Liverpool FC Forum

by **Reg** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 2:20 am

August 14, 2008

Gareth Barry ready to commit to Aston Villa

It may appear a shade incongruous, bizarre even, but one of the most protracted, most talked about and, potentially, most expensive transfer deals of the summer should reach a conclusion in this small football outpost tonight. If, as expected, Gareth Barry sets foot on the pitch at the Laugardalsvöllur Stadium, the possible move of the Aston Villa midfield player to Liverpool is likely to be off.

Should Barry play, even as a 90th-minute substitute, against FH Hafnarfjördur in the first leg of the Uefa Cup second qualifying round tie, he will become ineligible to take part in the Champions League until the knockout stages in February. A still persistent Liverpool would then be parting with £18million, Villa's asking price, for a player who would be unable to appear in Europe for six months.

Rules and regulations apart, it appeared last night that Barry had decided to stay with Villa, anyway. He asked to travel with the squad to Iceland yesterday, wants to play this evening and seems to have pledged his immediate future to the club.

Martin O'Neill, the Villa manager, sounded as upbeat about the whole sorry saga as he has been in many weeks after John Robertson, his assistant, and Steve Walford, the first-team coach, spoke with Barry on Tuesday and relayed the news to him.

“Gareth was more than unsettled last week,” O'Neill said. “But he now says he's absolutely right, he's ready to play and he wanted to come and join us. That's particularly pleasing.

“I don't know if it's an end to it [the transfer]. Any time that we seem to think that we've put an end to something, we just seem to start it. If players are mentally right and they're really good players - and Gareth Barry is - I wouldn't have any hesitation in picking him. He's right to play and that's terrific.”

O'Neill, who is expected to give a first competitive start to Nicky Shorey, the £3.5million signing from Reading, at left back, has given warning against complacency. Villa scraped through to this tie 3-2 on aggregate against OB Odense, the Danish club, in the Intertoto Cup third round. “We had great difficulty against Odense,” O'Neill said. “I hope that we are fitter now and I know that these games are not easy. We made great efforts to get into Europe and we don't want to give it up lightly.”

FH Hafnarfjördur (possible; 4-5-1): G Sigurdsson - H Eiriksson, T Nielsen, F Bjarnason, H Valgardsson - A Gudnason, D Siim, BD Sverrisson, D Vidarsson, T Gudmundsson - A Björnsson.

Aston Villa (probable; 4-4-2): B Friedel - C Gardner, Z Knight, M Laursen, N Shorey - M Petrov, G Barry, N Reo-Coker, A Young - G Agbonlahor, J Carew.

Referee: R Matejek (Czech Republic).

Television: Live on Five from 6.50pm (kick-off 7pm).

by **Rush Job** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 5:04 am

Another of Rafa's targets slips though Parrys net, i truly believe that if you add Barry to what we've already got we would go very close, Paul Merson was saying if Wenger had 18m he would have signed him by now. Untill we are able to secure our targets even if we have to pay a couple million more than we'd like ( Alves, Simau, Barry, greater exteng Villa etc ) we'll never win the league, be lucky to put in a half decent challenge.

by **Rush Job** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 5:27 am

And why the fk is it always attacking and wide players the board/owners won't stump up for, is it Rafa's fault we are weak out wide or has he had to make do? Take the Alves and Simau sagas like the Barry deal they ran on and on and like the Barry deal came to fk all. Can the board not see we have no quality whatsoever out wide? can they not see we lack balance because we have no option but to play only right footers right across the middle? Its shocking that our weakness is so apparent and has been for seasons yet their unwilling to pay the going rate to sort it, most clubs in the prem have had a bigger tranfer budget than us this summer yet we're expected to challenge?

by **Toffeehater** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:02 am

Reg wrote:
mkingdom wrote:I don't...but we'd get SWP for less than £10m.....

which is what we should have done rather than sign Pennant.

Remind me how much Chelsea bought SWP for and whether we could have got him for less than 10?

SWP would perform the same role as Ngog who we got for 1.5 mio so dont see any need to chase a guy who hasnt proved himeself consistently yet.

Cole is a tight player but is he a match winner? Alsonso is.

David Villa or lets keep the cash warm until we come across a player that would make a real impact.

