Firstly, apologies for starting another Gareth Barry thread - but this really perplexes me. Maybe I might be missing out on something, and if so could somebody enlighten me. It seems relatively straightforward. - The player has come out and stated that he wants to join us. - He has been banned by O' Neill from all Villa club facilities - surely Barry's relationship with him and the Villa fans is now untenable and cannot be resurrected. - Apart from the mutterings about Arsenal, which I do not believe, plus I believe Barry will hold out for us now, in any event, there is not a long line of potential bidders. - We already have Xabi Alonso, who may not be quite as good a PREMIERSHIP central midfielder as Barry, and maybe does not fit into the side Rafa is trying to build, as well as Barry would, but he is a damn fine player nonetheless. Yet, despite all the above, plus the fact that we have already offered, in my opinion, way over the odds for Barry, we are still being held to ransom by that irritating, bitter, little man, Martin O' Neill. If I was Rafa, I would put it like this - Martin, here is fifteen million plus Steve Finnan, it is my last offer, I will not be back with another, I would advise you to consider very carefully the consequences of your refusal to accept it.................. Thoughts?
