Harvey Barnes

[Abacus]

Yeah, it's a shame this signing has been so linked with selling ASM and has dampened the enthusiasm around it for some.

 

I mean, it seems the two trades were (probably) linked for FFP reasons, and we'd need cover in ASM's position.

 

But likewise, if we make more than one other signing on the back of ASM going freeing up some more funds, those ones won't be the ones to take the flak.

 

Also not discounting that FFP could be a smokescreen if ASM was actually just unhappy and wanted to go. If so, good to trade an unhappy player for a happy one, whatever their relative merits.

 

[midds]

Think he'll fit into the club and team like hand in glove. Seems an excellent fit and he'll add things that Maxi didn't do but he's a different type of player and he won't excite as much. Think he'll add a bit more balance and can finish with either foot and offers a threat from distance too which we'll need if teams are sitting in regularly. He's a good age and will improve even more. I think he'll be fucking brilliant 

[McDog]

2 minutes ago, Deuce said:

Take away those 30 goals/assists and what has he got? 

 

0 goals/assists. Troubling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That and shite dribbling sadly.

 

 

[Skeletor]

14 minutes ago, midds said:

Think he'll fit into the club and team like hand in glove. Seems an excellent fit and he'll add things that Maxi didn't do but he's a different type of player and he won't excite as much. Think he'll add a bit more balance and can finish with either foot and offers a threat from distance too which we'll need if teams are sitting in regularly. He's a good age and will improve even more. I think he'll be fucking brilliant 

 

The excitement thing is a load of bollocks. Almiron had us all excited with his one twos leading to goals galore in the first half of the season. Nothing boring about it.

[Deuce]

16 minutes ago, McDog said:

 

 

 

That and shite dribbling sadly.

 

 

 folks are saying this as if it’s gospel, and as if he literally can’t move with with ball.

[gbandit]

He’s actually pretty good at moving with the ball at pace from my recollection of watching him. His issue is that he struggles to beat someone with feints and skill. Don’t think it’s a major concern although Isak is a pure dribbler and we don’t have anyone else anywhere near his level now so we are a bit short in that area 

[midds]

4 minutes ago, Skeletor said:

 

The excitement thing is a load of bollocks. Almiron had us all excited with his one twos leading to goals galore in the first half of the season. Nothing boring about it.

Ah, dunno like. Maxi picking the ball up and driving at his full back was usually pretty fun and entertaining

 

We'll miss that but we'll be a better unit with Barnes compared to ASM imo and that's the main thing for me. A bit of individual brilliance is great to watch but scoring and winning is also very satisfying, as you say

[LionOfGosforth]

5 minutes ago, Deuce said:

 folks are saying this as if it’s gospel, and as if he literally can’t move with with ball.

 

I think the prevailing opinion by many is that he literally can't do a thing with the ball unless he's charging into yards of space with it. I think that's bollocks. I've seen plenty of evidence he can feint and beat the first man before a shot or cross. No, he isn't going to pick the ball up in his own half and dribble past 5 players but he's got plenty of ability in tight spaces and a quick brain.

 

 

Edited July 20, 2023 by LionOfGosforth

[Deuce]

2 minutes ago, gbandit said:

He’s actually pretty good at moving with the ball at pace from my recollection of watching him. His issue is that he struggles to beat someone with feints and skill. Don’t think it’s a major concern although Isak is a pure dribbler and we don’t have anyone else anywhere near his level now so we are a bit short in that area 

Honestly it comes across as wanting your classic PFM’s “bit o’ magic.” 

[Guest reefatoon]

8 minutes ago, Skeletor said:

 

The excitement thing is a load of bollocks. Almiron had us all excited with his one twos leading to goals galore in the first half of the season. Nothing boring about it.

Totally agree, It really is like. What’s more exciting than seeing a killer pass leading to a goal. 

Some folks are totally seduced by a few tricks. For me one of the most glorious things of last season was Willocks  ridiculous through ball to Isak with the outside of his foot against Spurs. That got me well excited. Was a joy to watch.
 

Surely scoring goals is an exciting part of watching a game and if he brings that, then that sounds pretty fucking exciting to me. Give me that ahead of taking a man on any day.

[andycap]

A lot of fans need to get used to us selling players that are fan favourites. We need to do this to become a better side that's able to challenge for silverware. Most people in here don't want anyone to leave ? even though we need to move these players on this year or next year. It's inevitable. 

[PauloGeordio]

4 minutes ago, Deuce said:

Honestly it comes across as wanting your classic PFM’s “bit o’ magic.” 

[Pata]

2 minutes ago, Deuce said:

Honestly it comes across as wanting your classic PFM’s “bit o’ magic.” 

