Does Gareth Barry have a future at Manchester City?

Gareth Barry has achieved at City what he set out to do. When he left Aston Villa it was in order to satisfy his professional ambitions as a footballer and win medals.

Now an FA Cup and Premier League winner, he will be satisfied that leaving the club in 2009 he joined in 1997 was a correct decision to make, and nobody can take the medals away from him.

However the 31-year-old has a big challenge ahead, with the newly signed midfield talents of Javi Garcia and Jack Rodwell having the potential to keep him on the sidelines and deem him surplus to requirements.

So that is the danger ahead, what the midfielder has to do now is show over the course of this season that he has what it takes to be a part of City's set up going into the future. If he can't, then he could well be off next summer, when there will be just 12 months left on his contract.

He was given a boost by captain Vincent Kompany who yesterday said, "Gareth is an incredible player and we've missed him and we will obviously welcome him back."

Barry may not be the most dynamic or eye-catching player, but he performs and important role in midfield for City and works well with Yaya Toure in midfield.

What is clear from City's start to the season is they are conceding more goals than usual and more goals than they would like. Three matches in they are yet to keep a clean sheet, and have conceded five goals in total.

Barry's job will be to come in and help shore things up in midfield and protect the defence. With Nigel de Jong gone, he will take on extra responsibility as a senior player.

if he can make an impact and do this, his importance to the City midfield will be underlined. Even so the 31-year-old as mentioned has competition.

Jack Rodwell is only 21, and is not as adept or experienced, but he will compete with the player 10 years his senior. If he can stay fit, and improve and adapt to the City set up, he has every chance of becoming a regular.

More so the threat will come from Javi Garcia. The £16 million signing from Benfica has not come to sit on the bench. He is 25 and ready to continue his push for involvement in the Spanish international squad after winning his first cap in June.

The defensive midfielder may take his time to adapt to Premier League football, but over the course of the season he will be expected to show his worth.

Garcia and Rodwell have their futures ahead of them, and while Barry may make an impact over the coming weeks, it is the long-term where he needs to do so.

Can he convince the club he is deserving of a new contract, or will he be moved aside as the two new signings find their feet?

What do you think about Gareth Barry's long-term future at Manchester City?

 

image: © jbagley