Fabian Delph - Signed for Manchester City

[Villa in Denmark]

Was it also MON who converted Barry to centre midfield?

No, I think Gregory played him there on his debut.

I'm pretty sure Barry's home debut was as one of a back 3 against Arsenal where he had Ian Wright in his pocket for 94 minutes.  After that there was much too-ing and fro-ing between centre back, left back and left midfield.

[Can Gana Be Bettered!?!?]

I suppose we'll have to give him some credit in that account.

If I've remembered rightly, in addition to Delph he signed

Milner
Petrov
Young
Downing (although not great, he was very good in Houlier's season and we made a healthy profit thanks to KKK)

Was it also MON who converted Barry to centre midfield?

And "Big" John Carew

[Clampy]

Was it also MON who converted Barry to centre midfield?

No, I think Gregory played him there on his debut.

I'm pretty sure Barry's home debut was as one of a back 3 against Arsenal where he had Ian Wright in his pocket for 94 minutes.  After that there was much too-ing and fro-ing between centre back, left back and left midfield.

I've always had it in my head that Barry's debut was away at Sheffield Wednesday but I might be totally wrong.

[Villa in Denmark]

I suppose we'll have to give him some credit in that account.

If I've remembered rightly, in addition to Delph he signed

Milner
Petrov
Young
Downing (although not great, he was very good in Houlier's season and we made a healthy profit thanks to KKK)

Was it also MON who converted Barry to centre midfield?

And "Big" John Carew

I was limiting it to midfielders in response to

A big AVFC pat on the back for Martin O'Neill.

That man knows a great midfielder when he sees one.

No?

Given how many times he tried to rebuild the defence, and his glaring lack of ability to find a forward, midfield is the one area when he could be said to have done OK on the transfer front.  Anyway must not turn this into another slag MON thread.

[Villa in Denmark]

Was it also MON who converted Barry to centre midfield?

No, I think Gregory played him there on his debut.

I'm pretty sure Barry's home debut was as one of a back 3 against Arsenal where he had Ian Wright in his pocket for 94 minutes.  After that there was much too-ing and fro-ing between centre back, left back and left midfield.

I've always had it in my head that Barry's debut was away at Sheffield Wednesday but I might be totally wrong.

I think you're right.  He'd played there the week before.  I wasn't there so couldn't say where he played that day.  I remember thinking he was a cut above that day on his home debut. (Mind you I'd said the same about Ricacrdo Scimeca a few years previously, so my opinion usually counts for diddly squat where players abilities are concerned)

Anyway back on topic - will he ever score a boring goal?

I scared 5 kids, 1 dog and my wifes friend who was visiting when that went in.  A huge roar of "get the fuck in" followed by running round the kitchen like a lunatic with a "have that you chavvy cockney gits" whilst they're in the lounge trying to watch some go awful kids version of Eurovision song contest they do over here.

Mrs ViD not HP.  Then she saw the gaol on replay and quite calmly said "OK fair enough" )

[Dave]

Anyway back on topic - will he ever score a boring goal?

I think his first was from about six inches out in a routine League Cup win against Tranmere.

You don't get much more boring than that.

[Matt Collins]

Was it also MON who converted Barry to centre midfield?

No, I think Gregory played him there on his debut.

I'm pretty sure Barry's home debut was as one of a back 3 against Arsenal where he had Ian Wright in his pocket for 94 minutes.  After that there was much too-ing and fro-ing between centre back, left back and left midfield.

I've always had it in my head that Barry's debut was away at Sheffield Wednesday but I might be totally wrong.

It was. Barry then played midfield v arsenal.but dropped into defence when southgate got sent off

[ozzjim]

Was it also MON who converted Barry to centre midfield?

No, I think Gregory played him there on his debut.

I'm pretty sure Barry's home debut was as one of a back 3 against Arsenal where he had Ian Wright in his pocket for 94 minutes.  After that there was much too-ing and fro-ing between centre back, left back and left midfield.

I've always had it in my head that Barry's debut was away at Sheffield Wednesday but I might be totally wrong.

I think you're right.  He'd played there the week before.  I wasn't there so couldn't say where he played that day.  I remember thinking he was a cut above that day on his home debut. (Mind you I'd said the same about Ricacrdo Scimeca a few years previously, so my opinion usually counts for diddly squat where players abilities are concerned)

Anyway back on topic - will he ever score a boring goal?

I scared 5 kids, 1 dog and my wifes friend who was visiting when that went in.  A huge roar of "get the fuck in" followed by running round the kitchen like a lunatic with a "have that you chavvy cockney gits" whilst they're in the lounge trying to watch some go awful kids version of Eurovision song contest they do over here.

