Aston Villa News 24/7Writer: J P Fear 
Date:Thursday September 13 2007
Time: 9:19AM
UK time is: 12:52:01
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Gareth Barry Puts Villa On The Map
Gareth puts Villa on the map.
I am unsure if it is possible but can we get messages of congratulations to Gareth Barry via this forum?
In just four days he has completely blown The England midfield debate wide open. For years we have tried various options, with the two most high profile players, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, consistently failing to gel together. Hargreaves came into the equation and the media tried to manipulate him into a midfield three.
But for years we have constantly extolled the virtues of our captain, to no avail. Erickson constantly overlooked him, to Gareth's frustration. More by chance than design, GB has got his opportunity and he has grabbed it with both hands, and then some. This will have many spin offs for us. GB has quite a way to go on his contract, so his value could easily have rocketed to £20m. Especially when you see how much has been paid for Owen Hargreaves and Michael Carrick.
It is impossible to leave him out of the next squad, but if Nigel Okey Cokey and Ashley Young continue the way they have started the season, then the press will really have to take notice of what is happening at Villa Park. If Gaby Agbonlahor, Luke Moore and Scott Carson can also come up with the goods then for the first time in years Villa can really put themselves on the media map. The value of all the players mentioned would rocket if this happened. Not forgetting Craig Gardner who I personally think can go on to be bigger for the Villa than David Platt.
In just 4 days, Gareth has possibly put a new spring into the Villa revolution. The downside is that he will now be in demand. He is performing better than players who consistently play on a bigger stage and in front of bigger audiences. It will be natural to want this himself. If we can not give him that stage to play in front of full houses, who knows what the future holds. When he runs out at VP in front of several thousand empty seats, who could blame him if he thought about wanting to play in front of a more appreciative audience. This could well be the same for the other players.
I have often said that it will be us, the fans (or lack of them or to many fickle ones) that will hold our club back. This scenario could be just around the corner unless we start to fill VP for every game, starting from now. On a positive note, GB really detests Erickson, and Sunday is a great opportunity to stick one up him for good measure. So how about getting messages to him JF?
Mine would be well done Gareth. The opportunity was long overdue and you did yourself and the Villa proud.
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Your Comments
Leave your messages to Barry here and I'll try to make sure they are passed on to him via the media department.
The Fear
Gareth, simply stunning which is basically no more than I expected, well done.
The Fear
Well Done! Great Performance. From All at Rotherham Vital
herringthorpe
Well done gareth you were outstanding, you done yourself proud , villa fans proud, villa proud and the whole of england proud. We knew you could do it and now the whole of england know you can do it. Keep it up, thank you.
meakers
Well done Gareth for showing the world what we've known for years. You are pure class. Now show Erickson on Sunday what he missed out on for all those years.
Adam Deuce
We all knew how good you were and have been shouting "BARRY FOR ENGLAND" for years! About time the England manager listened! Awesome performances Gareth, Long may it continue. Up the Villa!
xfranc
2 absolutely brilliant displays. Well done Gareth.
Jon.H
Gareth you were awesome...!! I haven't seen 2 England midfielders gel like you are Gerrard for some time. Every pass had a purpose...i thought Ferdinand should have backeheeled the ball 2 you when he scored 2!! ha ha!! Now bring on Man City!! UTV
tdiddyo
We've always known you were class, now the world knows. A legend at Villa, England to follow.
steff_the_villan
Well done Gareth, you've rescued my faith in the national team for a moment longer. I'd given up on watching the previous 3 matches but i watched the last 2 matches because we had our captain playing.
johnnyuk
Gareth,you`re now an established international,i`m so proud that you play for Villa.Gerrard/Barry is THE partnership.
ASPINALL
Its only fair that he stays in the team till someone ousts him. Lampard can bugger off. Personally i would have gone with Carrick before the games, but Barry has grabbed the slot with both hands, same goes for Heskey. The team should be unchanged.
Jacky B
Great stuff Gareth, you've been our best player for a long time and we've always known you were world class ! You and Stevie G looks like a great midfield partnership. Keep up the good work fella !
ExpatVillaShirt
Gareth, I hope you are reading every newspaper column and football website, and for once believing every word - I can't remember a single player coming back into the fold after being criminally ignored for so long, and then grabbing the chance like you did with both hands, and of course that cultured left foot! You are a great player, we've all known it for years, now the world knows it too. Loyalty is a rare commodity thesedays & I do hope and believe that the claret & blue runs in your veins, as it does in us, your loyal fans - this can be the only reason why you have stuck with us for so long through the dark times. Stick with us now kid & take us back where belong! Up The Villa.
YatesyVillain
An excellent performance against ManCity would be an ideal way to stick one on Ericksson. Go for it Gareth!
Saurat
At last the media will have woken up to one of the very best midfielders in the prem. Fantastic display, years overdue but its great to have a Villa man literally running the show for England.
