Name: Peter Simon Barnes
Country:
EnglandClub: Manchester City F.C.
Position: *SMF, WF
Side: LF/BS (mostly left)
Age: 19-22 years (10/06/1957)
Height: 178 cm
Weight: 71 kg
Attack: 83
Defence: 40
Balance: 79
Stamina: 80
Top Speed: 85
Acceleration: 86
Response: 78
Agility: 85
Dribble Accuracy: 89
Dribble Speed: 86
Short Pass Accuracy: 80
Short Pass Speed: 79
Long Pass Accuracy: 84
Long Pass Speed: 81
Shot Accuracy: 77
Shot Power: 80
Shot Technique: 80
Free Kick Accuracy: 79
Curling: 81
Header: 73
Jump: 75
Technique: 87
Aggression: 87
Mentality: 75
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 76
Injury Tolerance: B
Condition/Fitness: 6
Weak Foot Accuracy: 6
Weak Foot Frequency: 5
Consistency: 5
Growth type: Early/Peak
CARDS:
P03 - Trickster
P05 - Mazing Run
P07 - Early Cross
S06 - Outside Curve
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Dribbling - Tactical Dribble - Side - Outside
Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Attack-Minded
INFO:
Winger with plenty of pace and dazzling dribbling ability and skills with the ball. Naturally left-footed but was able to play with either foot. His main strengths were his pace, dribbling ability and crossing. Don Revie assessed his style by saying: "He is very quick and well balanced and what impresses me as much as anything is the way he takes on defenders. The usual pattern nowadays is for a winger to draw his defender. This boy takes the ball up to them – makes them commit themselves and is brave enough to take anybody on". Barnes was described as a rare "all out attacking" winger by Manchester United defender Jimmy Nicholl.
Peter Barnes won his only major honour with Manchester City, scoring The Blues’ first goal in a 2-1 victory over Newcastle in The League Cup Final and then just a day later he picked up the PFA Young Player of the Year award. A year later he won his first of 22 full England caps against Italy on 16th November 1977. His plays earned him interests from PSV in 78' and Juventus in 79'. Standard Liège manager Robert Waseige labelled him as a "world-class player" after their duel. However after Malcolm Allison arrived, Barnes was involved in a big clean-up, dropped from the team and transfer-listed in March. There were offers from Liverpool and Man United, but in 1979 he moved to West Bromwich Albion where he came to replace Laurie Cunningham. Barnes enjoyed Atkinson's attacking brand of football and felt happy at the club despite missing his hometown and becoming unsettled after his house was robbed. He stayed two years before moving to Leeds in 1981, he then moved on quickly to Real Betis in 1982 then back to Leeds in 1983, and then to Coventry, again for just one season.. In the next years never quite fulfilled it’s potential. He went on to play for a succession of clubs, including Manchester United and a second spell at Maine Road in 1987, which saw him make only a handful of appearances. Peter later coming to the end of his career he moved on to a plethora of clubs, from Hull he went to SCFarense, then Bolton, Sunderland, Footscray JUST, Drogheda United, Tampa Bay Rowdies, Stafford Rangers, Northwich Victoria, Mossley and finally Cliftonville.
Barnes made his full England debut at Wembley on 16 November 1977, in a 2–0 win over Italy. Manager Ron Greenwood also gave first caps to right winger Steve Coppell and centre-forward Bob Latchford in the match, saying that "their inexperience did not worry me because I thought they had the right qualities and character for the job". The Italians qualified ahead of England for the 1978 FIFA World Cup after having already all but secured top spot in the group with five convincing victories. Barnes won a second cap against West Germany on 22 February 1978, with journalist Bob Harris reporting that he "gave the experienced Berti Vogts a harrowing time" despite England losing the friendly 2–1. Barnes scored against Wales in a 3–1 away win in the 1978 British Home Championship and against Scotland in the following year, with England claiming both British Home Championship titles. Barnes went on to play in five of England's eight qualifying matches for the 1980 European Championships, scoring in a 3–0 win over Bulgaria at the Vasil Levski National Stadium, but was not selected for the tournament itself. He played in two qualifying matches for the 1982 FIFA World Cup, defeats to Norway and Switzerland, but was again not selected for the tournament itself after being culled from the forty-man provisional squad. Barnes played his last international match on 25 May 1982, in a friendly against the Netherlands. He won a total of 22 caps, scoring four international goals, and also represented the England B team. Barnes came close to being selected by Bobby Robson before he was injured in 1985. Robson described him as the "next choice winger" after choosing Chris Waddle instead.
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