Anthony Barry - The Puppet Master

A look behind the scenes into Chelsea's secret tactical weapon, who is having a “monumental effect” at the club

Anthony Barry may not be the first name you think of when you list off the lucrative signings Chelsea have made in the past twelve months. Nevertheless, he may be one of the most important of them all…

Frank Lampard met Anthony Barry on a coaching course whilst Barry was plying his trade at Wigan, and hit it off immediately. Lampard was keen to get Barry in to work on the defensive side of the game with his Chelsea squad and much more. Barry ended up joining Chelsea just before the 2020/21 season. Whilst Barry isn’t the largest character in the room, nor does he have the most comprehensive CV as of now, his influence is being seen abundantly already within the Chelsea set-up, and are now shining through on the biggest stages in the game.

On our recent podcast with The Byline’s Alex Goldberg, Alex mentioned that he had received ‘specific reports’ from within the club that Anthony Barry has had a “monumental effect” on the training field and club in general, whilst taking a specific liking to our French centre back, Kurt Zouma. Many have noticed the considerable improvement in the way Chelsea are setting up and defending set-pieces, this being just one of the positive effects Barry has had. Alex also notes the fact he’s been told Barry is a “hands-on coach” and how he has an effect on not just the team, but individuals as well, these sentiments supported by former players at Wigan Athletic, such as our very own Reece James when he was on loan there.

Many are raving about the significant improvements Chelsea have made in the transfer window, the squad depth, and more. Nevertheless, you still need to do the hard work on the training pitch, where Anthony Barry is in his own element. Please do not mistake Barry as a pure defensive/set piece coach, he is having an effect tactically across the board with the team and the individuals within it. Many call him “Ant” or “Barry,” I‘ll go with the puppet master.