MACCA UTV
Mark Lawrenson.....''well there it is, its taken 88minutes and 32 seconds for Gareth Barry to miss a pass, thats how good he has been tonight a fantastic all round performance''. Says it all for me, its not just his overall game, its the balance and the safety he offers Gerrard - in my eyes the best central/attacking midfielder in the world at the moment. Villa Legend in the making, up there with McGrath and Tayls.
Stig
Was thnking totally the same thing VOTH, about barry getting our messages.
Anyways, Gareth, fantastic performance, showed the footballing world what us villa have known for years and years. Absoloutley perfect performance, thoroughly deserved call up and performance, and I hope Villa get to a few cup finals and europe so you can cement your place in villa history.
You are a fantastic and loyal player for AVFC, and the fans are proud to have you. The ultimate proffessional, and as Beyonce signs, Irreplaceable.
danvilla2
And that pass wasn't that bad !!! better than Lampards passes over the last two years or so !!!...............Gareth you made me feel so proud last night, you are an outstanding example of a proffesional footballer, never mind all the primadonna's, kids should look to you as an example of how to conduct theirselves and achieve things against all odds.....you really proved last night that you don't have to wear a 'TOP FOUR' shirt to boss an England midfield set-up, I haven't seen a more comfortable England midfield since Platt and Gazza, keep it up Gareth, make that No.7 yours for keeps. UTV
astonmilan
"Class" and little more than we expected. Goes to show how poor overrated and one dimensional Fat Frank is. Also how overrated Carricks passing ability is. Showed everyone.
Villan444
I've added mine on the actual thread. It's fairly long so I can't be arsed to type it again.
Please send mine aswell.
BEEFY
Being Irish Barry's performances have the only positives Ive had from the internationals,he showed everyone what we already knew.The most underrated player in Britain.
Pking
Gareth - It was ALL about you last night and has been over the past 5 days. What we've known about you're ability for years, the nation now knows that too. An excellent advert for perseverance, hard work and sticking to your guns. You're now in a position to get yourself 50+ caps. Others will now follow your lead at Villa - you've proven yourself to be a great leader and role model and the young'uns at our club are taking note of the blueprint that you've provided for being a successful international player. Well done Gareth, keep up the super form by leading us to 3pts at Eastlands on Sunday!
bazzah
"BARRY 'IS' ENGLAND"!
bazzah
Congratulations Gareth. Two deserved starts, three assists, two great performances; you never cease to do us proud!
Spatula
Gareth you seem to have struck up an awesome partnership with Stevie G, any chance of getting him to come to Villa? ;) P.S. Dont even think about joing Liverpool! haha. Well done son, you are pure class!
DeanoVilla
One word, AWESOME
Congratulations Gareth on two phenominal performances.
nottinghamvillain
Gareth, like many villa fans I saw a bit of the England game last night but gave most of my attention to the Gareth Barry show. As a mad Villa fan I kicked every ball with you. We are all very proud of you to the point of watching you is like watching our own children play the game. You have always given your all, never once complaining. I remember when JG said you needed to get your shorts dirty more often, bet that comment makes you smile these days.
For brilliance and, at the same time, for consistency of achievement, for activity in philanthropic enterprise, for astuteness of management and for general alertness, the superiors of Gareth Barry cannot be found.
el sid
The rest of the footballing world has finally woken up to what we've all known for years. You're a class act Gareth, many congratulations on two magnificent displays for England.
jonah
Throughout your career you have always given 100% in every single game and you have been shortlisted as Villas player or young player of the season in every year you have been here. It is this consistency that makes you stand out above all your fellow professionals. What makes things more remarkable is the fact that you have excelled in four different positions for us yet never once have you complained about being made to play in these varying roles– not even when all around you were ‘abandoning ship’ and whingeing to the media. You stayed loyal to the cause and that will never be forgotten by the Villa Park faithful.
We have all found it quite bewildering how you have such a paltry amount of international caps, but again you never complained and simply got on playing excellent football week in week out. I should hope that now you have established yourself you will keep your position in the team as it is just rewards, but it will send out a message to others – never, ever give up. In my mind you are that rarest of commodities in the modern game that is so overrun with money and prima donnas; you are the perfect role model and that is what the captain of a football club should be.
I may even now erase from my memory your penalty miss away to Newcastle. Oh, and the one away to Blackburn.
BEEFY
im glad to finally say that i can buy another England top with a Villa players name on it again, congrats and you should send Fat Frank some more pies to thank him for giving up his place to u
shortshadyuk
Two great displays, a credit to the club, and mosy importanly to yourself. You have never moaned to the press, and waited for your chance. Well done Gareth it was a pleasure to watch you in and England shirt.
mptaylor
Ferguson must be kicking himself (or is that someone else doing it for him...??) after these 2 performances from Barry in England's Midfield. He paid 18Mil for someone who's job is to hold the ball play it simple and defend well when at the beginning of the season had he come knocking for GB then there is no way we would be sitting here praising him as a Villa player and he would have got him for half the price!!
Now GB has proved that he is easily one of the top 3 midfielders (Scholes is now retired from International football) in the premiership his value most have shot up to at least £20mil. No more bargians i'm afraid top 4!! We'll be there soon enough with captain Marvel pushing us forward anyway!!! UTV!!
tdiddyo
Gaz, as an Irishman you give me an excuse to root for England. The campaign to have Ash playing down the left starts now.
