John Barnes

[Lecter]

Sterling is a good player. Not even sure Barnes was that good at his age.

Barnes was 23 when he signed for Liverpool (the same age as Sterling is now)

I know who I would have if I had the choice

[Yozza]

Barnes was 23 when he signed for Liverpool (the same age as Sterling is now)

I know who I would have if I had the choice

Me too - he made it look so easy in an era where players aren't protected so much & there was much less simulation...

You can keep your diving show pony $terling...

[Doc_Piptorious]

Barnes was 23 when he signed for Liverpool (the same age as Sterling is now)

I know who I would have if I had the choice

Like yourself, I am old enough to remember Barnes pre- Liverpool, and he was very much a sought after player who had been performing very well for Watford from when he was about 18 years of age.


He was a big part of why that Watford team were able to compete for the league title and compete with the big clubs in the cups.

By the time he reached the age Sterling is now, he was already long seen as the sort of player that would put in top performances on a regular basis and dictate the outcome of games.

No comparison between Barnes and Sterling at the same age. One was already touching world class and the other is Raheem Sterling.

[Slinky Skills]

Can't believe Sterling is even been compared to Barnes, Sterling is ****ing garbage. Barnes is one of the best to have put on the red shirt.

[Kenneth]

the comparison is actually funny.

[Fosterbloke]

Is there a player in world football close to what Barnes was?

[Doc_Piptorious]

Is there a player in world football close to what Barnes was?

Hard to find a player nowadays with the same skillset, and level of high quality consistency as Barnes.


He was not on the same tier as a Messi or Ronaldo in terms of output/consistency, but I think he would easily sit on the tier just below those players. Barnes had a nine or ten year run of just being a super consistent attacking player who more often than not turned up with a good perfromance. He was not flawless, just as no attacker is, but he was certainly top class.

Trying to think of someone nowadays that was like him, and played in a similar position for a long period, but even guys like Robben and Ribery don't have an unbroken ten year run in their careers of getting into double figures for goals each season along with a good number of assists and secondary assists.

[Buzzo]

the comparison is actually funny.

Barnes had produced this at the Maracana before he signed for us. Sterling has done nothing in an international shirt except miss a ton of open goals.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SCyXGiJ-jc"]John Barnes - England's Greatest Goal? - YouTube[/ame]

[red g]

Like yourself, I am old enough to remember Barnes pre- Liverpool, and he was very much a sought after player who had been performing very well for Watford from when he was about 18 years of age.


He was a big part of why that Watford team were able to compete for the league title and compete with the big clubs in the cups.

By the time he reached the age Sterling is now, he was already long seen as the sort of player that would put in top performances on a regular basis and dictate the outcome of games.

No comparison between Barnes and Sterling at the same age. One was already touching world class and the other is Raheem Sterling.

I remember Barnes first time round and was lucky to have season tickets around that era, I am not sure Barnes was touching world class at Watford, Very good but not world class. Even in that Era, Beardsley come at the same time and cost more than twice as much.

I am not Sterlings biggest fan, but think he has done not too bad for a 23 year old!

[Lecter]

Hard to find a player nowadays with the same skillset, and level of high quality consistency as Barnes.


He was not on the same tier as a Messi or Ronaldo in terms of output/consistency, but I think he would easily sit on the tier just below those players. Barnes had a nine or ten year run of just being a super consistent attacking player who more often than not turned up with a good perfromance. He was not flawless, just as no attacker is, but he was certainly top class.

Trying to think of someone nowadays that was like him, and played in a similar position for a long period, but even guys like Robben and Ribery don't have an unbroken ten year run in their careers of getting into double figures for goals each season along with a good number of assists and secondary assists.

Dont think there is anyone who possesses what he did

He was very quick over the first few yards and could beat defenders by pace alone

He also had great feet and could beat defenders just by skill

He was also immensely strong, I dont think there is anyone in football now who is as strong as he was.

Good in the air, great delivery and good at set pieces

In fact I think Fat Ronaldo is the nearest I have seen to him in terms of pace, power, strength and skill and its a fair few years since he graced a pitch also

[Lecter]

I remember Barnes first time round and was lucky to have season tickets around that era, I am not sure Barnes was touching world class at Watford, Very good but not world class. Even in that Era, Beardsley come at the same time and cost more than twice as much.

I am not Sterlings biggest fan, but think he has done not too bad for a 23 year old!

I remember a lot of question marks about Barnes when we were after him, could he do it consistently so there was definitely doubts about him

However he immediately showed his class when he arrived at us in 87

Sterling isnt even halfway to becoming the player Barnes was for us in 1987-1988

[Doc_Piptorious]

I remember Barnes first time round and was lucky to have season tickets around that era, I am not sure Barnes was touching world class at Watford, Very good but not world class. Even in that Era, Beardsley come at the same time and cost more than twice as much.

I am not Sterlings biggest fan, but think he has done not too bad for a 23 year old!

That is what I mean by touching world class. I think that during the season in which Watford ends up coming second to us in the league and the one where they lost the cup final that Barnes was playing so well that he was coming close to that top class/world class bracket.

And then with us he certainly had a few seasons where he went from being close to that level to actually being at that level.

[Doc_Piptorious]

I remember a lot of question marks about Barnes when we were after him, could he do it consistently so there was definitely doubts about him

However he immediately showed his class when he arrived at us in 87

Sterling isnt even halfway to becoming the player Barnes was for us in 1987-1988

I think a lot of the questions about Barnes when he was close to joining us were in part down to the fee involved which back then was still a big transfer fee.

Was the same with Beardsley who cost about twice as much. Can remember lots of talk about whether or not he could do it at the most dominant club in the country.

Pretty sure though if there was an English player now who had been putting in the sort of performances and numbers in a top league that Barnes did from the wing between the ages of 17 and 23 that he would be topping the wishlists of pretty much every big club out there.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Dont think there is anyone who possesses what he did

He was very quick over the first few yards and could beat defenders by pace alone

He also had great feet and could beat defenders just by skill

He was also immensely strong, I dont think there is anyone in football now who is as strong as he was.

Good in the air, great delivery and good at set pieces

In fact I think Fat Ronaldo is the nearest I have seen to him in terms of pace, power, strength and skill and its a fair few years since he graced a pitch also

He was just ridiculously strong. There are centre backs nowadays that would love to have that sort of strength.

[red g]

I remember a lot of question marks about Barnes when we were after him, could he do it consistently so there was definitely doubts about him

However he immediately showed his class when he arrived at us in 87

Sterling isnt even halfway to becoming the player Barnes was for us in 1987-1988

I think that was my point pre-Liverpool, there were doubts whether he would be consistent or if he could step up, In fact probably similar how we felt when Sterling moved to City. The big difference is that Sterling hasn't particularly kicked on, But Barnes was sublime for us, that 87 season was a joy to watch and he was consistently brilliant throughout for us.