Yes, I’m talking about that article.  In a recent interview with SkySports Gareth expressed regret about the NotW interview, but also said that it’s not something he wishes to discuss.

The article is something I won’t ever talk about. It is in the past. I learned a lot from that. You always regret things that happen.

He also wasn’t expecting the disciplinary action:

It was a shock to the system.  If you were to tell me at the start of pre-season that I would be banned from training ground, I would have laughed in your face.  There are a set of rules. I respected it and we move on.

Arrogant, or naive??

Anyway, the point of the story on Skysports was that he’s pledged to stay with the club if we qualify for Champions League next year.

If I am playing Champions League football, there is no need to look elsewhere.  That would have to be a definite. I don’t want to be eating my own words.

What, like “there’s no going back” perhaps?

I don’t really know how I feel about this.  Gareth’s a fantastic player, Liverpool weren’t after him for no reason, and we certainly miss him when he’s not in the side.  But there’s something still unsavory about his words that I just can’t reconcile with the Barry I thought I knew before this summer and the cohesive team environment MON is apparently trying to create.

Maybe it’s just my take on it, but it almost conveys to me an attitude that he’s bigger than the club.  While he claims to be 100% for Villa this season, I think we can all agree he hasn’t performed up to last season’s standard so far this year.  Is it too simplistic to assume he’s not really trying as hard??  I think it is.  But still, he’s not the Barry of last season, at least not yet.  If he seriously wants to retain the option of a move to a CL club next season he needs to show he’s got the quality and that’s only good for Villa.  If we get last year’s Barry playing out the rest of the season then we’ve got to be a serious challenger for a qualifying berth ourselves.

And then Barry will also stay, we can forget all about that incident and live happily ever after.  It’s almost a win/win situation.  Almost.