Mr Barry - The Final Offer!!

[ianrobo1]

exactly Den we should be interested in players using us a stepping stone

and I think most players realise what is going on with barry is particulary unique to him, after all MON is not stopping him moving

[Redman]

I think we can consider O'Neill's letter to be more of a ransom note than a starting point for negotiation.

OK, so you're not willing to discuss this seriously I take it? First the problems were with MON refusing to negotiate, now they're with MON not negotiating in exactly the way you'd like him to.

I really can't see what else you are proposing here apart from: 'We are Liverpool, so you must sell us this player at less than the value you have placed on him.'

I am willing to discuss it seriously.

I haven't seen the contents of O'Neill's letter but I'm fairly sure it offers Liverpool no encouragement whatsoever and was not designed to spark a round of negotiations.

I fail to see why Villa need to offer any encouragement to Liverpool - the only thing that needs to be offered is cash. If Liverpool don't have the cash, then why should Villa care?

That's the whole point - some are claiming that O'Neill's letter was designed to open negotations. To do that, it would have to offer encouragement.

I don't remember O'Neill claiming that he wanted to open negotiations. Have I missed something?

All that happened was I suggested that O'Neill is unwilling to negotiate and others responded that he sent Liverpool a letter last week to which I responded that the content of the letter isn't likely to encourage the opening of negotiations.

[villanmike]

Yes, but accidently voted no, oops.

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

I think Oneill is a stubborn git who is stuck in his ways...sometimes maybe even to his/our own detriment. All IMO of course!

[briny_ear]

I think Oneill is a stubborn git who is stuck in his ways...sometimes maybe even to his/our own detriment. All IMO of course!

So what action would you prefer he had taken over the Barry situation, J-V?

[Villa4Ever12345]

Finnan getting on a bit and tbh i dont want liverpools rejects AGAIN!

[Straggler]

Personally I am a fan of the old Liverpool rejects. Saunders, Staunton, Houghton were all quality. Less said about Collymore and Baros the better though I suppose. Weird now I have typed them but the two recent ones that failed came in with much bigger reputations than the older boys before who all did well in their way.

I would hope that Finnan could be our next Staunton and Barry can be Liverpools next Pennant

[MMFy]

Redman, you keep going on about a refusal to negotiate, but I fail to see any evidence that this is actually the case. I've no doubt that MON has been difficult to deal with throughout all of this (I wonder why?) but to suggest he's sticking his fingers in his ears and going 'la la la la la' is frankly ludicrous.

The latest reports point to MON putting a proposal to Liverpool last week some time. As far as I know, nothing has been heard back from Liverpool since. So who is it here who isn't negotiating?

I think we can consider O'Neill's letter to be more of a ransom note than a starting point for negotiation.

Really? What did it say? That sounds awfully ITK...

[Redman]

Redman, you keep going on about a refusal to negotiate, but I fail to see any evidence that this is actually the case. I've no doubt that MON has been difficult to deal with throughout all of this (I wonder why?) but to suggest he's sticking his fingers in his ears and going 'la la la la la' is frankly ludicrous.

The latest reports point to MON putting a proposal to Liverpool last week some time. As far as I know, nothing has been heard back from Liverpool since. So who is it here who isn't negotiating?

I think we can consider O'Neill's letter to be more of a ransom note than a starting point for negotiation.

Really? What did it say? That sounds awfully ITK...

Not ITK buddy, just good old-fashioned common sense.

[steve-67]

Redman, can I ask you, do you really want Gareth Barry at Liverpool or has this become a bit personal because Villa have stood up to your club and therefore you need it done to save the egg on Rafa's face. Serious question, not on a wind up.

Secondly, what fee would you really want to pay for Barry? Don't try to be clever, be honest.

