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Fox in the North

Harvey Barnes - West Brom (loan)

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1 hour ago, davieG said:

The big Harvey Barnes interview that will make West Brom fans love him even more
Barnes has wasted no time becoming a fans' favourite at WBA and off the pitch the Leicester youngster is great value too

 

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/west-bromwich-albion-harvey-barnes-15120996
ByGregg Evans
08:45, 7 SEP 2018

‘Barnes, Barnes will tear you apart’ sing the Albion fans.

And right now there isn’t a more suitable song for the red-hot attacker.

Already the talk of the Championship, the 20-year-old on loan from Leicester, has been simply too hot to handle in these early weeks of the season.

He scored a wonder goal on his debut against Bolton, another eye-catching strike at Norwich and opponents are having to double, or even triple-up, on the silky-skilled star.


His battle scars are visible, too, as he sits down for his first in-depth newspaper interview since signing.

A huge bruise has spread down his inner thigh after a challenge in last weekend’s 2-1 win over Stoke City.


But that’s a sign of success rather than pain or frustration, claims Barnes, who has had a strict upbringing from his father, Paul, a striker formerly of Birmingham City among other clubs.

“You’ve got to take it as a compliment,” he said when asked about being kicked from pillar to post since joining Albion.

“They wouldn’t be kicking me about if I wasn’t playing well.

“If they were comfortable then they wouldn’t be doing it.

“At a younger age, I had a bit of a temper. People would kick me about and I’d react to it.

“But you’ve just got to learn to deal with it, take it as a compliment, because it’s a part of the game now.”


For all his pace and panache, Barnes is as grounded as they come.

A likeable lad who knocks around with the same group of school friends - a bunch of Leicester City die-hards - who never let him get carried away as the ‘famous one’, he’s a million miles away from letting this rapid rise go to his head.

He also knows his place in the Albion dressing room and, crucially, who to avoid when the jokers are out in force.

“Jake Livermore is always having everyone off so I try to keep my head down when I’m around him,” he explained.

“There’s a fair bit of banter in the dressing room.


“I sit next to Jake and see shoes going everywhere.

“I try and have a bit of banter with him but when clothes start flying and shoes appears in the fridge, I stop!

“People have little battles, little one v ones, but if there isn’t that it’s not a football dressing room really.”

Despite his tender age, Barnes isn’t fazed by a dressing room full of senior players. He’s seen a lot in his short career, too.

This is a young man who has played in both the Champions League and Premier League for Leicester - admittedly not in the best circumstances, though, as the Foxes were trounced 5-0 by Porto on his debut.


Still, to turn out in that elite European competition for the club he would be supporting from the stands if he wasn’t a professional himself, is quite something.

Loan spells at MK Dons and Barnsley have also aided his development and to think, he wasn’t even born when team-mate Gareth Barry was signing his first professional contract!

“I’ve enjoyed it so far but my dad would tell me that I’d need to about 500 appearances before I’ve ‘made it’,” he laughed.

“He’s had a big influence on my career, mainly telling me what I’m doing wrong a lot of the time.

“For me personally, it’s something that I need.


“You can’t always be getting positives else you won’t learn.

“But there are times when he gives me positves. He just tells me what I need to do to go onto the next level.

“Having been in the game he knows the commitment that is needed.

“He makes sure I am focused.”

Barnes has got a strong support network around him in his father and well-respected representatives.

You’d hope for Albion’s sake that they would see sense to stay at The Hawthorns for the remainder of the season, even if Leicester considered activating the option they have to recall him in January.


But having grown up in the city, played at the club since he was nine years old and already got a taste for life in the first-team, it would be unfair for him to decide on his future right now.

One route he does have an eye on, though, is into the England U21 set-up.

Leicester team-mates James Maddison, Demarai Gray and Ben Chilwell are all in the next squad while Harry Maguire and Jamie Vardy turned out for the seniors in the World Cup.

“The England manager has been looking at Leicester as a club with English players who could progress and it will be great to be a part of that.

“I’d like to follow that path, definitely.

“I think it’s refreshing to hear manager Gareth Southgate (talking about giving players who are performing well in the Championship a chance).


“It gives you confidence that if you’re playing well at that level then he is going to look to the younger players.

“It’s good to see that he has that confidence,

“The average age of the squad is a lot younger than it was a few years back.

“Also, it’s helping to push through the other younger groups.

Darius Vassell praised Gareth Southgate for his England leadership and said: 'he’s a big part of the reason I made it at Aston Villa'
Darius Vassell praised Gareth Southgate for his England leadership and said: 'he’s a big part of the reason I made it at Aston Villa'
“The 21s are all saying that it’s a great time to be involved in the set-up because he’s always looking to promote.

“The whole England set-up is full of confidence at the moment and my aim is to be in the Under-21s.”

If he isn’t playing, he’ll certainly be watching.

“I’m playing most Saturdays now so I miss the Leicester games, but when they’re on different days, it’s good to watch.

“I’ll always go if I’m back in midweek.

“I’ll go to the games with a few of my mates, too.


“Growing up in the city, playing for them, I’ve got a real love for the club.

