Source: SKY_Sports
Milner hopes for Barry stay
James Milner is hoping Aston Villa will not be forced to part with their prized assets this summer.
Martin O'Neill's men have enjoyed a successful 2008/09 campaign, with European qualification already secured heading into a final day showdown with Newcastle on Sunday.
They had looked for long periods to be heading towards a top four finish and a place in the UEFA Champions League.
That ultimately failed to materialise, with a mid-season slump putting paid to those aspirations, but the club have drawn universal praise for their efforts this term.
Unfortunately for Villa, their success has seen a number of their key men become potential targets for other clubs, with the likes of Gareth Barry and Ashley Young already being linked with exits.
"Keeping Gareth or not is not down to me. I just come in and play football," Milner said when questioned on Liverpool's supposed interest in a man they tracked unsuccessfully last year.
"That will be decided by the manager and obviously Gareth and his agent.
"But Gareth is obviously going to be a wanted man because he is a top-class player and that's what happens when you are playing for a big football club.
Quality
"I am sure there are clubs going to come in for a few of our players this year but that is what happens when you have quality at the club - but hopefully we can keep the squad and maybe add to it and go again next year.
"We will see what happens but hopefully that is the case."
Milner believes retaining the services of the likes of Barry will enable Villa to be competitive again next season, while he also believes the current campaign should be deemed a success for O'Neill's men.
He said: "We could have had a couple of more wins in the last few weeks but you can look at it another way and say 'yes, we've only won once since February but we are still in the top six'.
"That shows how good a season we were having up to that point.
"Overall, in the last few games we have deserved more out of them but that's football. You just need that bit of luck and bit of extra we haven't had for the last few games.
"That bit of luck we maybe had earlier in the season hasn't been there. Of course, it's not just down to that. We have needed to try and iron out a few problems for ourselves, defending as a team from the front all the way through the side.
"But it is how you learn from these runs. It has been a poor run for us, and we know we should have done better, but it is about what you take from these and how you bounce back."