[b6bloke]

Liverpool cant win,

They buy Barry we win

They dont buy Barry we win

We sell him to the Arse we win

in all the above cases liverpool look stupid

[LondonLax]

Liverpool cant win,

They buy Barry we win

They dont buy Barry we win

We sell him to the Arse we win

in all the above cases liverpool look stupid

I think most of their fans would consider options 2 and 3 a win for them.

That why I hope we take them to the cleaners. They will be fuming!

[Redman]

Redman, can I ask you, do you really want Gareth Barry at Liverpool or has this become a bit personal because Villa have stood up to your club and therefore you need it done to save the egg on Rafa's face. Serious question, not on a wind up.

Secondly, what fee would you really want to pay for Barry? Don't try to be clever, be honest.

I do want Barry at Liverpool as Alonso's replacement, not because he is a better player but because he would be a better fit and I think his set-piece expertise could add another dimension.

It would be a blow not to conclude the transfer after all this time but hardly the end of the world - I don't necessarily want Alonso to leave and nor do most other reds I have spoken to. As for Rafa, it wouldn't be the first time he's be foiled in the transfer market - he'd just shrug it off I expect.

As for a fee, I would have walked away after having £14m rejected. And before anyone brings it up, I would have done the same for Hargreaves and Carrick too. Not Mascherano though. I'd have paid £20m + for him.

[b6bloke]

Liverpool cant win,

They buy Barry we win

They dont buy Barry we win

We sell him to the Arse we win

in all the above cases liverpool look stupid

I think most of their fans would consider options 2 and 3 a win for them.

That why I hope we take them to the cleaners. They will be fuming!

The thing Lax is because they have been so under hand for everyone to see bar liverpool fans and the FA that if they dont buy him thier tactics havent worked and they look stupid. If they buy they have made to look stupid because a so called smaller club got what they wanted.

[Redman]

They will be fuming!

I'm not sure about 'fuming'.

'Miffed' might be better.

[steve-67]

I do want Barry at Liverpool as Alonso's replacement, not because he is a better player but because he would be a better fit and I think his set-piece expertise could add another dimension.

It would be a blow not to conclude the transfer after all this time but hardly the end of the world - I don't necessarily want Alonso to leave and nor do most other reds I have spoken to. As for Rafa, it wouldn't be the first time he's be foiled in the transfer market - he'd just shrug it off I expect.

As for a fee, I would have walked away after having £14m rejected. And before anyone brings it up, I would have done the same for Hargreaves and Carrick too. Not Mascherano though. I'd have paid £20m + for him.

Easy being civil isn't it? There are plenty of Villa fans on here who can debate sensibly!!

A couple of things. Set piece expertise? You mean his corners? He doesn't do Ashley Young type free kicks but he does take a very good corner. Are you expecting blockbusting free kicks from outside the area? If so, you have the wrong man.

You say £14 million, I'd say 15. I would also have been happy to have swapped him for cash and Benayoun but that's only my opinion. I still think that this'll still happen but I'd prefer straight cash as Finnan is 31/32?

With reference to Carrick and Hargreaves, and to a lesser degree, Barry, the so called bigger clubs usually get taken for a few extra quid, like the Italian clubs did back in the 80's and 90's, simply because we know they've got the money. Finally, Barry is not the England man you see when he plays for Villa, a good player nevertheless.

[smetrov]

Well the fact that he played last night - would suggest that no deal is close. Reports suggest that Barry - got changed after being subbed - then left the ground - doesn't sound like a player who's trying to build bridges. - I do reckon this deal is holding up any inwards transfers to villa though.

[steve-67]

Well the fact that he played last night - would suggest that no deal is close. Reports suggest that Barry - got changed after being subbed - then left the ground - doesn't sound like a player who's trying to build bridges. - I do reckon this deal is holding up any inwards transfers to villa though.

The General has already stated a couple of times that this is not the case. Barry's inevitable departure has no bearing on the spending plans of Villa. He may need replacing at some point during this window. Bullard?

[Gavin@villatalk]

Barry ‘would be great signing’ says younger Gerrard

Gareth Barry is a “class act” and would enjoy the perfect partnership with Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard if his transfer to Anfeld is ever finally secured.

