had their say, which can be laid directly at MON door and the way he has reacted. A dignified response is what was needed, a talk with his captain expressing his desire to build the Villa team around him and then if Barry was adamant to leave a dignified acceptance of the fact. After all football is a business and the players are assets. Squealing, complaining and moaning to the press was extremely immature and counter productive.

As to whether Barry is better than Alonso the answer is no but he is better suited to the Prem and will give LFC a better and quicker counter attacking option. Also he is more versatile and more importantly left footed, so what we loose in the passing department we more than gain in other areas. Personal I think it is a good piece of business on Rafa’s behalf

Liverpool were quite open with the fact that they were interested in Garreth Barry – why is it always Liverpool that is looked on badly when it is they that are involved.Why has Alex Ferguson got away with it for over the past twenty years? – he has openly per’sued players and unsettled them,and has continued to do so ! – but then complains when Real Madrid ( who have also been doing it for years), openly state that they would like to have Ronaldo playing for them. There is definately a different rule for the likes of Ferguson !
I’ll be very interested as to whether or not you people will edit what I have said (the way you did with my last comments)? I mean,numerous papers etc; are loathe to say anything detremental towards ‘Alex’ or Mancester United,are they not ! By the way,I am not an anti MU person – but one does notice these things. ‘Now print it please’

The answer : 1. Martin O Neil is making a mess out of this transfer. Rafa has said a million times that he wants to but Barry and Neil has slammed back a million times that he does not want to sell his skipper. Rafa has the intentions of making Barry a World Class player not only for Liverpool but for England as well and the only way to do that is playin Champions League football. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to understand that but Neil is making life difficult for Barry and himself. He has promised Barry things which i really really doubt and that is to get Aston Villa into the Champions League spot. Who are they kidding??Look at MU , Chelsea and Arsenal or even Spurs rebuilding back the teams. Simple as this – Dont make promises that you can full fill coz Barry knows that and he is not stupid.
2. Is Alonso better than Barry ? Alonso was regarded as a ” pass master ” in the Premier League once but last season has been dissapointing. He has also failed to step up at times required . Its a fact that he is a EURO 2008 winner but remember it’s because of that SPAIN team and not him alone. Simple as this – Barry is the captain and he knows what is required mentally to be a winner and he gels well with Gerard in midfiled.

Firstly in response to your question about the seemingly uncivilised nature of transfers I believe it is just another knock on effect from the huge amounts of money in the game these days. The big 4 are the only clubs accused of doing it but in all reality every club at some point or another uses whatever media tricks or underhand means necessary to unsettle a player or at least make them aware of another teams interest. So I find it extremly hypocritical from supporters who will condemn any club for using tapping up tactics when the reality of the situation every club in europe uses any means necessary to manipulate a player situation or transfer for their own clubs gain.

Secondly you ask a question I have been asking myslef and still dont have the answer for. Alonso may not have had a very productive previous two seasons in terms of his performance for Liverpool but he still remains a very good player. so it baffles me how the Champions League and European championships winner can be deemed firstly to be any worse than Barry or secondly less expensive than Barry. Sometimes a change in surroundings is needed and maybe that is what Alonso needs to get back on his game but how MON values barry at 2 million more than Liverpool value Alonso is beyond me. Personally I think it highlights the nature of inflated prices of average english talent. Andd this is another reason why there is also a lack of top English talent playing for the top clubs in england. They just arent worth their inflated transfer prices, you get better cheaper alternatives abroad

Don’t Liverpool need more Homegrown players in there squad ? hence Barry for Alonso

Des never really had a chance of playing for England! He’s scottish