Barnes can’t watch United because they no longer excite him
PETER BARNES, whose wing play lit up both Manchester clubs in the 1970s and 80s, has stopped watching Ralf Rangnick’s side and revealed: “They don’t excite me any more.”
Barnes will make an exception this afternoon because, in his role as a Manchester City matchday host, the former England star will be at the Etihad when United make the short journey across town.
Although he is steeped in the sky blue of City, he still carries a torch for the Red Devils after joining them in the Ron Atkinson era, although for him the Old Trafford batteries have run flat.
“Go through
United’s history –
John Aston,
George Best, Ian
Storey-moore,
Gordon Strachan,
Andrei Kanchelskis, Jesper Olsen, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Willie Morgan, myself,” he said.
“It’s been a tradition that United always attacked teams with width, getting behind defences from the flanks. They have had a reputation for being one of the most attack-minded sides in football.
“That’s not happening. I won’t watch them now because they don’t excite me any more.
“It was in their DNA – attack, attack, attack. They don’t do that now. When you go without width and skill, you might as well hang your boots up and say, ‘We’re gone.’ That’s United at the moment.”
Barnes (above), now 64, believes too many wrong decisions have been made since Sir Alex Ferguson abdicated in 2013 after a trophy-laden reign.
He added: “Maybe they should have stuck with Sir
Alex’s successor, David Moyes, with everything that has happened since, but he wasn’t given enough time. Whoever made that decision made a mistake.
“United are going through a painful transition. Roy Keane speaks well about what’s going on. Paul Scholes also says it how it is, but it’s not getting better.”
By contrast Barnes says he can’t get enough of City – his first club. “They are wonderful to watch,” he said.
But he’s not a fan of Jack Grealish playing in his old leftwing role. Barnes said: “I like Jack, he has wonderful talent. But he will never be a left winger.
“He can play on the left side but not as effectively as elsewhere on the pitch. I was glad he scored last week at Peterborough and he spoke eloquently after the game. He’s a good lad and popular.
“He’s come from a big traditional club in Aston Villa to a huge club with huge expectations. He has joined a club with five or six players who are probably better than him.
“He’s not the big fish in a small pond as he was at Villa.
“I think he is a No.8 or a No.10. I’m not doing him down by saying he’s a poor man’s Paul Gascoigne because even to be mentioned with Gazza is a compliment. But no one has come close to emulating Gazza.
“But Jack can sit in that position where he can collect the ball from defence and, with good vision and quick feet, can create. That’s where his exceptional football brain would be better utilised.
“We will see an improved Grealish next season because the current one has been on a huge learning curve.”