Barry Bannan will he make it at top level

[Larry Duff]

Someone said earlier that Bannan would never be able to go head to head with Essien in a midfield dual.  He did in a reserve game last year (or the season before) at Villa Park when chelsea fielded a pretty strong reserve side.  We won 5-2 and Barry definately came out on top.


Essien was coming back from injury though, but still...

[Eckybloke]

I think he's promising and there's a fair chance he'll make it.

I'm very hopeful he will both from a club perspective and a international perspective. Even if I doubt skillful players have much of a role under the current national manager.

Levein eventually made Dundee United quite skilful for the resources they have, however built them from the back.  He'll build a team around the strengths available and if Barry starts making an impression at Villa I reckon he'll start getting call ups.

[WALTERS WARRIORS]

Think his over all game is better than Albrightons ........

[Chris Smith]

I agree with the Whittingham comparison Fletch made.

Still he's fun to watch, let's see him get more chances this season.

difference is Wittingham looked scared shitless every time he played for the first team where Bannan the other night looked like he was loving every minute of it. Half the problem with young players making the step up is their mental strength and that doesn't appear to be a problem here.

[RonBurgundy]

He looks far more comfortable on the ball than many of his senior colleagues.
Compare Sidwell with him on Wed - a man who abdicated any responsibility with the ball and just ran up and down. When he had the ball he looked like he was playing pass the parcel and scared of receiving a forfeit.

Wee Barry wanted the ball and actively got into space to receive the ball - the ginger one always seemed to be marking a Blackburn player, when we had the ball.
I know which player i would rather see on the pitch.

[Rancid custard]

We've lacked a bit of Scottish steel in the side for some years, Maloney and Calderwood don't count.

I hope it happens for him on the strength of when I've seen him turn out for the reserves, but despite our good production line of young talent, they never seem to quite take the last step up. Of all the youngsters touted Gabby and Gary Cahill are the only ones who made it, the rest relegated to lower league oblivion.