Wednesday 23 August 2017 18:36, UK
This week’s MNF Extra examines Gareth Barry’s West Brom debut and how the veteran midfielder still excels in a key role.
West Brom's 1-0 win at Burnley last weekend owed much to Hal Robson-Kanu's goal but when the Welshman was sent off it required some strong defending for Tony Pulis's team to see out the victory. That is where 36-year-old debutant Gareth Barry came into his own. It was the veteran midfielder whom his manager singled out for praise afterwards.
"Burnley put us under enormous pressure in the second half, especially when Hal left the pitch," Pulis told Sky Sports. "They really tested us and the players responded. As the game got more difficult there was a fella playing in the middle of the pitch who actually got better. Gareth Barry was absolutely fantastic for the last 20 minutes."
A Premier League title winner with Manchester City and a man who has 53 England caps to his name, Barry is used to having the ball at his feet and distributing it tidily with his left foot. But this situation demanded something a bit different. He completed only 15 passes on Saturday, fewer than in any completed 90 minutes in the previous two seasons for Everton.
"Top players, or players who have played at that level, have to adapt," explains Jamie Carragher. "He played with different managers at Everton. Roberto Martinez brought him in, then it was slightly different with Ronald Koeman. Tony Pulis might be at the other end of the scale, where he's going to do a lot more defending and isn't too worried about possession.
"A lad of that intelligence, who has played for that long, that won't be a problem for him. He is more than just a good left foot. His principal role as a midfielder was that holding role, breaking things up, breaking up counter-attacks. It's one of the reasons Tony Pulis would have brought him in. He knows he can rely on him when his team doesn't have the ball."
That was where Barry proved so important for his side at Burnley, particularly late in the game. He made 10 clearances in the match, more than in any appearance for Everton last season or the season before that. In fact, he only made more than five clearances in a match twice in that period and that was in away fixtures against the Manchester clubs.
Tellingly, nine of his clearances at Turf Moor came in the final half an hour as 10-men West Brom dealt with the aerial attacks on their penalty box. Three even came in stoppage time. Remarkably, Barry made more clearances in that 30 minutes than any other Premier League midfielder has made in total so far this season. Albion clung on for three precious points.
That he was able to be so influential late in the game is testament to Barry's fitness levels. He covered 10.8 kilometres, the fourth most of the 26 players involved, so he is still able to get around the pitch sufficiently. But what will surely help is the presence of Jake Livermore and teenager Sam Field in that midfield trio alongside him.
"From the two players in front of him they will want a lot of energy and with Barry you want to protect him at that age, no matter how good his football brain and left foot is," says Carragher. "Gareth was not the most mobile of players, even in his prime, but when you get to that age it is difficult for all of us.
"If he can use his experience, his reading of the game, and then get on the ball with his left foot, and you've got two younger lads in front of him doing his running, it works for everyone. Pulis knows what his team is about, what they do. Gareth will learn about that going forward and the more he settles in the better he will become.
"It will be a great learning curve for the younger players too. Gareth Barry came into the Villa side at 17 and it would have been a learning curve for him playing alongside the experienced players then. Now he is the senior professional and I can see Pulis looking at him as more than just a player, but as a player and a coach on the pitch."
The West Brom boss prides himself on his work from set-pieces and the presence of Barry is only likely to help. "There are always one or two players at clubs, experienced players, who will pass on tactical instructions and understand exactly what the manager wants," adds Carragher. "A lot of young players are inexperienced, so you have to pass that on.
I can see Pulis looking at him as more than just a player, but as a player and a coach on the pitch.
"A lot of the time a manager will give out messages on the side of the pitch and someone like Barry is the man on the pitch for organisation at set-pieces. I think that's a big thing for managers now, when messages don't get heard properly, it's a big help having a player who can help translate that. It's a big help to the manager and the team."
Barry is now only four appearances away from breaking Ryan Giggs' Premier League appearance record of 632. "You have got to be a very good player to play at the top level for that long," says Carragher. "You also have to be a great professional. He has been fortunate with injuries but that also comes down to the way he trains properly and looks after himself.
"It takes enthusiasm. It is not just playing each week, but training every day leading up to games. A lot of work has gone into that. To think he could beat someone like Ryan Giggs, who played until he was 40 and started when he was 17, someone who felt like he was around for ever, to eclipse that record shows what a top professional Barry has been."
On Super Sunday, when Barry makes his home debut for West Brom as they host Stoke City, he will come up against another in Darren Fletcher. Indeed, Barry is the direct replacement for the former Baggies captain at the Hawthorns and Carragher believes both men deserve huge credit, not just for their success, but their willingness to accept new roles too.
"They've been top players at the real top level, winning trophies and big games which decide things," he adds. "But it's great to see players who don't get too carried away with themselves and show willing to drop down a level in the quality of team they are playing for but still do a great job for those sides. Darren is exactly the same.
"Every manager thinks 'I want that type of player in my club'. Not just for their ability but for their personality and what they can do in the dressing room by being a great role model. I think they are a dying breed, sadly. So if you're a manager and can get your hands on them, no matter what age they are, I think you're desperate to bring them in."
