Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill will not turn Gareth Barry's future into a 'soap opera'

Apr 23 2009 by Bill Howell, Birmingham Mail

The exit of Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry at the end of the season could also, potentially, lead to a calming of the waters with Liverpool should they come back, as they are expected to do, with a bid in the summer.

O’Neill now appears calm and ready to deal with whatever comes Villa’s way, particularly the headlines.

“The speculation is inevitable, it will happen, it’s not a problem,” said O’Neill.

“I have discussed it numerous times with the player and he is very happy to wait until the end of the season to see how things develop.

“That’s the way we have left it.

“This is not like last year. This is a situation which I realised would come around and that’s the way it is. It’s not an issue.”

O’Neill says the memory of last season is now behind him.

“I’m not bothered (by last summer),” he said.

“From the experience of last year I don’t think that will materialise. It’s a different set of people now working and I really have not got an issue with any of this here come the end of the season.”

O’Neill is clearly still of a mind that he would want ideally want to keep Barry despite him only having one year remaining on his contract.

“He has played very, very well indeed,” he said.

“He gets a freedom to play that might not be afforded in other places but at the end of it all I’m delighted with him and Stiliyan Petrov in the heart of the midfield and I’ve been delighted with the other boys.’’