Gareth Barry

[lee-mcfc]

What exactly "isn't he good at"? The things that he's needs to do, he's excellent at. He doesn't need pace, he doesn't need to be able to shoot, he doesn't need to be great in the air. He needs to be able to pass a ball, control a ball and read the game. Barry is usually excellent at all three, these are his main strengths.

Why "don't you rate him"?

Do you know why we play crab players? That whole slow tempo thing is quite purposeful; it's because we use them to shift the ball around as a link point for the movement of others. This allows everybody in front/side of Barry to test the defence of the opponent using their off the ball movement.

For example, think of Barry stood exactly on the centre spot, with play in front of him. Silva with the ball on the left wing has a bit of a go running at a defender or maybe Balo makes a bit of movement. If it works, Silva passes his man or gets the ball to Balo. If it doesn't work, he passes it back to Barry, who then has a look around the pitch and decides that Richards on the right wing can have a go. If Richards' movement doesn't work, it goes back to Barry who then thinks that maybe Yaya can have a go, etc.
The idea is that we keep possession through each phase of play - we can attack an opening, and if unsuccessful we don't lose the ball. This is why we look slow on the buildup, we are literally probing the opposition defence for weaknesses. This is another reason why Waddle is a fucking idiot; he cannot understand that charging all guns blazing through the centre gets you absolutely nowhere in this game and hasn't done since about 1935. He also like to say we play "Italian", which we don't. Turn on ESPN now, Milan and Juve are playing, Italian football is closer to what United play than what city play. We play closer to Dutch, for anybody who cares.

The above is a very simplified example but it makes the point; Barry is the conductor of the whole orchestra. This is why him and NDJ are such a fantastic pair to have in the centre. One conducts the orchestra, the other stops the other orchestra from playing.

Finally, Barry is paramount against teams like Wigan who come to park the bus. Because he shifts the play from one side to the other, the defensive organisation of teams has to change (as you attack from a different angle), and as soon as they slip, we exploit it.

As I say, Barry is very good at what he does and I'm not sure exactly what you think he's paid to do on the pitch.

OWNED LEE!

Barry is the glue to the midfield, holds everything together...yes, I agree he gives away a lot of fouls but on form, he is good at picking up the ball in midfield and freeing the forward players...he's also an excellent game reader as Damocles said.

Knowing Barry is there means that the other midfield players can get into more space knowing that he is there to try and retain possession and start again if we lose the ball.

He does have his flaws but so do most players.

Just because he doesn't do the most glamorous of midfield jobs, people think he's shit.

I don't think Lee even came up with a valid response and it was quite a pathetic reply, no offence Lee.

lad shut up its old now.
and hes shit IMO or cant i have an opinion?


sucking damocles off now when your always taking the piss out of him. ok then fella now thats what i call pathetic

 

[mcfcliam]

OWNED LEE!

Barry is the glue to the midfield, holds everything together...yes, I agree he gives away a lot of fouls but on form, he is good at picking up the ball in midfield and freeing the forward players...he's also an excellent game reader as Damocles said.

Knowing Barry is there means that the other midfield players can get into more space knowing that he is there to try and retain possession and start again if we lose the ball.

He does have his flaws but so do most players.

Just because he doesn't do the most glamorous of midfield jobs, people think he's shit.

I don't think Lee even came up with a valid response and it was quite a pathetic reply, no offence Lee.

lad shut up its old now.
and hes shit IMO or cant i have an opinion?


sucking damocles off now when your always taking the piss out of him. ok then fella now thats what i call pathetic

Me and Damocles have/had our differences but it doesn't mean I can't agree with his football opinion...I'm 'sucking him off' because I agree with him and you're being hostile because I don't agree with you? It's a football forum, for opinions.

When you make a post, you're expected to back it up, like Damocles did.

Oh, and Barry isn't shit.

 

[mr t]

I didn't think he had the best game for us today - gave the ball away too much.

 

[lee-mcfc]

lad shut up its old now.
and hes shit IMO or cant i have an opinion?


sucking damocles off now when your always taking the piss out of him. ok then fella now thats what i call pathetic

Me and Damocles have/had our differences but it doesn't mean I can't agree with his football opinion...I'm 'sucking him off' because I agree with him and you're being hostile because I don't agree with you? It's a football forum, for opinions.

When you make a post, you're expected to back it up, like Damocles did.

Oh, and Barry isn't shit.

i didnt even see his reply as it was on the next page..
yes and MY opinion is that he is shit. you just said yourself everyone has different opinions.

 

[squirtyflower]

Me and Damocles have/had our differences but it doesn't mean I can't agree with his football opinion...I'm 'sucking him off' because I agree with him and you're being hostile because I don't agree with you? It's a football forum, for opinions.

When you make a post, you're expected to back it up, like Damocles did.

Oh, and Barry isn't shit.

i didnt even see his reply as it was on the next page..
yes and MY opinion is that he is shit. you just said yourself everyone has different opinions.

but yours is wrong on this occasion lee...........

 

[lee-mcfc]

i didnt even see his reply as it was on the next page..
yes and MY opinion is that he is shit. you just said yourself everyone has different opinions.

but yours is wrong on this occasion lee...........

it isn't

 

[squirtyflower]

but yours is wrong on this occasion lee...........

it isn't

lol
we could go on all night

clearly mancini sees something in him as he plays virtually every game

 

[cookster]

Barry is a perfect pro and great to have in the squad.

His passing wasn't great today but he is always 100% commited.

 

[Lucky Toma]

He was very poor for us today (arguably our worst player) so sadly I just knew there would be a thread about him slagging the guy off.

Barry has been quality for us recently. Our early-season cohesion - that was the main reason we did so well - has evaporated somewhat lately as individuals have become precisely that - individuals.
Barry has been teh only player still keeping to the script and, like someone else has perfectly summed up, he's been the glue in our midfield.

My only gripe about a generally under-rated player is that he consistently gives away numerous cheap fouls by clambouring over players in an attempt to get to the ball when the sensible option is to simply jockey.

 

[MeatnSpudsMCFC]

Barry is a perfect pro and great to have in the squad.

His passing wasn't great today but he is always 100% commited.

This.


I think today was Barrys worst game this season and in other games his work does often go unnoticed. Stick him in midfield and it allows other players to get forward, its the same with England... in the WC when England were without Barry it was a shambles, even the media picked up on it saying Barry being injured cost us.

He's also one of our few players that just gets on with playing football and doesn't moan... one of the few England players not up to mischief either.

I agree with some posts... his passing was poor and there were many mistimed tackles. I think Mancini should of brought him off.