Nah, I obviously want us to win first but I would be lying if I said watching Almiron is in any way exciting or entertaining. Some people just want to win, some value the entertainment side too. Won’t matter as much now when we are legit good and have a chance at silverware but I still want to be entertained too.

[PauloGeordio]

1 minute ago, reefatoon said:

Totally agree, It really is like. What’s more exciting than seeing a killer pass leading to a goal. 

Some folks are totally seduced by a few tricks. For me one of the most glorious things of last season was Willocks  ridiculous through ball to Isak with the outside of his foot against Spurs. That got me well excited. Was a joy to watch.
 

Surely scoring goals is an exciting part of watching a game and if he brings that, then that sounds pretty fucking exciting to me. Give me that ahead of taking a man on any day.

[Fosse]

I essentially never join up other teams' forums but such is my disappointment with the move I thought I'd write something up.

 

Firstly, I'll confess I'm a huge Barnes fan. I'm a very similar age, I'd tracked his progress as a youth player and saw him make his debut at Porto's ground. I had high hopes for him from the beginning.

 

His first loan at MK Dons was promising - he scored 6 in 19 nineties as raw, pacey winger with the ability to use both feet and score from distance; albeit in League 1. That summer he won the Toulon tournament with England and he was the joint top-scorer, iirc.

 

Next was his loan to Barnsley which was fairly productive, scoring 5 in 15 nineties. They sacked their manager so he was in and out of the side until he was recalled, he only played 10 minutes for the first team despite mediocre football under Puel. He did however score 5 in 7 games at PL 2 level, which he was clearly a cut above by then.

 

At 20 he was loaned to West Brom which was his breakthrough season. Playing mostly as an AM as the 10 in a 352 he thrived scoring 9 and assisting 6 in 26 apps. He was scoring outrageous goals, creating and beating players in a way we haven't really seen since - especially the latter two. He was recalled again, making 11 starts scoring once and assisting twice. We were still a dysfunctional attacking unit under Puel but he had a knack of fluffing one-on-ones that season. Puel was sacked and he fared a bit better under Rodgers but question marks were raised over his finishing.

 

19-20 was his PL breakout top flight season scoring 6 and assisting 8, he was in and out the side but it was the first evidence he was productive PL winger. Also when he always scored against Leeds and Villa.  He was pretty exciting with his pace and would often take it past players but not as nimble winger but with pace and power.

 

20-21, he started like a house on fire and per 90 it's been his most productive season to date when he scored 9, assisted 4 in 25 starts - until he cruelly did his knee in January. By this stage he'd banished his finishing demons and was usually very reliable in goal. It was after the injury he was less agile and he naturally bulked up with age despite being fairly stocky anyway. The extra mass and injury coincided with his dribbling and carry numbers falling.

 

After that he's been a mainstay in the side but for whatever reasons, including a few smaller injuries he's never really out together a 35+ starts season. Since 20-21 he's scored 19 in 53.4 nineties and notched up 11 assists. He was great in our European campaigns too. His trademark goals have been 1-2s, cutting inside and finding the far post, powerful strikes and getting on the end of cut backs.

 

He's always been more of a forward than a winger, despite the assist number he's not the most creative but maybe that's a function of playing under Puel and Rodgers; neither of which are very good coaches. He's a bit unrefined for a 25 year old so I think Howe can eke more out of him. As for his character he's surprisingly meek, both in character and defensively. His dad is an ex-pro is he is very grounded and pretty normal for a footballer although the rumours are he likes a pint.

 

He can drift out of games, the criticism and it isn't unfair is: you'll tell if he'll have a good game or bad game inside 5 minutes. if his first touch is off he'll go missing, if he beats his man, he'll have a blinder.

 

Overall you've got a proper goalscorer, 0.32 goals per 90 through is career is verging on elite numbers for a winger, especially as we were never that good in his time here. I wish him well and I think he's got the potential to score 10+, maybe even pushing up to 15 every season for 5 years to come. The fee stings considering his number but that's more our incompetence than anything else.

[STM]

 

 

Nailed.

[nufcjmc]

I think it's the unpredictability of Maxi I will miss it didn't all come off but that's why we picked him up as cheap and he stayed as long. What he did do though was keep the opposition on their toes and wasn't a player you could ignore so at times he gave more space to others as another threat to mark. 

 

Has gone from being the "main man" to being just part of the squad as we have drastically improved as a team as a whole and individual talent, which  I guess for some could be a mind fuck. The permission to go back to France when injured rather than stick around the side was telling to me. 

 

Still would rather the dross go but as argued at nauseum if we can't shift them then that's not a viable option. 

