An era of embarrassment has bestowed itself upon England as a footballing nation. The shock defeat in the Euros to minnows Iceland was followed by the Sam Allardyce scandal and English football has been left at an all-time low. The man to pull it out of that slump? Gareth Barry.
Barry has shown this season his ability to control the midfield, albeit alongside the powerful presence of Idrissa Gueye – something that England are currently lacking. The midfield partnership of Eric Dier and Jordan Henderson has potential, but neither quite has the grit to take a man out of the game. Dier does a good job defensively, while Henderson excels in attacking areas. However, Barry does both.
With Barry in midfield, the next England manager could fluctuate between the partner depending on whether they were approaching the game with caution or in an attacking fashion. His balance in midfield makes it almost impossible to pick the wrong partner alongside him. Admittedly, he has benefitted from the energy that Gueye has brought to the Everton team but, even prior to this season, he was putting in consistent performance – a rarity for England.
Even the country’s best players seem to get lost on important nights for their country. Whether that is because of their lack of experience or because of the tactics employed by the manager, it doesn’t matter. This didn’t happen to Barry in any of his 53 caps, so there is nothing to suggest that a recall would change that.
Some may have doubts over his age, and rightly so. Playing a full club season as well as serving your country at international level can put huge strain on the body. At the age of 35, most professional footballers have hung up their boots for their country. Despite not appearing for The Three Lions since 2012, Barry has not done this, implying that he still has the belief that his body is capable to perform at the highest level.
Barry is at the peak of his career, and his talent should not be wasted. England need to change the way in which players are selected to wear the badge. Instead of picking the players with the highest profile and ones that fit the marketing strategy, the next manager needs to pick players who suit the team the best. Any formation involving a midfield duo suits Barry to a tee, and there is no indication of the FA appointing a manager who intends to change that.
There is no doubt that Barry could play a huge part in the qualifying campaign for the 2018 World Cup and the competition could be the final hurrah for his professional career. There don’t seem to be any negatives for recalling Barry. English football can’t sink much further than it is now. It has to be all trial and error from here on in, and affording the opportunity to Barry seems a very logical plan.
