Barry Bannan

[guyavfc]

 

THE numbers don’t lie — and for Barry Bannan, they add up to the end of his Aston Villa career.

He was handed a squad number of 42 for the coming season and packed off to train with fellow outcasts while Paul Lambert took his side to Germany on pre-season.

It was the discovery of the change of jersey number — he wore 25 last season — that underlined he was finished at Villa Park.

A summer move to Blackburn has stalled over terms and the Scotland international now faces a tense wait to see if he can find a new club before the window closes in a fortnight.

The 23-year-old says he has no idea why he’s gone from playing 30 Villa games by March to being ruthlessly frozen out.

He said: “A few of us who are training with the boys have been put to the bottom of the squad numbers for the new season.

“I don’t see the reasoning behind it, to be honest.

“It’s like having a dig, letting everyone know where we stand in the pecking order and that the manager doesn’t want us there.

“I was 25 last season and now it’s 42. A young lad’s got my old number.

“There was no real need to do it — I’m not going to play anyway, the manager’s made that obvious.

“I’ve been told I can go, along with a few others, but I don’t know why it’s happened.

“I went to see him and he said he wanted to freshen things up.

“I’d played against Reading and QPR in March — big games which we won — and did well in them.

“Then we played Liverpool at home, lost 2-1 and I came off after an hour — and that was it.

“I never kicked another ball after that. I thought it would change but it never did.

“I’d played most of the games but after the Liverpool one I was out. I was travelling to away games and not even making the bench.

“I decided then to go and tell him I wanted to leave.

“I’ve not fallen out with him, we haven’t had an argument, I’ve not done anything wrong. It is a strange one.

“I don’t know if it’s personal because every time we see one another around the training ground he’s been fine with me.

“He’s brought in new players who he’s going to stick with.

“A lot of it is probably to do with money. There’s probably a financial difference between the players who have been told they can go and the ones he’s bringing in.

“He’s said he wants to have the squad he’s going to go with for the season and he doesn’t want the rest mixing with them.

“That’s fair enough. You can’t knock him, because some managers like you, and some don’t. He’s told me I can go and that’s better than taking me to games and not playing me.

“I know where I stand. You never like to hear it, but it kind of drives me on and makes me want to prove people wrong.

“Some people might get told that and think ‘I don’t know if I’m good enough’ but I’m confident in myself.

“I think there was an element of that with Scotland in Croatia in June. I knew I wasn’t in the Villa plans for next season. I hadn’t played for a couple of months and in Croatia I felt as though I was in the shop window.

“There was a lot of anger and I wanted to go out and do well. Alan Hutton’s in the same boat. He and I train together with six or seven of the other first-team players and some reserves who’ve been on the fringes. We’re at one end of the training ground and the first team are at the other.

“None of us went on pre-season so all I’ve had is a couple of 90 minutes in in-house games.

“I thought I was going to get a move early in the summer so I trained accordingly.

“Normally I’d head back to Scotland and not really do much but because I thought I was going to get a move I only went on two short holidays — a week to Vegas and three days in Marbella.

“The rest I was running with one of my mates who didn’t have a club because if something happened I wanted to be ready.

“I worked hard in the summer and I feel fit. I was meant to be going to Blackburn but it fell through, which was disappointing. I thought the deal was done then it didn’t happen.

“I spoke to Gary Bowyer about why it didn’t go ahead. It was over wages. I was taking a cut to go but they couldn’t get to the cut.

“They said if it had been last year they’d have done it but they’re making cuts themselves.

“They’ve a few players there who are still on big money from when they went crazy a couple of seasons ago, so that killed it.

“The window shuts soon and, while I’ve a year of my contract left, I’d like to get something.

“There’s another month after that when I can go on loan to the Championship and if that needs to be the case so be it.”

Bannan has been linked with Celtic and he added: “I wouldn’t rule out Scotland. There’s been whispers about teams, but it would probably have to be Celtic.

“I’d consider it. The Blackburn move wasn’t about it being a big club. I just want to get out and play 30 to 40 games a season.”

