Telegraph: Aston Villa supporters with high blood pressure should start taking deep breaths now. Having spent much of Saturday afternoon serenading Gareth Barry in the hope that he would resist Liverpool's overtures, they will be aggrieved to hear that Patrik Berger has been offering their captain careers advice. "It is Liverpool and if I was in Gareth's position I would go there tomorrow," said Villa's Czech midfielder, who spent seven seasons at Anfield himself. "It's the opportunity of a lifetime, it would mean Champions League and challenging for trophies every season. The manager is doing a fantastic job here, but I think to reach the top four it will take more time, more work and more players." As if Martin O'Neill did not have enough on his plate. This inexplicably anaemic performance, which may well cost his team a place in next season's Uefa Cup, left the Villa manager looking shell-shocked. He had expressed his distaste at Liverpool's uncouth £10 million bid for Barry on Friday and, although he tried to sound enthusiastic about the Intertoto Cup after this defeat, he admitted a failure to beat Everton to fifth spot would loosen Villa's grip on Barry.

Independent: Frustration. Puzzlement. It was hard to know which was Martin O'Neill's predominant emotion but they were both very strong after a result which effectively ended Aston Villa's hopes of beating Everton to a Uefa Cup spot and ensured Wigan's survival. While O'Neill pondered the strange flatness of what was supposed to be a rousing send-off for the Juventus-bound defender Olof Mellberg, he refused to blame speculation over the future of his captain, Gareth Barry. He did, however, admit that last week's revelation of Liverpool's interest in the England midfielder had not helped matters. After the match, Patrik Berger encouraged Barry to seek pastures new. "It is Liverpool, and if I was in Gareth's position I would go there tomorrow," said Berger, who added that he had spoken to Barry about the situation. "It is the opportunity of a lifetime. "He is the heart of our team and it would be a massive challenge for him. It would be Champions' League every year and he would be challenging to win trophies every year. It is some difference - and Liverpool doesn't come after you every year. "The manager is doing a fantastic job here. But I think to reach the top four it will take more time, more work and more players. To reach the Champions League you would need to keep players like Gareth Barry"

Sun: JUST what Martin O'Neill really needed ? a Liverpool old boy to give the Kop kings a five-star rating. Even worse, the shining endorsement came from a player in a Claret and Blue shirt. Aston Villa boss O'Neill would love the Gareth Barry situation to disappear into thin air. No chance. The supporters have already started to plead for their skipper to stay this summer and O'Neill plans to add his voice to the appeals over the next few days. His argument was sadly weakened by the way Villa showed once again an unwanted ability to switch to snooze control against supposed lesser opposition. Then ex-Anfield star Patrik Berger piled even more fuel on to the fire as he told £10million target Barry: "It's the opportunity of a lifetime. "I've spoken to Gareth about it. It is Liverpool and if I was in Gareth's position I would go there tomorrow. "He is the heart of our team and it would be a massive challenge for him. It would mean Champions League every year and he would be challenging to win trophies every year. "It is something different and Liverpool don't come after you every year. "That's why they want him because he had a fantastic season for us and was our main player from the beginning to the end. He played very well for the national team as well."

Guardian: Aston Villa supporters marked their team's last home game of the season by draping a new banner over the Holte End. Their team then ran up a flag of their own, a white one, as Wigan completed their survival in the Premier League with a victory for composed, disciplined football and sharper finishing. The real Villa not having turned up, the game was won by two goals from a one-time employee of Villarreal, Antonio Valencia. Aston Villa's manager was baffled by his team's display. "It's hard to explain a performance like that," said Martin O'Neill. "It would be hard to explain why we were so flat for so long." Villa had gone into the game on the back of three rousing victories, accompanied by 15 goals, followed by a gutsy draw at Goodison, which had put them in a position to steal a march on Everton for fifth position and a place in next season's Uefa Cup. As it is the Intertoto Cup may be the limit of their ambitions. More urgently they could be facing another tug-of-war to hold on to Barry, for whom Liverpool have made an offer which O'Neill has ridiculed. This is more or less where the Villa manager came in two years ago when Barry was about to join Portsmouth but was persuaded to stay. On Saturday the supporters bid a fond farewell to Olof Mellberg, who is bound for Juventus, while trusting they were not witnessing Barry's last home game in Villa colours.

Times: Patrik Berger was among an indeterminate number of players taking a curtain call at Villa Park on Saturday as Martin O'Neill's team lost ground in their bid to win direct entry into the Uefa Cup and the sense of disappointment deepened after the lap of honour when the former Liverpool winger urged Gareth Barry to take "the chance of a lifetime" and move to Anfield. Liverpool's public courtship of the England midfield player has exacerbated Aston Villa's craving for European football but Berger, who won the Uefa Cup during seven years of regular continental involvement at Anfield, believes that Barry should not hesitate to seize the chance of Champions League action next season. O'Neill has publicly ridiculed Liverpool's initial bid for his captain - a £10 million "mishmash" of cash and cast-offs - but that faxed offer had the air of a loosener in the first over of a Test series. Liverpool will call again. "If I was in Gareth's position I would go tomorrow," Berger, who is out of contract next month, said. "It is the opportunity of a lifetime. He is the heart of our team and it would be a massive challenge for him."

Daily Mail: Martin O'Neill may believe Aston Villa are not a feeder club for Liverpool, but not everyone at Villa Park seems to think that way ? even in the home dressing-room. After a Villa performance that demonstrated to Gareth Barry why he may need to move to fill his trophy cabinet, one of his team-mates urged him to experience all that Anfield has to offer. Former Liverpool striker Patrik Berger said: 'If I was in Gareth's position I would go there tomorrow. It is the opportunity of a lifetime. Liverpool don't come after you every year. 'He is the heart of our team and it would be a massive challenge for him. He would be in the Champions League and challenging to win trophies every year. 'I'm not surprised they want to sign him. He has had a fantastic season and was our main player from the beginning to the end. He has played well for the national team as well. But I think the gap ? not just between Villa and the top four but the rest of the League ? is big. To break into the top four you would really have to spend a lot of money. 'Everton have tried for the past few years but they only did it once. It is going to be tough for Villa to do that. It will take time and to reach the Champions League you would need to keep players like Gareth.'

Sporting Life: Martin O'Neill hailed the contribution of departing Aston Villa hero Olof Mellberg, but conceded the burly Swede's last home appearance was tarnished by a disappointing 2-0 reverse at the hands of Wigan. Latics goalkeeper Chris Kirkland ensured the first half of Saturrday's Barclays Premier League clash remained goalless with a string of important saves before Ecuador winger Luis Antonio Valencia fired a second-half double - the first with considerable assistance from Wilfred Bouma - to spoil Mellberg's Villa Park send-off. The 30-year-old has put in seven loyal years since arriving for £5million from Racing Santander in 2001 and, judging by the number of replica shirts, banners and chants which greeted his final home appearance, he will remain in the memories of Villa supporters for many more to come. He was almost robbed of the chance to say goodbye to fans - something he did at length at the end of the match, signing scores of autographs outside the ground for good measure - by a midweek bout of illness. But he was passed fit and put in one of the most assured performances in an otherwise lacklustre showing from Villa.

Coverage From Abroad

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