Joe cole is a match winner , he's a class player . Alonso is not a match winner , just see how many goals he has has?. Cole can create something out of nothing , he's got good skills , and can cross a ball well . Plus we are really in need for a winger , so money would be well spent :nod

by **Toffeehater** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:05 am

Rush Job wrote:Another of Rafa's targets slips though Parrys net, i truly believe that if you add Barry to what we've already got we would go very close, Paul Merson was saying if Wenger had 18m he would have signed him by now. Untill we are able to secure our targets even if we have to pay a couple million more than we'd like ( Alves, Simau, Barry, greater exteng Villa etc ) we'll never win the league, be lucky to put in a half decent challenge.

spot on , well done parry :no

by **maguskwt** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 8:25 am

Liverpool FC has become a laughing stock once again... thanks to Parry and Humpty and Dumpty...

by **Ciggy** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 10:56 am

O`NEILL PRAISES BARRY`S ATTITUDE
Posted 14/08/08 10:00
EmailPrintSave

Hafnarfjordur v Aston Villa. Click here to bet.

Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill is encouraged by Gareth Barry's desire to play in Thursday's UEFA Cup tie with FH Hafnarfjordur as his dream move to Liverpool fades.

Barry's future at Villa has been shrouded in doubt all summer due to Liverpool's much-publicised pursuit of the player.

The Anfield club have been unable to agree a deal with Villa for the England international with the Reds claiming Villa's valuation for Barry is too high.

The transfer deadlock has left Barry in limbo, but the midfielder is ready to feature for Villa in their clash with FH Hafnarfjordur on Thursday night.

O'Neill has been impressed by Barry's attitude, but he remains unsure if the transfer saga with Liverpool has finally ended.

"Last week, he was more than unsettled but he has said he's absolutely right. He's ready to play and he wanted to come and join us," said O'Neill.

"That's particularly pleasing. I shall speak to him before the game. But what was very encouraging was that he wanted to come.

"He's right to play. And it's terrific news for us.

"I don't know if this puts an end to it because every time we think that we have put an end to it, it seems we start it all off again.

"If players are mentally right and they are really good players - and Gareth Barry is a really good player - then I wouldn't have any hesitation in picking him."

Looks like thats the end of that then.

by **maguskwt** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 4:35 pm

sigh as much as the fee was unrealistically high... I wanted us to sign him... looks like it's truely over and I blame parry and the two yanks for not getting rafa's targets again...

so now who do we go after?

by **Ciggy** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 5:32 pm

Hes playing for them, oh well.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 6:02 pm

Toffeehater wrote:
Reg wrote:
mkingdom wrote:I don't...but we'd get SWP for less than £10m.....

which is what we should have done rather than sign Pennant.

Remind me how much Chelsea bought SWP for and whether we could have got him for less than 10?

SWP would perform the same role as Ngog who we got for 1.5 mio so dont see any need to chase a guy who hasnt proved himeself consistently yet.

Cole is a tight player but is he a match winner? Alsonso is.

David Villa or lets keep the cash warm until we come across a player that would make a real impact.

Joe cole is a match winner , he's a class player . Alonso is not a match winner , just see how many goals he has has?. Cole can create something out of nothing , he's got good skills , and can cross a ball well . Plus we are really in need for a winger , so money would be well spent

He's also a dirty little coke-snorting diving b*stard.

by **Ciggy** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 6:18 pm

Gareth Barry has give Liverpool till sunday 3 oclock to sign him, if not the transfers off.

by **Lando_Griffin** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 6:21 pm

Ciggy wrote:Gareth Barry has give Liverpool till sunday 3 oclock to sign him, if not the transfers off.

Right - champagne in the fridge ready to celebrate the best piece of non-business this season.

Unlucky, Bazza...

by **Dundalk** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 6:22 pm

Thats the end of that then

by **Reg** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 6:45 pm

SPN:

"The team news is now in and Gareth Barry is in the Villa starting line-up. That means he'll be cup-tied in Europe until after Christmas so will Liverpool now end their summer-long pursuit? Elsewhere in the Villa side tonight Nicky Shorey makes his debut after his move from Reading."

Bye bye Barry, thanks for the entertainment over the summer.

Also - MON must be well happy giving a debut to a player from Reading, Villa are going up in teh world eh?

by **Dundalk** » Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:05 pm

Barry just scored for villa :laugh:

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