You don't know the background story. Perhaps like Gerrard, he was trying to force the club into giving him a new deal. However, the whole thing backfired in his face. Gareth Barry nor his agent were expecting for Martin O'Neill to act the way he did and Barry felt like he was being forced out of the club he loves and has spent his whole career at, much like our dear old Captain felt when Benítez and Parry failed to bring him any sort of a contract at the beginning of the summer of 2005.
In Gerrard's case it was declaring a transfer request and Parry going public with it, that eventually got Chairman Moores involved.