Dinho well worth another deal at City, says Barry
CITY star Fernandinho can make a difference for the Blues for another season or two.
The Brazil midfielder turns 36 in May, and his future with the club is up in the air with his contract expiring at the end of the season.
The player and City are relaxed about the situation, focusing on having a successful season, although both parties are open to an extension, with Fernandinho again proving his worth with some fine displays.
His value as a voice in the dressing room was also highlighted by Pep Guardiola, who said the veteran midfielder was the rallying point in December when the squad held its own meeting to address the team’s ordinary form.
The only issue with Fernandinho is how long his body can stand up to the demands of the Premier League as he nears the end of his eighth season in England having totted up 336 appearances.
But the man who holds the record for Premier League appearances, Gareth Barry, reckons Fernandinho has everything needed to carry on indefinitely.
Barry racked up an amazing 653 games in the Premier League, from the age of 17 until he was 37 - and rounded off his career by playing another 32 matches for West Brom in the Championship before finally retiring at the age of 39.
His only honours came at City, where he won the Premier League and FA Cup, making 175 appearances - and was effectively replaced in the squad by Fernandinho in 2013.
Now a BT Sport pundit, Barry has watched Fernandinho carefully this season and feels he has everything needed to keep going.
“It’s just about getting managed right,” Barry told M.E.N. Sport. “He’s been a key player in the games
I’ve seen him play this year, after coming back from an injury.
“He still has the ability, and the know-how to affect games. And he’s a different type of player to what else they’ve got - Pep will know exactly when he will be needed.
“He has time in his legs and is not being written off. Plus, the character he has is needed in that dressing room - there’s not too much experience in there, and I expect him to have a big part to play between now and the end of the season with all the games City have.”
Fernandinho has settled back into the holding role at the Blues after being used as an emergency centreback last season, and that should help his longevity, says Barry.
“It’s slightly different being a defensive midfielder like I was you’re not charging up and down, and covering a lot of ground,” he said.
“It’s about managing yourself in between games and having the right manager. Pep will know exactly what he can and can’t do, in terms of minutes played and back-to-back games.
“That will all be key, and Fernandinho himself will know when he’s tired, and what he needs to do.”