The midfielder has blossomed since his move to Aston Villa and gives Craig Levein an extra option in the Euro 2012 qualifiers
There is an advantage to Barry Bannan playing his football outside Scotland that supersedes the struggling standards of the Scottish game. Bannan does not strike you as the type to get carried away by adulation, or be adversely affected by pressure. That he is holding down a first-team place for Aston Villa in England's top flight is sufficient illustration of the youngster's mindset.
Still, Scotland's search for new football heroes is a long and desperate tale. The scrapheap is full of players who were tipped for greatness, only to fall by the wayside before any kind of meaningful impact was made at either club or international level. The reason for that sudden, high-profile buildup lies in a poverty of resource.
Whatever credit is thrown Bannan's way in his home country, and there has been plenty, will not register much to a 21-year-old based in Birmingham. On Saturday, it may even escape the midfielder's attention that a significant portion of Scotland's hopes rest on his narrow shoulders. The latter point is a compliment to Bannan's integration.
Craig Levein, the Scotland manager, accurately pointed out when naming his squad for the Euro 2012 qualifiers against Liechtenstein and Spain: "We love the wee guy, the underdog. It's a case of 'Look at the wee laddie out there, it's a shame for him.' Then you realise he has balls, a bit of confidence and is prepared to have a go. You can go back to the Jimmy Johnstone era when Scotland had talented players like that. He fits into that identikit of Scottish grit, flair and panache that we like."
Levein's comments were in response to a question about Bannan, all 5ft 7in of him. Yet the manager would probably have had a headache if all of his midfield players had been fit, for the Liechtenstein match in particular. With James Morrison, Charlie Adam, Steven Naismith, Scott Brown and Darren Fletcher now regarded as first picks for Scotland, Bannan's starring performance against Lithuania last month may not have been enough for a starting place in Vaduz. An injury to Brown renders it a virtual certainty that Bannan will start.
The international scene has aided him; there is no other logical conclusion to his club career being kickstarted at the same time as Bannan came to prominence with his country. In Alex McLeish, Bannan is lucky to have a manager who will understand his ability and youthful requirements.
Levein was right about the ingrained attraction to Bannan. Sceptics regard midfielders of Bannan's build as obsolete in the modern game, a point perfectly contradicted by the physical stature of players Scotland will face in Alicante on Tuesday evening.
There is excitement about the Airdrie-born player's creative talent that surpasses measurements of height. Historically, midfield is the area in which Scotland produces its best players. But in recent times, not enough of them have been blessed with the natural guile that can break down stubborn opposition. As a consequence, the Scots have toiled against supposedly "smaller" nations. Bannan has sharp feet, an eye for a pass and the ability to deliver menacing set plays.
James McFadden, once a popular figure with the Tartan Army on account of memorable moments of international spark, has fallen from the scene. It is odds against McFadden making another appearance in dark blue while Levein remains in office. Bannan's emergence offers both an alternative source of creativity and the support of a character who, as has already been shown, they can instantly relate to.
Victory for Scotland on Saturday matters far more than the latest showing of one of their more promising players. Nonetheless, Bannan's development would be one of the positive aspects of the qualifying campaign even if ? as remains likely ? Levein's team fail to claim a play-off berth. The manager's assertions about improvement in Scottish talent is only endorsed by the emergence of a player whom supporters need little encouragement to praise.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/oct/07/barry-bannan-scotland-craig-levein
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