 In the reorganisation that followed the appointment of Hart's replacement Ron Saunders, Barnes became chief scout, a role he retained for two decades until he was sacked by Peter Reid in 1991.In his role he oversaw the development of a large number of successful young players, including Paul Lake, David White and Steve Redmond, the stars of the Manchester City youth team which won the 1986 FA Youth Cup.In 1994, he returned to the club at the invitation of Francis Lee, who had recently become chairman.