Gareth Barry?
The more I see of him, the more I think weren't the red scouse lucky gits.
With the exception of the Chelsea game (where de Jong was running the show), he hasn't stood up to be counted for any big match. Three times we've played United and three times Barry's gone awol. You'd think that with Zabeleta the victim of persistent fouling, early on last Wednesday, that an experienced England midfielder like Barry would step in and show an average manyoo midfield who's boss. He didn't. He's in serious danger of becoming labelled as a big-time player at a small club (no disrespect to Villa but I hope you know what I mean) who can't hack the step up to the big time. Stevie Gerrard is playing well below his best all year and was returning from injury when he outplayed Barry at Anfield. Don't even get me started on Spurs, Villa (god, the excuses that got bandied about after that rubbish performance were really embarrassing), Everton and Birmingham.
On top of everything else, Barry is a diver and I hate cheats. His sole contribution, midweek, was to flop about the place everytime the hard tackles came in.
The sooner he either grows a pair and sets about doing the job for which he is so extravagently rewarded or is replaced by somebody who is willing to do the job, the better. Frankly, I don't care which comes first. He's been given a chance that anybody on this board would die for and what's he done with it? Sweet f.a!
Yeah, yeah, now I'm going to have to put up with a string of replies insisting "he'll come good" and "he's a class act" and "form is temporary but class is permanent". Well, now it's February (almost!). Time for him to sh*t or get off the pot.
A big man for the small occasion.