Barry "Messi" Bannan - again

[berneboy]

Drink-driving is totally out of order regardless of who does it.

Agreed.

[pauliewalnuts]

Drink-driving is totally out of order regardless of who does it.

I wonder if Ray Wilkins' conviction for drink driving will impact on his punditry career. I hope it does.

At the very least, he might think twice before saying "stay on your feet".

[sonlyme]

Stumbled over something interesting (to me at least) regarding young Baz.  We all have our opinions, is he good?  Is he rubbish?  Does this photo add to the post?  Or is it unnecessary? And so on.

But looking here http://www.squawka.com/players/barry-bannan I was horrified to discover this simple key fact.

Of the 24 appearances Barry made last season - he created 34 chances.  A nice simple stat that.  But it gets more concerning when you look at the rest of the Villa's mighty midfield. 

Westwood the wizard managed to create 33 chances from 30 appearances.  Delph's numbers are 13 chances from 24.  Charlie N'Zog made 22 from his 21.  And Kareem managed only 13 from his 20.

If you are so inclined - there are stats for everything - you can look at miles run - pass success rates - number of headers - times ball played with left knee and so on and so on.

But I am a simple man.  And this simple stat of chances created tells me Villa are about to sell the very player for whom so many are calling. A creative number 10.

For instance - Mikel Arteta - surely we can all agree he is a fine creative player?  His figures - 25 chances created from 34 games. Less than Baz.(LtB)

What about Ryan Giggs?  24 from 22. LtB.

Super Frankie Lampard?  31 from 29. LtB.

I don't care if you are a Bannan fan or a Bannan hater - the numbers do not lie.  If Bannan is to go - then we need a creative midfield player who is at least his equal in creating chances to come in.

Barry is a handful.

To illustrate my points - both of them - here is a picture.



What would Villa be like without the double B?

[dave.woodhall]

You've been asked before not to post unnecessary pictures. Please stop.

[UK Redsox]

I was there at Twickenham on the day that Erica strutted her stuff. I'd just turned 12, so I was beginning to be able to appreciate the enormity of the situation.

[adrenachrome]

Soon you'll know why folks all say
Beer at home means Davenports!

[MoetVillan]

Sonlyme, i dont believe in putting too much into the stats.  For instance, look at Westwood vs BB and tell me which were in games against top teams, lower teams, cup games, home and away.  How about accuracy of passing including numbers of, and which were pressured passes.  Then take a look at man marking.  I dont have stats to back me up, just a mere 25 years + of watching football, including watching from the Trinity stand for the last four years and Westwood for me is a nailed on starter and Bannan is struggling to make the bench

[eamonn]

I wouldn't disown a friend or sibling for drunk-driving but I might kick them in the shins/pour a pint over them/slap them.

[PaulWinch again]

Bannan is just pretty average. He drifts in and out of games and struggles to make an impact at Premier League level. I wouldn't want him near our first team.

[supertom]

You've been asked before not to post unnecessary pictures. Please stop.

With all due respect Dave, that last pic wasn't unnecessary. On a completed unrelated matter, I'll be back in 2 and a half minutes.

[supertom]

Stats are one thing, but watching a game and seeing the player's impact on the game is another. Comparing him to Westwood isn't as fair because West is nearly always the first point in our chain of attacks. He starts the ball rolling. He might not directly make the chance but the genesis of it often starts with him.

Given that the majority on the two active Bannan threads feel it's time for him to leave should suggest enough. The sadness felt on the whole is because he's not achieved what many of us hoped 3-4 years ago.

[Titus Aduxus]

Barry Bannan is one of my all time favorite Villa heroes.  I will be well sad if he does go to Blackburn.

[Dante Lavelli]

Bannan was so afforded the luxury of taking all corners and freekicks which you'd hope would screw the stats a bit.

I do however feel that he was never really given a chance in the #10 role which is probably his most suited position.

[pauliewalnuts]

Barry Bannan is probably not even in my list of top ten players whose first name and surname start with the same letter.

Carlos Cuellar
Julian Joachim
Gary Gardner
Simon Stainrod (not really)
Ciaran Clark
Fabio Ferraresi

Oh, maybe he is then.

[PeterWithesShin]

Barry Bannan is probably not even in my list of top ten players whose first name and surname start with the same letter.

Carlos Cuellar
Julian Joachim
Gary Gardner
Simon Stainrod (not really)
Ciaran Clark
Fabio Ferraresi

Oh, maybe he is then.

I even prefer Bosko to Bannan.