Barry Bannan

[Caiphus]

I just noticed wee Barry isn't considered home grown.  Was he at Villa less than three years before he turned 21?

[villadelph]

Didn't he join from Celtic when he was 14 or 15?

[Toronto Villa]

Barry Bannan will turn out to be a super player. I think he's being handled correctly as is Clark. You can see with Marco how performances can drive up expectation and some players don't always thrive under it. Albrighton will be just finw, and judging by AM's comments he might make a couple of changes this week. I can see Bent on the bench to start with Gabby up top and Jenas, Zoggy alongside with Bazza in the hole behind. If nothing else it will be interesting to see if the little one can pull some strings against Everton.

[Monty]

You see TV, I think Gabby on the wing has worked so well that I would fully understand starting Heskey up front with Gabby on the wing, with Bannan in behind. Heskey could make space for Bannan away from home against a very physical Everton side. Mind you, Bent would too, in a different way, which is no advert for Heskey.

[eamonn]

Could Bannan and Ireland in the same team ever work?

[villadelph]

Could Bannan and Ireland in the same team ever work?

Unfortunately, not a chance.

[Dante Lavelli]

Could Bannan and Ireland in the same team ever work?

Unfortunately, not a chance.

Even if their heads were in the right place and the rest of the team were set up to do their defending I still think it wouldn't work.  They'd be making the same runs and getting in each others way too often.  Although if it's good enough for Iniesta and Xaxi...

[Mr Diggles]

Could Bannan and Ireland in the same team ever work?

Unfortunately, not a chance.

I don't agree, since they do seem to play different roles. Ireland can play behind the striker making late runs into the box, and you could play Bannan in a two behind him so long as his midfield partner (Petrov or Delph for example) has a more defensive-orientated role. You let Bannan act as the playmaker feeding the two wingers and also playing the slide rule and throughballs for Ireland and Bent to run onto.

But the big questions are a) is McLeish willing to play such an attacking game of football, and b) is Ireland no longer madder than cat shit.

[Mister E]

Could Bannan and Ireland in the same team ever work?

We're unlikely to find out, I suspect.

[Mister E]

Well, guess who will be SrAlex's close-season target next summer? - read this and then project forward after BB's stellar season in 2011-12!
http://tgr.ph/nDWuT4

[Phil from the upper holte]

Bannan needs to play in heskey's role behind bent, its not brain surgery

[Dante Lavelli]

Well, guess who will be SrAlex's close-season target next summer? - read this and then project forward after BB's stellar season in 2011-12!
http://tgr.ph/nDWuT4

There was a reserve match last season where Bannan pretty much single handedly destroyed Man U's team.  That combined with the Villa Park match and I'd imagine Ferguson is well aware of Bannan.

Let's hope he can become the sort of player that he actually wants to sign for huge amounts of money.
 

[Ryu]

--- Quote from: Ryu on September 07, 2011, 12:11:34 PM ---Sorry holte ender I thought your point was that our manager has an aversion to players with skill and talent. I was just pointing out some instances in his past shows he can actually tolerate them!

I'm just not going to slate him based on the fact he hasn't started our tiny, inexperienced youngster in any of our 3 league games this season. 2 of which were against two of the leagues more NBA like sides.

--- End quote ---

I agree, there have only been 3 games, but wouldn't it been useful to alternate players against, dare I say inferior opposition. I know the manager wanted to get off to a decent start, but although we never looked like losing the Wolves game, we never looked like winning it either.

As such, are we just saving Bannan for better teams. What do we do then? Chuck him in at the deep end and start him against Manure, or throw him on as a sub when we are already 3-0 down to Citeh?



I don't disagree with you, Vanilla, but to be fair Bannan did come on to good affect against Blackburn. I agree though I would have liked to see him earlier in the wolves game, but I can still see why AM started with Heskey.

I just think some are using Bannan's lack of starts so far this season as a stick to beat the manager with and saying its evidence of the poor football we're apparently going to have to get used to this season. But I expect bannan to play a lot of games this season, so I'm not one of them.

[Vanilla]

--- Quote from: Ryu on September 07, 2011, 12:11:34 PM ---Sorry holte ender I thought your point was that our manager has an aversion to players with skill and talent. I was just pointing out some instances in his past shows he can actually tolerate them!

I'm just not going to slate him based on the fact he hasn't started our tiny, inexperienced youngster in any of our 3 league games this season. 2 of which were against two of the leagues more NBA like sides.

--- End quote ---

I agree, there have only been 3 games, but wouldn't it been useful to alternate players against, dare I say inferior opposition. I know the manager wanted to get off to a decent start, but although we never looked like losing the Wolves game, we never looked like winning it either.

As such, are we just saving Bannan for better teams. What do we do then? Chuck him in at the deep end and start him against Manure, or throw him on as a sub when we are already 3-0 down to Citeh?



I don't disagree with you, Vanilla, but to be fair Bannan did come on to good affect against Blackburn. I agree though I would have liked to see him earlier in the wolves game, but I can still see why AM started with Heskey.

I just think some are using Bannan's lack of starts so far this season as a stick to beat the manager with and saying its evidence of the poor football we're apparently going to have to get used to this season. But I expect bannan to play a lot of games this season, so I'm not one of them.

As you state, he did come on to good effect against Blackburn, and set up virtually our only chance against Wolves; but you worry the manager will have the same attitude to squad rotation as MON.

I am not even the greatest fan of BB, but the team sheet shows a demand for solid structure, with a plan to nick goals rather than the outright desire to win.

You could argue that might be a decent plan, considering our make do and mend squad, but stimulating football it does not make.

[Ryu]

I guess it will become clearer in the next few weeks what AM plans for the team and its style. Maybe he thinks having a more energetic midfielder than petrov in the middle will make room for bannan in the team?  Or maybe he's just using a youngster sparingly as that's what he thinks is best for his development. If we still struggle to score and create chances in the next few games  and he doesn't change anything then I think its fair to question him but as of this moment I don't think mcleish has done much wrong, when you look at what he's done in his short time as Villa manager and don't base your opinions based on certain unimpressive  elements of his career up to now.