Gareth Barry

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

I think right now, instead of picking a formation and making tough decisions on who starts and who rests, mancini has been shoehorning players he wants on the field for various reasons in positions where they don't necessarily serve the team best. I think part of it is having a lot of talent available and the other part is key members having been injured for so long that we have had to adapt. As our players come back from injury I'm hoping we settle into a more stable formation with a more stable starting 11 with more clearly defined roles. I believe that we will.

I think milner in particular is a result of this policy we have implemented up to this point. I think barry is a victim of it, and our midfield in general really. I think we will get over it though.

It's all well and good BUT Barry has been playing in his prefferd role of left side of central midfield for 95% of time so that excuse doesn't work for him.

[kinkylola]

I agree, I am not giving barry a free pass ... but I think our midfield in general has not benefited from a very deep approach. It feels like we're trying to stuff the midfield with the talent we have without a lot of consideration as to who works well with who, or if someone needs to take a back seat for the good of the team.

I realize that mancini likes to set up with 3 sitting deep in mid, which is fine and it can work very well ... but for some reason I have this feeling that yaya and barry should not play at the same time in the same midfield. I don't have stats to back it up, it's just something that I don't think works, especially with de jong, as he occupies a lot of the space that barry would normally take up.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

I agree, I am not giving barry a free pass ... but I think our midfield in general has not benefited from a very deep approach. It feels like we're trying to stuff the midfield with the talent we have without a lot of consideration as to who works well with who, or if someone needs to take a back seat for the good of the team.

I realize that mancini likes to set up with 3 sitting deep in mid, which is fine and it can work very well ... but for some reason I have this feeling that yaya and barry should not play at the same time in the same midfield. I don't have stats to back it up, it's just something that I don't think works, especially with de jong, as he occupies a lot of the space that barry would normally take up.

I don't know about any stats but I've been banging on about for ages now. Midfield of De Jong, Barry, Toure is too negative. We need to have attacking player in there with De Jong and (preferably to Barry) Toure.

[Renato_CTID]

A negative performance yesterday for Gareth but it was difficult for everybody playing one man less against gooners!

[Lees Alter Ego]

Wow I must have watched a completely different game because Barry's work rate yesterday was superb. Everytime they played the ball passed him he would sprint back to double up on their player. Given we had ten men today, the work rate of the thee "defensive" midfielders had to there, and I believe they gave it a good go.

To say Barry has no stamina could not be further from the truth imo. He is far to slow mind.

[Ted Hughes]

Wow I must have watched a completely different game because Barry's work rate yesterday was superb. Everytime they played the ball passed him he would sprint back to double up on their player. Given we had ten men today, the work rate of the thee "defensive" midfielders had to there, and I believe they gave it a good go.

To say Barry has no stamina could not be further from the truth imo. He is far to slow mind.

No, you watched the right game. He probably made more crucial interceptions than any other City player & stopped many Arsenal attacks by his positioning & workrate. He is too slow though unfortunately & should never ever ever ever ever be asked to play left back even if we only have 8 men. Every time he goes there the oppo score or get clean through & miss. Every time, without fail.

[Renato_CTID]

Wow I must have watched a completely different game because Barry's work rate yesterday was superb. Everytime they played the ball passed him he would sprint back to double up on their player. Given we had ten men today, the work rate of the thee "defensive" midfielders had to there, and I believe they gave it a good go.

To say Barry has no stamina could not be further from the truth imo. He is far to slow mind.

Who was the man defending at left back when Nasri scored so easily? Barry was! And don't forget the freedom he gave to Cesc when he easily passed the ball to Chamakh after four minutes! Barry seems to me completely out of this game but sometimes it happens a good player like him could fail!

[Lees Alter Ego]

Gareth Barry the new Paul Bostvelt of the board?