That is the view of the Liverpool captain’s cousin, Walsall defender Anthony Gerrard, who lined up opposite Barry on a night of drama at the Banks’s Stadium on Tuesday night.

Villa fans booed and jeered their want-away former club captain for almost all of his hour-long appearance in the friendly following a turbulent summer of transfer wranglesr.

Liverpool-born Anthony is the younger cousin of Reds’ skipper Steve and is himself a huge Liverpool fan. He described Barry as being a “class above” and a “quality player” after seeing him turn in an assured performance to help Villa secure a 3-2 victory over their League One neighbours.

The central defender - Walsall’s Player of the Season last year - believes Barry would be a huge asset to his home town club and said the England midfielder’s man-of-the-match performance underlined just what a true professional he is, given the huge pressure he was put under by a crowd of some 2,200 travelling Villa fans.

Supporters are angry that their former skipper - who wants to leave to pursue his Champions League dream after ten years at Villa Park - publicly criticised manager Martin O’Neill in a newspaper article.

Barry took a sideswipe at O’Neill because he felt his boss was too busy away commentating on the European Championships to deal with ensuring Barry’s smooth transfer to Liverpool.

Gerrard said: “After seeing that performance tonight, it would seem that whatever is going on in Gareth Barry’s football life has not affected him on the pitch. He showed he was a class act and a class above any of the other players on the pitch. As a Liverpool fan, I believe he would be a great addition to the team but perhaps the least said about that, the better.

“Fair play to him - Gareth Barry is a credit to himself. He wants to better himself and play in the Champions League. Everyone wants to excel in their career and hopefully, if he moves to Liverpool, he can do that.

“I think Steve and Gareth would play well together and I know Steve would like Gareth Barry to join him. They are good friends and they got on whenever they join up together with the England squad. I have no doubt at all that they would make a good partnership on the field.”

Barry’s run-out for an hour of the match at the Banks’s Stadium ended when he was subsituted and disappeared in a waiting car without joining his Villa team-mates and O’Neill, who was watching the proceedings from the stands.

Villa won the game thanks to two goals from Shaun Maloney and a third from Wayne Routledge, cancelling out goals from Alex Nicholls and Walsall triallist Patrick Suffo.

Maloney admitted afterwards that he hoped those goals would stake his claim for a place in O’Neill’s starting line-up for the visit of Odense BK to Villa Park in the second leg of the Intertoto Cup tie this weekend.

He said: “Hopefully, I have shown the manager I am ready if the call comes against Odense on Saturday. Fingers crossed, I can play a part.The boys played pretty well in patches against Odense last weekend so I think it will be difficult breaking into the starting line-up bBut I have done all I can now so hopefully I will be ready if the manager calls.”

Gerrard, meanwhile, hopes he and his Walsall team-mates can pick up where they left off last season in Coca-Cola League One and secure a play-off place this time round.

He said: “We are going to try and push on .It is still early days but we have played a bit of football now in pre-season and the new players are bedding in well.We fell a bit short last year so it has to be our aim to make the play-offs this time.”

[MMFy]

Redman, you keep going on about a refusal to negotiate, but I fail to see any evidence that this is actually the case. I've no doubt that MON has been difficult to deal with throughout all of this (I wonder why?) but to suggest he's sticking his fingers in his ears and going 'la la la la la' is frankly ludicrous.

The latest reports point to MON putting a proposal to Liverpool last week some time. As far as I know, nothing has been heard back from Liverpool since. So who is it here who isn't negotiating?

I think we can consider O'Neill's letter to be more of a ransom note than a starting point for negotiation.

Really? What did it say? That sounds awfully ITK...

Not ITK buddy, just good old-fashioned common sense.

So? What did it say? You can't possibly comment on it unless you know the content, and your posts here displaying assumed knowledge will be duly taken apart.

This is a Villa message board.