15 Aug 2017 20:14:51
Yes Gareth Barry has been a good player for the club. But he is getting too slow now, and in an area of the pitch where you need pace he is getting found out. Hence the bookings. I wish him all the best at West Brom, but him leaving opens the door for someone else.

1.) 15 Aug 2017
15 Aug 2017 21:16:23
You should probably study his career history and realise he was always liable to a bunch of bookings and a suspension most seasons. It was his game to break it up anyway he could. Being slower only made the fouls a bit more obvious ;) Good luck Gareth Barry, I wasnt keen but I remember a Villa fan saying that only fans who see him week in week out, get what he was all about. Now go and smash Giggs and put that yellow card record out of sight.

2.) 15 Aug 2017
15 Aug 2017 21:27:18
Finally we have our man! Sad to see GB go, I would have liked him to stay for another season, quality - but Gyfi is pure class. just need some bolstering up front now and maybe the left sided defender - but all in all a very good transfer window! Happy days.

3.) 15 Aug 2017
15 Aug 2017 21:34:03
An area of the pitch you need pace? For real? His job is, and always was, to break up the flow of opposition midfield, stop their forward breaks and keep our line steady. He's a defensive enforcer in my view, someone who always puts his body on the line to make the defence job a little easier. Yes he gets a lot of bookings but because he is brave in any situation and knows the tactical advantage of when committing a foul is more of a benefit to the team. I think he would have been a real asset for us in the last half hour of any game where we are under pressure and need to stop such attacking threats. I wil miss him and wish him nothing but the best at West Brom.

4.) 15 Aug 2017
15 Aug 2017 21:57:44
Pace is a quality worth having regardless of your position on the pitch. Having pace when trying to beat players to the ball and break up play is certainly worthwhile. I'd like to have kept him - but it was right to let him go and play games. Good luck GB!

5.) 15 Aug 2017
15 Aug 2017 22:23:03
Anyone saying pace isn't important clearly didn't see the Goodison derby last year. We were on top until Jimmy Mc went off but Gareth B couldn't deal with the pace.

Good luck to him and thanks very much.
But time to move on.

6.) 16 Aug 2017
15 Aug 2017 22:57:58
Thanks Dave, it would appear sentiment is ruling people's heads at the minute. As I said good player in his time but time catches up with us all, and now was Gareth's time.

7.) 16 Aug 2017
16 Aug 2017 05:53:00
Agree Woburn.
At the match you constantly hear people having a go at him because of lack of pace. But as soon as he is moving the sentiment starts.

Alex Ferguson - and dare I say the reds teams of the eighties knew when to move people on before their performance dipped.
For me Gaz Baz could have gone 12 months ago.

Model pro, very respectful other two others I could mention - but we are aiming higher now.

COYB.