Harvey Barnes

[JEToon]

I am trying to say this without it sounding disingenuous, because he is a very good player, but he isn't top, top level, sort of evidenced by the role he has.  

 

A move to play every week would be a step back for him to a side likely closer to relegation more often than at the top of the table.  If he kicks about at us, he will play a lot, more so if we make Europe, he is likely going to be playing at least a games worth of football a week most weeks of the season if we make the Europa, and really more if we pick up even a couple of injuries.  It is going to be a better option than an Everton or Fulham for him I would expect.

 

I don't have concerns about him wanting an exit at all.  

 

 

Edited November 12 by JEToon

[HawK]

10 minutes ago, JEToon said:

I am trying to say this without it sounding disingenuous, because he is a very good player, but he isn't top, top level, sort of evidenced by the role he has.  

 

A move to play every week would be a step back for him to a side likely closer to relegation more often than at the top of the table.  If he kicks about at us, he will play a lot, more so if we make Europe, he is likely going to be playing at least a games worth of football a week most weeks of the season if we make the Europa, and really more if we pick up even a couple of injuries.  It is going to be a better option than an Everton or Fulham for him I would expect.

 

I don't have concerns about him wanting an exit at all.  

 

 

 

 

Not sure I agree with this - I believe he is a top player, but he's not got as much about him defensively as others who would play in his position at our club.

 

I believe one of the reasons Leicester went down with him, Maddison, Tielemans, Vardy etc. is that team had no defensive backbone and too many offensive players.

 

There's definitely room for a Harvey Barnes in most sides in the league I think, as long as there's other players who can carry him defensively.

 

I believe Howe just wants to drill that defensive mentality into him as well so he becomes part of our machine.

[JEToon]

23 minutes ago, HawK said:

 

Not sure I agree with this - I believe he is a top player, but he's not got as much about him defensively as others who would play in his position at our club.

 

I believe one of the reasons Leicester went down with him, Maddison, Tielemans, Vardy etc. is that team had no defensive backbone and too many offensive players.

 

There's definitely room for a Harvey Barnes in most sides in the league I think, as long as there's other players who can carry him defensively.

 

I believe Howe just wants to drill that defensive mentality into him as well so he becomes part of our machine.

 

I agree with that, he would play for most sides in the league, but I am not sold that would be appealing enough for him to move v what he currently has and could have with us.

 

In terms of being a genuinely top level player and I mean this with the best will in the world and I am glad we got him, but, he was entirely gettable for other clubs in the league, the sides likely to be in CL places, and they didn’t take him.

 

If he left us tomorrow, I wouldn’t expect him to go to City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, or, sniggers, Man U for 101 reasons including managers of those sides, signing policy etc and so on and the players those sides already have.

He is now closing in on 27 he isn’t a project player anymore, he hasn’t made a breakthrough at international level and is as close to playing for Scotland as he is to making the England squad.

 

He is a very, very good player, but I would expect any move away from us for him would be a slight step back in terms of what we can offer him in terms of competing at the higher end of the league.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 12 by JEToon

[Nine]

I’m not sure it’s him being defensively lacking, although he’s not as effective as a Joe or Gordon he can still execute that role.

 

I just think it’s that he’s simply suited to games where we see a lot of attacks in transition, most of his goals that come to mind are from that scenario. It’s why he’s a super sub for games like that at the weekend. 
 

Hes just very direct and he always wants to cut in and shoot and he’s very good at that, I think he would have been incredibly effective in our 22/23 season for example.

 

 

Edited November 12 by Nine

[Gallowgate Toon]

I think Barnes and Isak in the frontline is weaker on the defensive front than Howe wants - very capable athletes but not exactly pressing monsters. With our press, I think you can slightly 'carry' one man. I'm pretty sure it's just because we need to manage Isak's legs more due to Wilson being paper, but he's not the presser he was when he came back from injury in 22/23. 

 

 

Edited November 12 by Gallowgate Toon

[Mikky]

Barnes’ best role is where Willock is at the moment - somewhere in the central point of a LWF, LCM and 10 with Big Joe as your LM - gives us a lot of balance - something I suggested as a tactical tweak about 2/3 weeks ago with Tonali as 6 and Bruno as 8 and not playing in a straight 3 in mid