Ross Barkley

[Eric Djemba-Djemba]

I thought he was ok tbh. He played a major part in our first goal.

 

[Foot Long Hot Dog]

He needs to work harder off the ball, still doesn't do enough

 

[MACCA75]

Why is Ross a complete basket case?

He's 'unique as a footballer' isn't he mate. Lolz.

 

[Kiwi]

He's 'unique as a footballer' isn't he mate. Lolz.

From what I've seen yes. Or if not unique, incredibly rare in his skillset and mix of natural talent and physicality.
But that doesn't make him a nutcase.
Dunc was a basket case of a footballer in his playing days. Gazza is a basket case of a man. But Ross as a Basket case? Nah. Young, talented, driven, camera-shy, thats what I've seen in Ross. No more a basket case than your average person on the street.

 

[Del]

Don't get the hype if I'm honest

 

[EverBlue86]

Just playing Devil's Advocate here but: well, because he hasnt and doesnt. I have no idea what is going on with Roberto this year but his selections have been very peculiar honestly.

And that being said, i think Naismith, as boss as he is, needs to be someone that comes on later in games. He's a solid player but we NEED Ross to be the player that we know he could be. Its just frustrating that a lot of players that are pretty crucial are best played in the same position.


and one more thing, imo he needs to step up his work ethic on the pitch. I know its not 'his job' to be sprinting around the pitch but when the ball is 5 yards away, he jogs slower than i do and i am well out of shape these days with a destroyed knee. Just make SOME effort. Look at today, balls were misplaced everywhere today, even putting a BIT of pressure on a player could conceivably throw them off their intended pass.

Exactly.

We have looked p poor the last 3 games with ross on the wing but martinez hasn't the balls to drop "naisy" despite the fact our best performance had you guessed it barkley playing at CAM against villa.

He's a coward this season martinez. Bangs on about how ross "is the greatest England player of all time" yeah sound bobby would bobby Charlton have been ushered out into a position he wasn't comfortable in for some limited player who had a little purple patch?
Absolutely criminal I hope he tells bobby to eff off and goes to man city I wouldn't begrudge him one bit.

Signs a new deal, wants to be a club legend yet is shoved out wing for the new evertonian alehouse favourite who runs around alot

 

[caught]

Agree with you there, his flashy moments are hiding a few bad habits in his game, he tackles like a bigger version of Osman, in short like a five year old girl, might be a bit of left over from the leg break?
He is young and bound to have a dip in form , and he is still learning the game but he looks like he is trying to do the poser stuff and not getting on with the nitty gritty stuff.
If he has a few good games it will do him the world of good.

This is definitely true. Several times yesterday he used that little feign-feign-shimmy move whilst standing on the spot before playing the simple pass he was obviously going to make anyway. This offers nothing aside from slowing down the tempo, which can sometimes be useful but not particularly when Ross is doing it. It seems like he has an urge to prove himself every time he has the ball, rather than have the confidence to do the simple things when appropriate. You can tell the rest of the team don't really know what he's going to do: see the weirdly ambivalent movement of players around him as they wonder whether he'll pass or if they'll need to jump out of the way of one of his power-runs. Off the ball he should press a little harder and utilize his size.

I wonder if finding a blend of Martinez's 'express yourself' and the conservative Hodgeson-Moyes approach of getting him to consider the broader consequences of his game might in the long term be best. It doesn't seem like he's fully aware of the requirements of his role, and sometimes too much freedom can be unhelpful. People have expressed the worry he'll have his 'ability coached out of him' or something but the more he plays as a individual the more he becomes a luxury player that the rest of the team has to carry and compensate for, which should be the antithesis of Martinez's ideas.

Personally, I'd like to see him play deeper as a box-to-box midfielder in the not too distant future. It requires more responsibility, of course, but I actually think Ross should be given more responsibility and not be coddled with these 'best in a generation' and 'of course he'll lose the ball sometimes' comments. He has the potential skill set to control a game, and the inexperience, naivety and individualism will only diminish if he understands he has to remove them and not shrug them off as a by-product of his occasional brilliance.

 

[Chang Elephant]

Got to shove the lesser players onto the bench (Naismith, Osman) and get our best team on the pitch in their correct positions more often.

NSNO

 

[ijjysmith]

Got to shove the lesser players onto the bench (Naismith, Osman) and get our best team on the pitch in their correct positions more often.

NSNO

I'd agree mate.

Naismith getting injured actually isn't as bad as first thought. It should put Ross back where we all want him.

 

[bluemangroup]

Got to shove the lesser players onto the bench (Naismith, Osman) and get our best team on the pitch in their correct positions more often.

NSNO

Kopite.

 

[MACCA75]

Got to shove the lesser players onto the bench (Naismith, Osman) and get our best team on the pitch in their correct positions more often.

NSNO

Right now, Osman is miles better than Barkley.

 

[evertoniandy]

I didn't think it was a dive, thought he tripped and got straight back up. I'll watch it again without my blue tinted glasses and see.

 

[EverBlue86]

Right now, Osman is miles better than Barkley.

Lol I shall quote this mate when he's dominating midfields in the colours of city. Our fans never learn, we slag off our talented players (Lukaku, barkley, mirallas) whilst love the limited plucky players (hibbo, naismith, osman)

 

[MACCA75]

Lol I shall quote this mate when he's dominating midfields in the colours of city. Our fans never learn, we [Poor language removed] off our talented players (Lukaku, barkley, mirallas) whilst love the limited plucky players (hibbo, naismith, osman)

In the unlikely event he's dominating midfields for City, then he will definitely be better than Osman. As I said, right now, Osman is miles more useful to the team.

 

[dannyboy]

In the unlikely event he's dominating midfields for City, then he will definitely be better than Osman. As I said, right now, Osman is miles more useful to the team.

He definitely is. I love the fact we've got a talented youngster in Barkley, but right now I'm relieved when he retains possession. He's making the simple parts of the game look so bloody difficult.