An open letter to Gareth Barry
Tuesday, 06 February 07, 09:59 AM
Gareth,
The fantastic rumours are that you may well start for England against Spain on Wednesday evening, given that Wayne Bridge (in my mind a less capable player than you anyway) has pulled out of the squad due to injury.
OK - it means that we may see you at left back rather than in the left midfield position we Villans prefer to see you in, but what the hell.
Seeing you walk out onto the Old Trafford turf wearing the three lions will send shivers down the spine of many thousands of us who have watched you - week in, week out - turn into one of the finest left-sided players in the country.
To a man, we take our hats off to you. You were clearly as disillusioned as we were by the O'Dreary years, and we understand the reasons why, before Martin O'Neill's arrival under Mr Lerner, you felt you future may have been best served elsewhere.
However, offered the captaincy of the club under its new stewardship, you have behaved with consummate professionalism and integrity. Your celebration of your first goal of the season - the glanced header into the Reading net in front of the Holte End - said it all to us: it was all about your pride in the armband. That meant a lot to us.
Since then, you have carried the Villa side through several below-par showings with brilliant shows of individual commitment and, quite simply, great football.
The home game against Spurs was the greatest example, when your will to win and commitment to the cause saved the game for us and the blushes of Juan Pablo. With a superb right-footed strike to boot.
Now, anyone with the merest understanding of football welcomes your recall to the England squad. We have been loud in our assertion for some time that Cole, Richardson and Downing are all inferior left-sided players to our own skipper. Slowly but surely, we are about to be proved right.
We don't care whether you play left back or left midfield. The moment you step onto the Manchester turf, whether in the first or the seventieth minute, rest assured that you carry the immense pride and belief of every Villan with you.
We wish you the very best of luck for Wednesday evening, in the sure knowledge that you are good enough to prove us all right.
And every second you're out there, Gareth - all of us Villans are with you.
Barry for England! Up the Villa!
Comments (16)
Here Here!
Well said!
Perfect post, good luck Gareth!
One for all, all for one - UP THE VILLA !
Just be yourself. You're miles better than Neville, Downing, Bridge...etc Give it portions!!
Too Bleedin' right, we know you'll make us proud :o)
All the best Gareth, I'm sure you wont let us down mate.
Go on my son! Make a name for yourself Gareth. We all know you can be a 1st team regular.
We are all proud of you
Phil Neville is preferred to left back for England instead of Gareth Barry...... I feel ill!
What a joke!
Just seen BBC sport website-Phil Neville/Stuart Downing picked on left.......I'm beyond disappointment...on a positive side Neville will be so poor that Mclaren will have to bring GB on at half time to rescue England !!
I'm going to keep this short. I was never convinced by McClaren. But if he in all seriousness thinks that Phil Calamity Neville is a better left back than Gareth Barry, then I for one have him down as a hopeless ginger muppet. What a total joke, and what a total joker.
let's not forget that second choice $teve will be out of a job soon and wouldn't know how to pick a team or formation if his life depended on it ...
Give McClaren the boot now! He knows what Neville is like..One dimensional useless tit. Give Barry a chance to show his class. Do you remember that speed skating incident at the Olympics, when the front 3 contenders were going for gold and fell over each other before the line? The lumbering Aussie sauntered over the line for the big prize. The FA have chosen the ' Slow Coach ' for England. What a sad joke!
Put your bets on a comfortable win for the San Miguel swillers. Neville to be red carded or at least red faced and the front half of McLarens barnet to slip over his fizzer in complete shame.
McClaren does confirm his terrible judgement in picking a right footed player who cant play anyway before GB.BUT...if McClaren hadnt been chosen as England manager we might not have MON.
.............just looking for consolation!
we have yet another useless england manager, who won't give anybody a chance. england have tryed Phil Neville before and was hopeless, he's only in the team bewcause he's an ex man u player. This is Barry's last chance to show his class for england, if he messes up, he won't be in the england line up again because he plays for the villa, rather then the trendy top four!!!
Mclaren, you really have lost it before you'd even begun. How on earth can you say that you didn't thik that it would be right to bring in Barry in the left back position - then put that gormless son of neville neville into the side. I am saddened and appauled by the England team management, to the point of laughter - because otherwise I would chuck my lap top at Sky sports news. just forget it, what more can any reasonable football fan say??