Mrs ViD not HP.  Then she saw the gaol on replay and quite calmly said "OK fair enough" )

My little one cried in fear as my old man and I celebrated round the lounge. Their dog scarpered quick time too. It was such a great moment. Such a great goal from Westwood picking the pocket of Ramirez to Delph dancing round the much vaunted Matic and then that finish. Get in.

[Villa in Denmark]

Was it also MON who converted Barry to centre midfield?

No, I think Gregory played him there on his debut.

I'm pretty sure Barry's home debut was as one of a back 3 against Arsenal where he had Ian Wright in his pocket for 94 minutes.  After that there was much too-ing and fro-ing between centre back, left back and left midfield.

I've always had it in my head that Barry's debut was away at Sheffield Wednesday but I might be totally wrong.

It was. Barry then played midfield v arsenal.but dropped into defence when southgate got sent off

Thanks Matt, now it makes sense.  I struggle to remember what day it is these days.

[peter w]

I suppose we'll have to give him some credit in that account.

If I've remembered rightly, in addition to Delph he signed

Milner
Petrov
Young
Downing (although not great, he was very good in Houlier's season and we made a healthy profit thanks to KKK)

Was it also MON who converted Barry to centre midfield?

Can't really give him credit for Milner, and Downing and Young weren't really midfielders. Pithy to the point, though.

[Somniloquism]

Anyway back on topic - will he ever score a boring goal?

I think his first was from about six inches out in a routine League Cup win against Tranmere.

You don't get much more boring than that.

He scored against Brighton first. Can't remember which one that was. I always thought he had scored in a cup game for us early in his career where he picked it up from the halfway line and went past several players in that clumsy gait of his but he must have missed / been saved as the Brighton match doesn't have that description.

[supertom]

I think Gregory came out and said that though Barry had the footballing ability to play midfield, he didn't think he had the physical attributes or pace, or something to that effect. He might have given him the odd game there, but I think he saw GB as a defender predominently, at least at Barry's age whilst Gregory was in charge.
Taylor put him left mid.

Then MON was the one that felt his best position was CM.

[VancouverLion]

Was it also MON who converted Barry to centre midfield?

No, I think Gregory played him there on his debut.

I'm pretty sure Barry's home debut was as one of a back 3 against Arsenal where he had Ian Wright in his pocket for 94 minutes.  After that there was much too-ing and fro-ing between centre back, left back and left midfield.

I've always had it in my head that Barry's debut was away at Sheffield Wednesday but I might be totally wrong.

I think you're right.  He'd played there the week before.  I wasn't there so couldn't say where he played that day.  I remember thinking he was a cut above that day on his home debut. (Mind you I'd said the same about Ricacrdo Scimeca a few years previously, so my opinion usually counts for diddly squat where players abilities are concerned)

Anyway back on topic - will he ever score a boring goal?

I scared 5 kids, 1 dog and my wifes friend who was visiting when that went in.  A huge roar of "get the fuck in" followed by running round the kitchen like a lunatic with a "have that you chavvy cockney gits" whilst they're in the lounge trying to watch some go awful kids version of Eurovision song contest they do over here.

Mrs ViD not HP.  Then she saw the gaol on replay and quite calmly said "OK fair enough" )

My little one cried in fear as my old man and I celebrated round the lounge. Their dog scarpered quick time too. It was such a great moment. Such a great goal from Westwood picking the pocket of Ramirez to Delph dancing round the much vaunted Matic and then that finish. Get in.

We had a bloke just arrive to pick up a table we had for sale just as Delph flicked it in cue me jumping up and down shouting "f'kin have it you C**TS"!!!!! You can imagine the rest, the missus telling him I'm an Englishman and you know what they're like with their soccer!! lol Brilliant!!

[PeterWithesShin]

Anyway back on topic - will he ever score a boring goal?

I think his first was from about six inches out in a routine League Cup win against Tranmere.

You don't get much more boring than that.

He scored against Brighton first. Can't remember which one that was. I always thought he had scored in a cup game for us early in his career where he picked it up from the halfway line and went past several players in that clumsy gait of his but he must have missed / been saved as the Brighton match doesn't have that description.

Brighton at home in front of The Holte in the FA Cup. Close range, although I can't remember the build up.

[Somniloquism]

I think Gregory came out and said that though Barry had the footballing ability to play midfield, he didn't think he had the physical attributes or pace, or something to that effect. He might have given him the odd game there, but I think he saw GB as a defender predominently, at least at Barry's age whilst Gregory was in charge.
Taylor put him left mid.

Then MON was the one that felt his best position was CM.

There was a lot of debate about Barry's best position in the 8 years before MON came in. I don't think many thought he could do it in CM at the time. LB or LM used to be the main consensus and managers seemed to agree, especially when we stopped doing 3 at the back.