I do think swapping ASM for Barnes makes a lot of sense, and out of all the players that could leave this summer as a sacrificial lamb it was always going to be ASM.
He's a really good player, he has that maverick dynamism that makes you sit on the edge of your seat, and can change the game in an instance, however there are two problems with him, the first is injury, he's only been around for half the time in the last few years and with us having more and more games we need players who are as guaranteed as being fit as possible, the second is that under Howe he's having to play a more structured game, and it has never really felt like it's fit, and his effectiveness has been becoming less and less as time has went on, he doesn't do the defensive work, and he always felt isolated in attack, a point that became clear in the Nottingham Forest away game where he got subbed off at half time for Anderson and in the second half we look more effective and cohesive overall with a player who attacks in a more more rigid and structured way.
I'll be sad to see him go, as he's a player that can give you a thrill every 10 minutes when he's on it, and can change a game in an instance, however I must also admit he's a player that can leave you frustrated more often then not, and that out of all of our better players, he's probably the one I care for the least, and with FFP lurking in the background and Barnes being more suited to the way we currently set up, I can 100% understand this move.
