Goater `not good enough'
man to keep the Blues in the Premiership.
Barnes, a team-mate of City manager Joe Royle when the club last won a trophy almost a quarter of a century ago, believes the Maine Road side must invest in a top drawer striker if they are to survive in the top flight.
City are languishing close to the bottom of the league and were booed off the field after their Boxing Day 0-0 draw with fellow strugglers, Derby County.
That result left them hovering above the relegation zone on goal difference only.
And Barnes believes that unless City get the chequebook out soon, they are doomed this season and risk another 25 years of football oblivion.
"I think we are going to be down there for the rest of the season,'' he said.
"I thought at the start of the campaign we would just stay up but it would be a dogfight.
"Now, unless there are funds for Joe to spend in the New Year on a top-notch striker and top-notch midfielder, I fear the worst.'' Barnes, who watches City as a pundit on a local radio station, said he believed the coming months would be the biggest test of Royle's managerial career to date.
"City desperately need something up front,'' said Barnes. "They signed George Weah, who was never going to play that many games, and have yet to replace him.
"Instead, they have been left with three strikers, only one of whom is partly proven at this level.
"Paulo Wanchope didn't do too badly at Derby but didn't do great at West Ham.
"Shaun Goater and Paul Dickov have never played regularly in the Premier League and, with respect, they're not going to get it done.
"I don't think the First Division is that clever and I am sure we could come straight back up -- but then we become like Bolton, a yo-yo team going up and down every other year,'' he said.