Martin O'Neill is a very peruasive man and a very good talker. Anyone who could tempt Chris Sutton, John Hartson, Craig Bellamy and  Neil Lennon up to Scotland toplay for Celtic must have the gift of the gab.

The situation with Gareth Barry at Aston Villa, however, brings up a whole heap of issues that even O'Neill may not have the power to change. Since 1997, Villa have been Barry's only senior club and the 27-year-old is now being courted, it would seem, by Liverpool.

The only winner's medal in his cabinet is the 2001 Intertoto Cup. Liverpool are prepared to pay £12m pounds for his services, but would it really be a good move for the Hastings-born lad?

'Why leave a club on the up with a millionaire owner who is in it for the long term (unlike some others) and who understands football?'


Villa will improve again next season and O'Neill views Barry, quite rightly, as the lynchpin of the whole side. He has collected 18 England caps during his 10 years in the Midlands. A player of such obvious class, who is now also an important part of the England midfield set-up, will want to start adding medals to his token collection.

This could be his one chance of playing Champions League football on a regular basis at Anfield. Or is it? Why leave a club on the up with a millionaire owner who is in it for the long term (unlike some others) and who understands football?

Barry has a manager who is revered across Europe. O'Neill will be given more money to spend and, who knows, Villa may still pip Everton to the UEFA Cup spot.

Liverpool, on the other hand, are in a mess and no one truly knows what is going to happen there. Former Liverpool player Patrik Berger, who is now at villa, has expressed his views on the current situation. With the Villa owner indicating to O'Neill that he will cover any cost of new wages for Barry, Berger's comments may upset the American and his current manager.

Berger is quoted as saying: "It is the opportunity of a lifetime and Liverpool don't come for you every year." Barry must decide whether Villa really have a realistic chance of making it into the Champions League next season or indeed of winning any silverware.

At 27 he is at a pivotal poiont in his career, and he has to decide his own future. Everton have been the only team to have broken up that top four in recent times, and teams like Villa, Tottenham and Newcastle will be challenging strongly next year.

It cetainly is not the norm nowadays for one player to remain at the same club for his whole career. Whatever O'Neill says to try and persuede Barry to stay it will have to be very good. It's a situations that is happening with increasing regularity in England where the top four seem to hold all of the aces.

The purchasing of players from teams which the top four fear may break their dominance is a cruel but normal way for them to act. It seems that no matter how hard other teams try to catch up, the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool will dangle the carrot.

It's a hard fact of life for teams in the Premier League and extremely difficult for some to swallow. But it also makes the decision of Barry a little easier.

Whether Liverpool are in a mess or not they still hold the better set of cards and it all depends on Barry's ambition. Unfortunately for Villa fans I dont think O'Neill or Randy Lerner's money will keep him in Birmingham.