[mjmooney]

 

Alan Hutton’s in the same boat.

 

That's true. The HMS Not Good Enough.

[AstonMartin82]

He says he played well against Reading and QPR... well if that is his standard of "playing well" then it is no wonder he has been dumped. He played well by his own standards, but it was still massively short of Premier League quality. He missed an open goal from 5 yards out FFS!

 

At least he didn't say he did well against Liverpool, so he does have some sort of standards however low they are.

 

I like the fact he said he went to the manager and told him that he wanted to leave... as if mate... I think Lambert is pulling all the strings here not you!!

[Con]

He says he played well against Reading and QPR... well if that is his standard of "playing well" then it is no wonder he has been dumped. He played well by his own standards, but it was still massively short of Premier League quality. He missed an open goal from 5 yards out FFS!

 

At least he didn't say he did well against Liverpool, so he does have some sort of standards however low they are.

 

I like the fact he said he went to the manager and told him that he wanted to leave... as if mate... I think Lambert is pulling all the strings here not you!!

 

You might not think Bannan played well, but he didn't play badly, other wise we would not have won so many games when he played. Given the number of times we lost last season, we could not afford any slackers, and the fact when Bannan played we were more likely to get a positive result shows he wasn't a slacker. He's not in the team because his style doesn't fit Lambert's system and that's that.

 

That "open goal" sounds like a description of Delph's miss against Fulham (?). Bannan did well here and don't forget we scored from it.

[PieFacE]

Fair enough comments I think. Seems to be pretty fair towards Lambert and wants to play first team football. Can't fault that.

[Robbie09]

Fair enough comments I think. Seems to be pretty fair towards Lambert and wants to play first team football. Can't fault that.

 

Agree. Bannan is an average footballer who is surplus to requirements at Villa and I wish him luck wherever he ends up. He gets more stick than he deserves. 

[ROTTERDAM1982]

Fully agree Robbie, a nice footballer who is imho not quite good enough.

 

He did play well against Reading though.

[Dodgyknees]

One good performance every 15 games is not good enough. Good luck with your career Barry, sorry it didn't work out.

[Electric Avenue]

One good performance every 15 games is not good enough. Good luck with your career Barry, sorry it didn't work out.

I'd say that's a tad harsh possibly. He did play well at Reading then the other extreme was his game at Bradford. The real player lies somewhere in the middle of those 2 performances.

[UpTheVilla26]

Bannan is a silly little shit. I'd have booted him out the minute he decided to go drink driving.

 

In that article he talks about the Liverpool match and not playing after. Has he not watched back what he did in that game, some glorious 40 yard through balls he put through..... for Liverpool.

 

He's a rubbish footballer and his attitude is all that is wrong with modern footballers. Thinking he's Billy big-time and trying to act the kiddy.

 

Good riddance, hopefully he'll take that bald coot Ireland with him.

[bannedfromHandV]

He says he played well against Reading and QPR... well if that is his standard of "playing well" then it is no wonder he has been dumped. He played well by his own standards, but it was still massively short of Premier League quality. He missed an open goal from 5 yards out FFS!

 

At least he didn't say he did well against Liverpool, so he does have some sort of standards however low they are.

 

I like the fact he said he went to the manager and told him that he wanted to leave... as if mate... I think Lambert is pulling all the strings here not you!!

 

You might not think Bannan played well, but he didn't play badly, other wise we would not have won so many games when he played. Given the number of times we lost last season, we could not afford any slackers, and the fact when Bannan played we were more likely to get a positive result shows he wasn't a slacker. He's not in the team because his style doesn't fit Lambert's system and that's that.

 

That "open goal" sounds like a description of Delph's miss against Fulham (?). Bannan did well here and don't forget we scored from it.

Balls to it, I'll bite.

This is ridiculous. You include the video as tho it substantiates your point when it does the exact opposite! It was a terrible miss and yes, 10x the miss versus delph's. Delph should have scored but it was nowhere near as glaring as this.

You live in lala land mate, really hope you follow bannan to wherever he goes

[Electric Avenue]

Is that lowton who wins the crucial header?