Congrats and lets hope you'll be travelling about Europe with both Eng and the Villa for many years to come. Come on the Villans!
DVall
Gareth - you are our leader and best player. I am so pleased that you have finally got this opportunity. It makes us so proud after watching you play week-in-week-out that the rest of the country has finally taken notice. I hope you can lead the club forward into the Champions League and competing for the major honours we deserve.
Well done lad. I was at your first game against sheff wed when you came on in midfield and I realised then we had something special. Since then youi have only got better.
Good on you lad! Up teh Villa!
Curteece
Well done, and fair play for sticking it out during the years you were left out. we all knew you could do it at international level.
*Holte*End*Star*
Well done Gareth, it`s been a long road but you have at last achieved your England goal. Enjoy your Villa season and look forward to the summer Euro`s.
Fletch
Well done Gareth. You made England exciting to watch again. Awesome performances.
DoLpHiNaToR
Congratulations on getting the due respect you deserve, now be a leader and show us the way, so you can perform on the stage that you and the rest of the great Aston Vila side belong.
NY Villa
Congratulations Gareth, you are the very epitome of class and leadership and you have deserved this opportunity. You should be proud, as Villans worldwide are proud of you.
Scot Dutch
gareth,i have been mystified like a lot of villa supporters on here why on earth you do not have at least 50 caps by now,probably should have even more.you are a credit to yourself and to us the way you have conducted yourself over the years when you have been shockingly overlooked so many times.but as the wee saying goes 'class always shines through.' you have been my favourite player 4 almost the last 10 years and gareth you have made me proud as *****,you were truly outstanding and your class and compusure has shone through surely to everyone who was watching. now keep our villa ticking and the rest my friend is history!!! UTV
Belfast Villain
Well done Gareth, two outstanding performances, proving once and for all that you are one of the best midfield players in the country. Over the last few days everyone of my friends who isn't a Villa fan has said they didn't realise what a great player you are. Well now the entire country knows. Keep up the fantastic performances for both club and country. Once again, Well done GB.
notthedougellisstand
Congratulations Gareth.You fully deserve all the praise you are receiving.I am so pleased for you.
UTV.
Willa
Thanks Gareth you proved me wrong i didnt think you could keep up the display from the israel game and you did and with style to.Great result, now thats hope he can repeat this display against Man City and help us get three points!!
up the villa
villabikes29
The best England match I have seen for years, so proud that the best player on the pitch is also our captain like so many others whether villain or not all believed you were the man of the match, I hope The Fear gets all these posts to you, well done and thanks.
HuntysVilla
I am very proud of our Gareth. Bloody pro, donning the number 7 shirt as good as Beckham ever could. After the recent performances, an ever present in the squad from now on i would say. Big up son.
AussieVilla
Frank who? Well done Gareth, Up the villa!
bobbyfett
A few thousand seats being empty will not mean Barry will go and it's stupid to suggets it will. Barry will leave if Villa don't match or achieve his ambition. We need Europe within 2 years and then begin to realistically challenge 4th spot.
Gazvilla
I'm delighted for you, Gareth, and proud as a Villa supporter. Long may you continue to boss the pitch for England and Villa.
505anthony
We always knew you had it in you Gareth. Superb you were, absolutely superb. You've made all of the media sit up and realise just what a great player you are, and you've done it the hard way. You deserve every bit of the praise and adulation that's being heaped on you.
glensider
Just goes to show keeping the faith is not just empty words! Well done Gareth you deserve all the plaudits because you are the MAN!
myleftfoot
Very proud Villa fan. Keep up the good work.
Dannygav
Nice one Barry.
chris the villan
Talk Stevie G. into coming tothe Villa, Gareth. What a midfield pair you'd make. Excellent play for the England squad-do continue.
gwyllum18
Frank who?????????????? Gareth Barry An absolute legend! Only now can Mclown see what us sensible people have been saying for years! Another great performance.
Godsvilla
very very fine Gareth. letting your football do the talking as always. may there be more to come!
leftfoot
Well done Gareth. Brilliant performances. Shouldn't be too long before we are all calling for you to be the England Captain as well !
UpTheVilla !!!
AVwhite
I must say I have been very impressed by his performances for England. The balance which was lacking with Gerrard/Lampard has now been found with Gerrard/Barry. They seem to compliment each other's style of play. Surely an asset to any team. Rafa Benitez may have taken note!!!
OneAaronLennon
Aaah, so it isn't just me that feels really proud of our 'Villa son'! Well done GB! Now cap it all off with a hatrick at ManC!!!!
ljkal
Right, have passed them on to the General to give to Gareth. Thanks all!
The Fear
he's a short term fix :-)
merlin
yeah, short term... just till he retires! WELL DONE BARRY
Makai
It seems as if Gareth has been around for ever. Hard to comprehend that the guy is only 26. What a player and captain he has truly been.
glensider
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