01 Aug 2021 07:15:46
An interesting point raised yesterday regarding how statistics are used against a possible signing of Adama Traore and how this has turned many fans opinions against him. His stats do make poor reading.
I mentioned that back in '87 there was plenty of opposition amongst Liverpool fans to the signing of John Barnes.
While there was some racism behind some of this, there was also valid football reasoning.
Go back and look at his Watford record in the top flight. He missed an awful lot of matches firstly, did he only play 39 league games in 5 seasons?
And I've got 9 league goals scored during that time too.
He signed for Liverpool when he was 23 (almost 24) years old, and there's a whole manner of context to consider as well.
But if Klopp were interested in signing a young John Barnes for £50m or so today, I can guarantee there would be equally as many dissenting voices now as there was back then.

1.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 07:41:10
I don't think signing a winger should be priority. One high quality midfielder and a young forward is what we should be looking at imo.

2.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 07:48:35
Juicer, I am not sure why you think Barnes only played 39 games in five seasons, he actually played 197 league games in the five seasons before arriving at Anfield.

3.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 08:27:31
I was looking at Transfermarket, it did seem a ridiculously low number which was why I questioned that.
But I was going to the matches home and away, and was living in Liverpool at the time, and subjectively the feeling about Barnes’ signing ranged from mild enthusiasm through scelticism to indifference and downright opposition.
Anyway, I’m still a Traore fan lol.

4.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 09:06:41
It’s false equivalency to compare the two players. John Barnes averaged 10 goals a season and almost the same amount of assists. He did it whilst being the best winger playing in the first division. The man was coveted by the best teams in Europe (note how Milan thought they were buying Barnes but got Blissett) . Traore is nothing like that and doesn’t deserve to be mentioned in the same breathe. Whatever money we have shouldn’t be wasted on traore.

{Ed0666's Note - Barnes supplies the bullets for his team mates and was selfless he could easily have scored more goals mate

5.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 09:14:43
Barnes didn't play much for 3 seasons, in the early 90s, apparently he was injured a lot under Souness? Then when Evans became manager and moved him to a midfield playmaker role he became fit again and average 35 games a season.
John Barnes was a legend, a great player for us, always looked assured and calm on the ball and his finishing was up there with John Walk.
As for not wanting him, I thought him for less than a million was great business.

6.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 09:44:15
VVVV, just to be clear I’m not comparing the two players at all.
My point is about fans opinions.

7.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 09:45:20
Barnes won the golden boot one season for LFC.

8.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 12:15:23
Tim, he did his Achilles on England duty. One more reason I'm club not country.

I was there on his return after a lengthy lay off and there were probably 15000 in Anfield for a ressies game. Certainly the main stand was full, sho at least 12000.

9.) 01 Aug 2021
01 Aug 2021 09:45:31
the fact that Barnes set up so many goals and still scored in double figures speaks volumes for how good he was. Truly world class. In my opinion he was every bit as good as Michael Laudrup, and that’s high praise because there was consistent end product to go with the skill and pace.