[Eric]

FFS I get it! Con really think Bannan has massive potential and should start every game. A lot of you think his absolut shit and abuse him and Con because of him defending Bannan. It's gone that far that Bannan is a gready bastard because he wants the best deal possible with the best team he possibly can, and therefore is willing to wait and see what happens.

Nobody knows how much Blackburns offer was. And to be fair who would want to join them with the mess them are in. He said he would accept a paycut, so imagine the offer wasn't very good.

So give the guy a break.

[switters]

 

 

He says he played well against Reading and QPR... well if that is his standard of "playing well" then it is no wonder he has been dumped. He played well by his own standards, but it was still massively short of Premier League quality. He missed an open goal from 5 yards out FFS!

 

At least he didn't say he did well against Liverpool, so he does have some sort of standards however low they are.

 

I like the fact he said he went to the manager and told him that he wanted to leave... as if mate... I think Lambert is pulling all the strings here not you!!

 

You might not think Bannan played well, but he didn't play badly, other wise we would not have won so many games when he played. Given the number of times we lost last season, we could not afford any slackers, and the fact when Bannan played we were more likely to get a positive result shows he wasn't a slacker. He's not in the team because his style doesn't fit Lambert's system and that's that.

 

That "open goal" sounds like a description of Delph's miss against Fulham (?). Bannan did well here and don't forget we scored from it.

Balls to it, I'll bite.

This is ridiculous. You include the video as tho it substantiates your point when it does the exact opposite! It was a terrible miss and yes, 10x the miss versus delph's. Delph should have scored but it was nowhere near as glaring as this.

You live in lala land mate, really hope you follow bannan to wherever he goes

 

 

 

it's not a terrible miss. it was an instinctive shot with very little time to adjust position, hit the inside of the post and was clawed off the line by the keeper.

[TrentVilla]

So so so so so sick of Bannan and the endless talk about someone so bloody average.

[AshVillain]

I wouldn't join Blackburn Rovers. That's like football suicide!!

 

That being said, Bannan didn't (and doesn't) cut the mustard.

 

Over egging of his talents probably causes others to go the other way and point out why we have 6 or 7 better options than him.

 

Honestly, a decent Championship player IMO but not Premier League standard. Good luck to him, hope he finds a new home soon.

[Tayls]

That's funny that he mentioned Celtic. I had thoughts about him being sold to Celtic when I imagine all of the 'bomb squad' having left and we are about to sign someone awesome.

[villa89]

That's funny that he mentioned Celtic. I had thoughts about him being sold to Celtic when I imagine all of the 'bomb squad' having left and we are about to sign someone awesome.

 

Playing for a side that's just lost 2-0 to Shakhter Karagandy strikes me as Bannan's level.

[Cambridge-AVFC]

 

One good performance every 15 games is not good enough. Good luck with your career Barry, sorry it didn't work out.

I'd say that's a tad harsh possibly. He did play well at Reading then the other extreme was his game at Bradford. The real player lies somewhere in the middle of those 2 performances.

 

I thought Bannan was one of our better players against Bradford, we lost our shape when he went off. His worst game was Liverpool.

[AshVilla]

 

He says he played well against Reading and QPR... well if that is his standard of "playing well" then it is no wonder he has been dumped. He played well by his own standards, but it was still massively short of Premier League quality. He missed an open goal from 5 yards out FFS!

 

At least he didn't say he did well against Liverpool, so he does have some sort of standards however low they are.

 

I like the fact he said he went to the manager and told him that he wanted to leave... as if mate... I think Lambert is pulling all the strings here not you!!

 

You might not think Bannan played well, but he didn't play badly, other wise we would not have won so many games when he played. Given the number of times we lost last season, we could not afford any slackers, and the fact when Bannan played we were more likely to get a positive result shows he wasn't a slacker. He's not in the team because his style doesn't fit Lambert's system and that's that.

 

That "open goal" sounds like a description of Delph's miss against Fulham (?). Bannan did well here and don't forget we scored from it.

 

 

lol not the knock onto the post gif again