Barry or Alonso

[Hammer]

Would like to keep both but if I had to choose then Barry.

With the Premiership being the priority this season, I think we have a better chance of winning it with Barry in the team rather than Alonso. One of our weak areas last season was our lack of goals from set pieces. Barry can solve that problem by taking up the responsibility of corners and freekicks which he was good at last season, and this would also free up Gerrard so that he can be more of a threat in or around the area.

Barry would also offer us balance to the team, and when Dossena bombs forward with his attacking runs Barry would be able to cover at LB with ease. Barry and Gerrard also work well together compared to Alonso and Gerrard.

[Sebastian Rooks]

Would like to keep both but if I had to choose then Barry.

With the Premiership being the priority this season, I think we have a better chance of winning it with Barry in the team rather than Alonso. One of our weak areas last season was our lack of goals from set pieces. Barry can solve that problem by taking up the responsibility of corners and freekicks which he was good at last season, and this would also free up Gerrard so that he can be more of a threat in or around the area.

Barry would also offer us balance to the team, and when Dossena bombs forward with his attacking runs Barry would be able to cover at LB with ease. Barry and Gerrard also work well together compared to Alonso and Gerrard.

[Nicey]

Barry everytime ... Xabi is a better player but right now Barry is better for the team and more importantly our title hopes ... Ideally I would have both of them

[Nicey]

Would like to keep both but if I had to choose then Barry.

With the Premiership being the priority this season, I think we have a better chance of winning it with Barry in the team rather than Alonso. One of our weak areas last season was our lack of goals from set pieces. Barry can solve that problem by taking up the responsibility of corners and freekicks which he was good at last season, and this would also free up Gerrard so that he can be more of a threat in or around the area.

Barry would also offer us balance to the team, and when Dossena bombs forward with his attacking runs Barry would be able to cover at LB with ease. Barry and Gerrard also work well together compared to Alonso and Gerrard.

Bang on, I think most sensible people can see this including Rafa. I really hope he signs this week. If he does we are in with a very good shout for the title .. Every title winning side needs players like Barry in it ...

[Woobus]

Went for Barry as well, surprising how close it is. Would love to keep both but since its the Premiership we want I feel Barry would be the better of the two.

[carheex]

Barry has been better than xabi, in the PL, for one season, last season. I think Barry over-performed for 6 months while xabi under-performed. I think they'll both find their level again this year with Xabi the better player.

Alonso has had one good season for us and then got got found out by the opposition. Everyone knows now that he's slow and needs too much time on the ball which is why he's only had a handful of decent games in the last couple of years. I'd much rather have Barry but if we've got 18m to spunk away and money isn;t an issue as Rafa says, then why aren't we spending it on a winger???! Because we've got Kuyt??

[CAD]

For 18 mill£ with Alonso still here without real talent on the wide left it really is a nobrainer. I think Rafa has lost the plot once again.

[Sarb]

For 18 mill£ with Alonso still here without real talent on the wide left it really is a nobrainer. I think Rafa has lost the plot once again.

Agreed. That's why the Barry deal can't go ahead. Can't afford to have them both in the squad

[victor barry]

Barry is a great player but we dont need 2 Gerrards. Alonso's the kind of player who'll turn defence into attack, playing a 60 yard pass with perfect accuracy.Also with fast forwards such as Torres, Babel, Keane...I could see Alonso playing one of them through when we're defending a corner. It's true that he hasn't had the best of seasons, but once he returns to form, he will shine again. He was unlucky through injury last season too. The fact that Barry has a statistical better record in the premiership is biased. It's hardly fair to say that he has more goals and assists for Villa than Alonso has for Liverpool. It's like saying that Villa depend on him, more than Liverpool depend on Alonso- suppose we sold Gerrard to Villa, so Alonso was Liverpool's main attacking midfielder, but Barry was competing with Gerrard for a place- would Barry still have a better record than Alonso?

[kev776]

Barry is NOT a replacement for Alonso, stop comparing them. Rafa would be happy to have both as both give him options that Mascher doesnt have.

[Rix007]

Not another Barry Thread...

[shanks69]

here we go again,can we lock all the who's better alonso or barry threads until there's some real news.everthing getting posted now has already been posted.at the moment it's a stalemate with nothing new happening.

[leftpeg]

spend money on someone else (who can attack, dribble, score and take corners).

You forgot about free kicks.

[johnly]

Sky Sports transfer centre just had a report up saying Rafa ain't giving up on signing Barry yet. Spoke to someone who works at Villa Park today he didn't seem to know any more juicy info, I'll try drag some info out of em though!

[Shanks]

Agreed. That's why the Barry deal can't go ahead. Can't afford to have them both in the squad

Why not?

The Mancs have Carrick, Hargreaves, Scholes, Anderson, Fletcher, Nani.

Based on that, tell me why we can't afford to have them both aswell as Gerrard, Masch and Lucas. Throw Plessis and maybe Spearing in there aswell.