Villa Midfielder To Portsmouth?

If this article is true and he wants a move to Portsmouth, let him go...We want and need players who want to play for Villa. Players who need to be persuaded to stay at our great club are not wanted in my thoughts. If the situation regarding the club being sold shortly and the appointment of a great manager in MON can't motivate Barry then show him the door...Barry don't let the door swing back and kick you in the ass.

This just stinks of lazy journalism to me, an article being re-used from a couple of weeks back to fill column inches. Lets not get on Barrys back til there is something more definate.

WTF??? I thought MON held talks already with him and he fully committed his future to Villa? Well Portsmouth themselves are entering a new era, but i still dont see why Barry would want to move now, to any other team. If he does move, i want to see an immediate replacement. I dont want a player as good as Barry to leave, with no one in mind to replace him. HARGREAVES....or Petrov, Malbranque either one is good.

Just let him go if he doesnt want to play for us! He's good, but hardley irreplacable!

******* hell , how in gods name would moving to Portsmouth be a good career move ! If he does leave he deserves everything he gets !! Championship football !!!

Pah, laugh at Pompey all you want the only way our club is moving is up.

His last really good season for us was under Graham Taylor and before that, he'd been left out by Gregory..so I've always been frustrated by his inconsistency - merely an ok midfielder whose best position was either left back in the left side of a back three. If he can't stay here at Villa with the new manager then his heart isn't here and he should go. But we need some people in first before we sell him.

Barry is good but not great we dont need players who dont want to play for us, he is hardly a match winner, i woul'nt pay 4.50 for him!!!!!

FYI Barry does not just sit on the bench so I guess that sums up your football knowledge. I don't expect you to know all about Villa players but if you don't know why make a fool of yourself? I know little about Pompy but I do know that even with all that money you are throwing arround, most players would still rather come to Villa because we have the international status, not that of MUTD, Arsenal, Liverpool or Chelsea but most people outside the UK have never even heard of Portsmouth.

russelm, I was refering to this closed season as far as throwing money arround is concerned, but unfortunately Pompey's low status has meant that even with money they have found it difficult to attract top players. As far as Petrov is concerened I think you will find that most would expect him to replace McCann, that said, McCann has had a great pre season so maybe we won't be needing Petrov, certainly not at the overinflated price Starchan is demanding. As for Barry's quality, many commentators in the media recognise how good he can be (he has been inconsistent but then so has the managership at VP and therefore most of the other Villa players have been too) and tout him as the man to solve the left hand side problems for England. It all depends what sort of football the manager wants to play as if he wants to play with classic pacey wingers, he won't give Barry a second look but if he wants an inteligent player who is good on the ball and puts in some great passes and can shoot (and take penalties, a skill sadly lacking in england) then Barry is the ideal man. I have heard him described as the Beckham of the left, not that I would suggest that he's as good as Beckham has been but he's better than the Beckham of the last couple of years. As for being bitter, no not really, I just get *****ed off with Portsmouth fans coming on hear touting themselves as a big club when we all know that they are perenial strugglers and that Villa are (not my words) a sleeping giant waiting to be woken up. Many beleive (both Villa fans and otherwise) that Marin O'Neill is the man to do this, especially if he gets the backing of a progressive board with ambition. If this happens, mark my words, the top 6 in the prem, in 3-5 years, will be the same every year with only the finnishing order changing, it will be as follows Chelsea, Man Utd, Aston Villa, Spurs, Liverpool and Arsenal. These 6 teams will fight it out for the title every year and Pompey, if they continue to have financial backing may on occasion, qualify for the Uefa Cup and if so might then start to attract some top players, but not before. Personally I think mid-table is all they will ever achieve.

lol, southend is too good for them!!!! As for how we achive a top 6 status, I'm looking 3-5 years ahead, not next season, a top half finnish is what I am expecting as Villa have some very good players who just did not perform for O'Leary. I want some investment but I don't want to do a Chelsea, I'd rather follow the Spurs model of buying for the future and building over time. I see the current squad as a possible spine for a bright new future. AS for Ellis, I'm still against him but will give him credit for finally doing right by the club and employing O'Neill, the only man I can envisage being sucessfull at this time at VP. Baros is a world class player and Melberg (at least when bot playing for O'Leary) is a world class defender, with Barry and Davies, Hughs and Bouma as good international standard players and Angel, Laursen needing to reprove themselves and some great youth talent comming through like Ridgewell, Moore, Agbonlahor and Cahill. We also have Berson, whom I and many others rate highly, but O'Leary didn't use him and Djembe Djemba, a currrent Cameroon international trying to force their way into the squad. With a few good prem players like Handrie and Delaney in the picture you can maybe understand why I feel that last seasons underachivement was not due to lack of quality, maybe lack of numbers had a part to play but it was mainly due to poor leadership and a useless manager. Good luck to Pompey but in 3-5 years I can't see any possible comparison when you look at our starting points. Of course the big advantage you have is that you don't have Doug Ellis dragging the club down.

I agree that on paper your signings are good, problem is that they will all soon be drawing their pensions. Good luck with James on crosses by the way, we've had experience of that and it's not a pretty sight. We call him Calamity James.

Wo cares, rather see malbranq - he has vision and creativity. He's proven in the EPL and Fulham want to sell. Would like to see Gravesen too but I can't see that happening. Malbranq would supply Baros and Angel with the bullets man.

Truth be told both clubs have under achieved for years. with money to spend both clubs will hopefully be able to leave those days behind them. Over which club is going to be the more succesfull only time will tell, my money is on Pompey at the moment due to a head start in the rebuilding. Personally don't want Barry i think he's overrated but if he comes to us he's welcome to prove me wrong. I wish you all the best for the season and hope you manage to remove the weight around your neck that is Doug Ellis.