After a turbulent two years – to say the least – only Gareth Barry came out unscathed from Martinez’ destructive ways.
The defence found themselves shattered, the midfield lacking, and the attack lethargic.
We were left with a shell of a squad and a squad of hopelessness. Jagielka, as much as he is a great player on the pitch – and possibly a great leader off of it – he was never truly the presence on the pitch or the calming influence we needed him to be.
Gareth Barry, on the other hand, was a player everyone could respect. He rarely makes a mistake while he pulls the strings of the team from deep. Everything has to go through Gareth Barry, and every good move for Everton comes through Gareth Barry. He’s the pivot of the team as well as being the anchor, who takes all of the tremendous responsibility without a complaint.
The model professional.
In a recent interview with the Echo, Barry said that
“I certainly feel as good as I did when I was 30.”
That’s just a testament to the man’s fitness and capability. He certainly plays no different to when he was 30, winning the title with Man City, as he shows his championship credentials every game. There’s no reason for him not to carry on, either.
It has been really fun because we have been winning games.
Barry was quizzed about the ruthlessness of Ronald Koeman, as he now is working under yet another manager to add to his extensive plethora of bosses. He explained how Koeman wants nothing but the best from his players in training and on Saturdays, no excuses.
However, the most telling quote was how he detailed the atmosphere at the club. ”Fun”.
That’s been the buzzword for life under Koeman, hasn’t it. Fun.
It’s refreshing to see that such an old dog of the game can still enjoy Football, and that’s a testament to Koeman and his style of managing.
There are 33 games left of the season, and incidentally, that’s how many Barry needs to break Ryan Giggs’ record of 632 appearances. There’s no suggestion of him falling out of favour with Koeman, and his performances certainly merit a permanent place in the squad, so why can’t he go and do it this season?
Granted, he’ll probably miss a few games through suspension, but we wouldn’t have it any other way, would we?
