Barry, Young and Agbonlahor warned: No silly yellow cards

Feb 7 2009 by Mathew Kendrick, Birmingham Mail

Gareth Barry battles with Brian Stock.

MARTIN O’Neill today warned Gareth Barry, Ashley Young and Gabby Agbonlahor to stay out of trouble – with Villa’s key trio walking a suspension tightrope.

Barry, Young and Agbonlahor go into this afternoon’s clash at Blackburn with four bookings to their names and just one caution away from a one-match ban.

And with Villa aiming to keep this season’s success story rolling on three fronts, O’Neill is loathe to lose any more players from his small squad.

The manager accepts Barry could be booked in the course of his midfield duties, but he has told Young and Agbonlahor to be sensible.

Villa’s only bans this season have come from Young’s sending-off at Sunderland and Luke Young and Steve Sidwell totting up five bookings.

Their disciplinary record has been good, although Sidwell will miss the first UEFA Cup tie against CSKA Moscow after his red card in Hamburg.

O’Neill is hoping Villa can make it to the end of February, when the yellow cards tally is wiped clean, without incurring any more suspensions.

“We’ve had players hovering and we’ve a number of players on four bookings at this moment,” said O’Neill.

“But we have to try and see it through until the end of the month.

“That’s going to be asking a lot of Gareth Barry, who’s a combative midfield player. It’s going to be hard for him.