Author Topic: Gareth Barry move to Manchester City (Read 161 times)

Elano · « **on:** June 03, 2009, 03:49:40 AM »

Was Gareth Barry right to take the money at Manchester City?

Tony Cascarino and Tony Evans debate the pros and cons of the England midfield player's £12 million move from Aston Villa

Yes
Tony Cascarino, ex-professional

Footballers like joining ambitious clubs because ambitious clubs have lots of money. Gareth Barry will be earning about £100,000 a week at Manchester City and he deserves every penny. By putting his signature on a piece of paper, he has set himself and his family up for the rest of their lives and there will be more world-class footballers following him this summer to the biggest cashpoint machine in the world at the City of Manchester Stadium.

City are going to do what Blackburn Rovers did in the Nineties and what Chelsea did when Roman Abramovich arrived at Stamford Bridge six years ago - they are going to blow everyone else out of the water. If you want to beat the big boys on the pitch, you have to splash the cash and no one has more money than City's owners.

Mark Hughes wanted a midfield player and money can't buy Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, so what did he do? He went out and bought the third-best English midfield player in the Barclays Premier League. City will be the biggest spenders in the transfer market this summer and he is exactly the kind of player they need.

Blackburn didn't win the title in 1995 by going out and signing Roberto Baggio and Paolo Maldini, they signed Chris Sutton and David Batty.

Robinho is the icing on City's cake, now they need players such as Scott Parker and Brede Hangeland to make them hard to beat. Hangeland says he's happy at Fulham, but all it will take to make him unhappy is a quick phone call from City.

Barry came close to joining Liverpool last summer but he was only going to end up in one place once City decided that they wanted him. Some Aston Villa supporters have been moaning that Barry is taking a step backwards, but I would be amazed if City are not very close to breaking into the top four by the end of next season.

Barry has hit the jackpot and I don't know any player outside the top four clubs who would not jump ship if City came calling. There was a big outcry when Peter Shilton became the first player to be paid £3,000 a week in the 1981-82 season, but he still ran into financial difficulties later in life.

I know 15 or 20 players from my days who are finding it hard to make ends meet. I'm not expecting you to feel sorry for them, just don't blame Barry for grabbing the chance of a lifetime with both hands.

No
Tony Evans, Football Editor

Good for the bank balance but not for his football future

His bank manager will disagree, but Gareth Barry could be making a huge blunder. If ever there was a footballer going into a summer with a wealth of options, it was Barry. And he has gone for the option marked “wealth”.

Manchester City are in a state of flux. They have plenty of cash to throw around, but will the club produce the opportunities for success that Barry's other potential career choices offered?

Liverpool seemed to be the best alternative. Rafael Benítez's side finished the season with a head of steam and have serious title-winning pretensions for next campaign. After last season's long courtship with Anfield was left unconsummated, it is easy to see why Barry was reluctant to wait for Benítez to come calling again, but who would pass up the chance to combine with Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres?

Barry broke off from England duty yesterday to go for a medical. Did he ask Fabio Capello's counsel? The England manager was known to be delighted at the thought of Barry and Gerrard playing together every week.

Liverpool will also go deep into the knockout stages of the Champions League. There is the whiff of glory in the air at Anfield. For some, it would have been irresistible. Not Barry.

Even staying put at Aston Villa may have been a better option than City. The squad has plenty of young, talented players ripe for improvement and a manager who many believe will take the club to the next level. Sure, Villa underachieved last season, falling off the pace after looking a good bet for the top four in February, but at least they are in Europe. Last year, Barry took his holidays in Florida; he might want to try Spain this time around because it will be the only taste of the Continent he will get.

What can City offer? More big-name signings and a hope that they will gel. Mark Hughes has money to spend and Carlos Tévez is among the main targets. That should have made Barry pause for thought and recall someone else who spurned Liverpool for a huge pay hike and became a team-mate of Tévez. Barry should ask Lucas Neill if he has any regrets.

The biggest danger is if Hughes cannot get City into the top four next season. The manager will almost certainly pay with his job if he fails. Where would that leave Barry? He will be 29 in a year's time and options would be very limited. And, although Barry is good, some managers with huge spending power might sum him up with the same word: limited.