[gjohnson]

If this goes ahead it reminds me a bit of when Gary Speed signed....everyone knew objectively he was a good player, but he wasn't fancy, continental, or an 'elite' player so most were a underwhelmed, especially after a relatively poor season having been stuck at left wing, but was a fairly integral part of a team that went from also-rans to almost title challengers 

[gdm]

13 minutes ago, Fosse said:

I essentially never join up other teams' forums but such is my disappointment with the move I thought I'd write something up.

 

Firstly, I'll confess I'm a huge Barnes fan. I'm a very similar age, I'd tracked his progress as a youth player and saw him make his debut at Porto's ground. I had high hopes for him from the beginning.

 

His first loan at MK Dons was promising - he scored 6 in 19 nineties as raw, pacey winger with the ability to use both feet and score from distance; albeit in League 1. That summer he won the Toulon tournament with England and he was the joint top-scorer, iirc.

 

Next was his loan to Barnsley which was fairly productive, scoring 5 in 15 nineties. They sacked their manager so he was in and out of the side until he was recalled, he only played 10 minutes for the first team despite mediocre football under Puel. He did however score 5 in 7 games at PL 2 level, which he was clearly a cut above by then.

 

At 20 he was loaned to West Brom which was his breakthrough season. Playing mostly as an AM as the 10 in a 352 he thrived scoring 9 and assisting 6 in 26 apps. He was scoring outrageous goals, creating and beating players in a way we haven't really seen since - especially the latter two. He was recalled again, making 11 starts scoring once and assisting twice. We were still a dysfunctional attacking unit under Puel but he had a knack of fluffing one-on-ones that season. Puel was sacked and he fared a bit better under Rodgers but question marks were raised over his finishing.

 

19-20 was his PL breakout top flight season scoring 6 and assisting 8, he was in and out the side but it was the first evidence he was productive PL winger. Also when he always scored against Leeds and Villa.  He was pretty exciting with his pace and would often take it past players but not as nimble winger but with pace and power.

 

20-21, he started like a house on fire and per 90 it's been his most productive season to date when he scored 9, assisted 4 in 25 starts - until he cruelly did his knee in January. By this stage he'd banished his finishing demons and was usually very reliable in goal. It was after the injury he was less agile and he naturally bulked up with age despite being fairly stocky anyway. The extra mass and injury coincided with his dribbling and carry numbers falling.

 

After that he's been a mainstay in the side but for whatever reasons, including a few smaller injuries he's never really out together a 35+ starts season. Since 20-21 he's scored 19 in 53.4 nineties and notched up 11 assists. He was great in our European campaigns too. His trademark goals have been 1-2s, cutting inside and finding the far post, powerful strikes and getting on the end of cut backs.

 

He's always been more of a forward than a winger, despite the assist number he's not the most creative but maybe that's a function of playing under Puel and Rodgers; neither of which are very good coaches. He's a bit unrefined for a 25 year old so I think Howe can eke more out of him. As for his character he's surprisingly meek, both in character and defensively. His dad is an ex-pro is he is very grounded and pretty normal for a footballer although the rumours are he likes a pint.

 

He can drift out of games, the criticism and it isn't unfair is: you'll tell if he'll have a good game or bad game inside 5 minutes. if his first touch is off he'll go missing, if he beats his man, he'll have a blinder.

 

Overall you've got a proper goalscorer, 0.32 goals per 90 through is career is verging on elite numbers for a winger, especially as we were never that good in his time here. I wish him well and I think he's got the potential to score 10+, maybe even pushing up to 15 every season for 5 years to come. The fee stings considering his number but that's more our incompetence than anything else.

Appreciate this. As someone that isn’t that excited about it this is good to read

[Whitley mag]

‘Meek defensively’

 

I thought we’d passed on Diaby because he couldn’t defend.

[Whitley mag]

‘Likes a pint and has hoyed the beef on’

 

Sounds like we’ve signed the football version of Bill Werbeniuck.

[huss9]

2 hours ago, Jack27 said:

We have a sighting

"Now, this is a training complex!"

[Cronky]

54 minutes ago, Fosse said:

 

He can drift out of games, the criticism and it isn't unfair is: you'll tell if he'll have a good game or bad game inside 5 minutes. if his first touch is off he'll go missing, if he beats his man, he'll have a blinder.

 

 

I liked this bit. There's no-one better than Eddie at boosting a player's confidence and concentration. Whether he's dealing with a talented or an average player, he gets them playing at or close to their peak.

[jigen]

Barnes is a good player. Very direct and powerful. But he is the same type of player as Gordon (Barnes is better). Why buy both and sell ASM? Now Newcastle lacks a winger with creativity and skills. 

[nufc4eva]

6 minutes ago, Cronky said:

 

I liked this bit. There's no-one better than Eddie at boosting a player's confidence and concentration. Whether he's dealing with a talented or an average player, he gets them playing at or close to their peak.

He gets them pretty consistent as well and running through brick walls for him