Gareth must follow Gerrard

Gareth Barry has seen many a player leave Villa Park in dictatorial fashion and now he is prepared to follow in their footsteps.
The current Villa skipper witnessed the unceremonious departures of players like Dwight Yorke and Gareth Southgate, who demanded their own departures.
Barry was wearing Claret and Blue when they returned to feel the wrath of the Holte End.
But this experience appears not to bother him in the slightest - he must have broad shoulders.
By openly asking for a move to Liverpool, Barry has paved the way for stinging criticism from the Villa faithful.
It is a scenario which didn't need to materialise as he could have kept quiet and let Liverpool's cash do the talking.
The midfield maestro is, or was, adored at Villa Park. He has enjoyed fervent support from the fans which helped him return to the England setup.

Barbaric

But, now he has performed on the greatest stage and impressed certain colleagues, namely Steven Gerrard, he wants out.
Surely he has learnt from what Gerrard himself has experienced.
The Liverpool captain was all set for a move away from the club in 2006 and fans were burning his number 17 shirt outside of Anfield.
But, full credit to Gerrard he stayed and risked a barbaric backlash.
The outcome - Gerrard received a standing ovation in the Champions League qualifier against TNS and led the Reds to another European final.
He has now been restored in the hearts of the Kop and is loving every minute of it.
Barry is part of an ever emerging setup at Villa Park with one of the best Academy setups in the country.
He is the focal point in a team which finished in the top six last season and has high aspirations to claim silverware next season.

Understudy

The Villa side is built around him, would it be the same for him at Anfield? The answer is a resounding NO.
The Liverpool team is geared towards playing through Steven Gerrard; Barry would be a mere understudy. He may not even be guaranteed a starting role.
With players like Mascherano and Xabi Alonso still at the club would Barry play every week?
What good is Champions League football if you're watching from the sidelines? You might as well watch it on TV.
If Barry has learnt nothing from former team mates who have left the club, surely he must learn from players like Scott Parker and Damien Duff.
What happened to them when they joined the Premier League elite? They were small fish in a big pond and eventually left to return to the goldfish bowl.
Now they are trying to rebuild themselves at West Ham and Newcastle respectively.
So Gareth, do you really want to go?