“The same with England.


“When the World Cup comes around we’re all fans aren’t we?

“It doesn’t matter too much about your profession.

“I think everyone just comes together and forgets about everything else and follows the team.

“It’s England as a whole.”

There’s a bond forming with the Albion fans, too, who have already welcomed him with open arms.

“This is a Premier League club really and I’ve enjoyed the early part.

“As a team we’re progressing so there’s plenty more to come.”

Can't help but love the fact he has a clear desire to make it here. I'd definitely leave him at WBA for the season though, if he can net 15+ his confidence will be sky high for preseason next summer.

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16 minutes ago, Lovejoy said:

Can't help but love the fact he has a clear desire to make it here. I'd definitely leave him at WBA for the season though, if he can net 15+ his confidence will be sky high for preseason next summer.

Hopefully, but with a few injuries we may need him back.

 

It would seem or academy my just be starting to play a important part in the club development, with Chillwell, Hamza, Barnes etc

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Mentioned in WhoScored's article about 6 of the best loan stars in the Championship:

 

Quote

Harvey Barnes (West Brom) - 7.25 rating

 

Six of the Best: Loan stars lighting up the Championship this season

 

For all of the youngsters from Premier League sides to drop down to the Championship over the summer, Leicester’s Harvey Barnes got the least airtime. The 20-year-old has made a thoroughly impressive start to his West Brom career, netting two outstanding goals from outside the box in six appearances. In fact, Derby forward Tom Lawrence is the only other Championship player to have scored multiple times from outside the penalty area this season. Furthermore, only Wigan’s Nick Powell (3.5) averages more shots per Championship game than Barnes (3.3) this season, while only three others are winning more fouls per game than the Leicester starlet (2.8).

Some of those other names seem familiar :dunno:

 

https://www.whoscored.com/Articles/VFohhRu0Ak2_KKtJZHzeNQ/Show/Six-of-the-Best-Loan-stars-lighting-up-the-Championship-this-season

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On 07/09/2018 at 12:00, Lovejoy said:

Can't help but love the fact he has a clear desire to make it here. I'd definitely leave him at WBA for the season though, if he can net 15+ his confidence will be sky high for preseason next summer.

If Nacho doesn't realise his potential....Then Harvey can be our best friend....

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20 minutes ago, fuchsntf said:

If Nacho doesn't realise his potential....Then Harvey can be our best friend....

Not sure he's a striker tbh but an attacking midfielder and our attacking midfield is looking pretty good with Maddison, Barnes, Ghezzal and Gray with Richardo looking threatening on the wing. We'll have to buy a new striker soon regardless of Iheanacho's form since Vardy has about two more seasons in him and there ain't too many u23 strikers forcing their way into the first team.

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11 minutes ago, Foxxed said:

Not sure he's a striker tbh but an attacking midfielder and our attacking midfield is looking pretty good with Maddison, Barnes, Ghezzal and Gray with Richardo looking threatening on the wing. We'll have to buy a new striker soon regardless of Iheanacho's form since Vardy has about two more seasons in him and there ain't too many u23 strikers forcing their way into the first team.

True enough...

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20 hours ago, Foxxed said:

Not sure he's a striker tbh but an attacking midfielder and our attacking midfield is looking pretty good with Maddison, Barnes, Ghezzal and Gray with Richardo looking threatening on the wing. We'll have to buy a new striker soon regardless of Iheanacho's form since Vardy has about two more seasons in him and there ain't too many u23 strikers forcing their way into the first team.

This Hirst seems very highly rated and could be pushing for a squad place in the coming seasons, but I imagine we will still go after a striker in the January window or the Summer at least. 

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36 minutes ago, STUHILL said:

This Hirst seems very highly rated and could be pushing for a squad place in the coming seasons, but I imagine we will still go after a striker in the January window or the Summer at least. 

Oh I forgot about Hirst. In the long term he could be a decent prospect alongside Iheanacho providing we can prise Hirst off Pearson when he's fighting for his job. Still need a third though, yeah. None of Eppiah, Loft or Muskwe are pushing through the u23 ranks currently.

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4 minutes ago, lcfc sheff said:

Missed the first half, how's he playing?

Hardly in the game, well marked when he does get the ball.

 

From what I've seen of West Brom this year they don't really seem to match up when they meet physical opposition.

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On 13/09/2018 at 20:21, Foxxed said:

Not sure he's a striker tbh but an attacking midfielder and our attacking midfield is looking pretty good with Maddison, Barnes, Ghezzal and Gray with Richardo looking threatening on the wing. We'll have to buy a new striker soon regardless of Iheanacho's form since Vardy has about two more seasons in him and there ain't too many u23 strikers forcing their way into the first team.

Hirst, Gray, Maddison, Barnes. Leicester and Englands next World cup winning team!

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3 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

Seems to get pushed off the ball quite easily, needs to strengthen up a bit

 

However then went on a nice little run and won a free kick in a position for a good ball in

I think he's being targeted intentionally with physical challenges by Brum players, in order to take him out of the game.

 

You could also take that as a compliment with regards to Barnes' qualities and the danger he poses.

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