Good Piece - But a few things to add from me (warning quite long as usual with me!!!)
My favourite Barnes goals were almost identical and BOTH against Arsenal in the 1988/1989 season; The first was in the League cup match at Anfield that finished 1 - 1 with Barnes slaloming past half the Arsenal team from the halfway line and precision sliding the ball past John Lukic before he could blink - technician style that goal was very precise as Lukic (a very big man) was covering the whole goal bar ONE tiny area and Barnes found that gap and then? A few weeks later he repeated the trick at Highbury this time from a third of the way in Arsenal's half and only going past five of their players AND he hit exactly the same corner of the net those two goals were very special I think and along with his goal against QPR in September 1987 was it? and against United at Old Trafford in March 1990 (1989/1990 season NOT 1990/1991 where he was released just inside our half, dodged past half the United defence and put the ball through their keeper's legs), they showed just what an extra dimension he brought to Liverpool;
Two other goals he scored that I quite liked were both against Man City at their place - one was in a 0 - 4 destruction job in the FA Cup in March 1988 I think where he passed to Beardsley through about 2 1-2's and then slid it UNDER the keeper as he came out and the other was in March 1991 I think where after a horrible spell of 3/4 games without a win; We (as reigning champions - the last time to date) had taken the lead through 2 Molby Penalties and then we broke up the pitch halfway through the second half and Barnes got a pass from Houghton that cut out the whole of City's backline and he waltzed to one side of the keeper and PASSED the ball into the corner. That was his last great season with us I think as after that he got an injury before 1991/1992 and he was never the same after that but for the period of 1987 - 1991, John Barnes was THE best player in the world bar none (except maybe Maradona for some of that time).
Incidentally the FA Cup semi in 1989 that was replayed finished LFC 3 - 1 Nott' Forest and Barnes DIDN'T score in it - John Aldridge scored twice for us and ruffled the hair of Chettle after he sealed it with an own goal - we were mesmeric on the day but I think Aldo' went a bit far there. And I'll finish by saying that Barnes is also responsible for 3 of the best assists I've ever seen both from the left wing; The first was in the FA Cup Semi-Final of 1988 when he played 1 - 2 with Aldridge on the left wing and then crossed for Aldo' to volley in the goal of the season v Nott' Forest in our 2 - 1 win - He just seemed to glide down the wing that day and almost couldn't be touched; The second was at Old Trafford of all places in February 1991 during a 1 - 1 draw in Kenny's last season as boss (the month he left actually); We were trailing after Hysen committed the most blantant handball you'll ever see - watch old videos of it if you don't believe me - he virtually slam dunked the ball at a corner far more blatant than even Neville's offence in our win there during 2000. Cue Barnes, he seized a rebound from Bryan Robson, played a double 1 - 2 with Burrows I think it was, and then put a goal on a plate for Speedie during his debut with a fantastic cross that the keeper could only palm to his feet. The last great assist on my list was at Nottingham Forest during a 2 - 2 draw in our championship winning season of 1990 (the very start of January 1990 actually); Barnes ran down the left wing played a 1 - 2 with Beardsley and twisted past a Forest defender in the process (he actually DID a twirl as he recieved the ball !!) and then put a goal on a plate for Rush - he did something similar later in the game but minus the twirl but the way he recieved the ball ON the run AND did that had to be seen to be believed. Like that team as a whole actually - at it's VERY best as it was from 1987 to 1991 on the pitch or at least until December 1990. Also in honourable mentions is Barnes display in the 20 minute Armageddon we performed at Elland Road in April 1991 where it was 0 - 0 for 15 minutes and 0 - 4 !!! after 40 mins with the game ending 4 - 5. At times during that game though the whole team were unplayable (Barnes and Houghton in particular), with the display at times being almost untouchable so great was our attacking skills. Barnes got 2 goals and created at least one more I think but as the whole team played well then it wasn't as outstanding for me as what he did to QPR OR Forest during that FA Cup semi-final in 1988. He was also very good in the 5 - 0 v Forest but for me, Beardsley and Houghton's displays in that game were not of this earth.
At it's peak, I think that team was the Roger Federer of football teams - there will never be another like it and it almost wrote a whole book on how to play football - It had a defence like Chelsea did under Mourinho and an attack like Arsenal did in their unbeaten season. THAT team was virtually unbeatable as well. God knows what damage it could have done had it played in Europe back then. But then if we HAD been playing in Europe during the late 1980's I'm absolutely stone cold SURE of 2 things; 1:) You wouldn't be hearing about Madrid as the kings of Europe by now as we'd have surpassed them long ago and 2:) You wouldn't be hearing about how the Mancs usurped us in this country as they'd never have got a hand on the bottom of 'our perch' never mind climbed it. Still we'll just have to take it back from them now won't we?.................................................
NB: I posted this piece or something similar during summer last year and it still holds true regarding my feelings for Barnes - So as me and my good lady are going to be ushering another Red (my soon to be born in May son; A little boy who we've named Ryan Michael) into the world - I'm going to be needing my fingers for bottles, nappies and rocking the little man to sleep and therefore decided to repost what is in my view, probably my best post thus far on here with the caveat that having seen our team this season and what a HUGE difference an on-form Riera has done to it in place of last year where the closest we had was an on-form (all to infrequently) Babel - Can anyone DOUBT the sheer amount of damage we'd do with an at-his-peak Barnes in our team now? The potential would be frightening and we'd skate to the title by about 12 points or so - Draws at home would become a thing of the past and teams would be even more frightened of us than they already are - as to United? They'd be about 9 points back on us with no HOPE of getting near and.....Ah, I can dream can't I? Robben and Duff transformed Chelsea into title winners in 2005 and Barnes on his own would do that to this team (and as an added bonus, that annoying little prat Ronaldo at the Mancs would be seen for the apprentice he is besides the master JB);
That's why I hope we keep Babel as fully-fit, on-form and (eventually I hope) FULLY developed, he is the closest thing we'll get to a Barnes now and IF he goes back to the level of development he had by last May (every player has a bad patch - its his and the clubs job to nurture him through it), then we'll have some player on our hands and our potential will go from frightening to not-of-this-earth. Me? I think we need to (and WILL) start fulfilling that potential else we'll go the same way as the '96 did after the 'White Suit'; I to think the FA Cup will play a key part in this team's development - but not by stopping it. I think in the FA Cup, we'll do what we've done in the CL in recent years and rediscover our sense of invincibility and our ability to strike fear into other teams.
Unfortunately for Everton, I think that given how much we're clearly seething after Monday night that the process will begin at THEIR expense and that the light they THINK they see at the end of the tunnel is nothing of the sort and in fact is just the front light on the Enormous LFC juggernaut heading RIGHT at them and I for one will enjoy the outcome when it hits them and even more their howls of anguish IF we do what we've threatened all season come May (you know what I'm talking about but I won't mention it lest I jinx it), fulfill our potential and build on what we've done thus far - Oh yes, I'll enjoy that day I think, I'll enjoy it very much indeed.....................