Ross Barkley

[Joey66]

RB looks up no one making runs its dire tactics by Koeman!

 

[Nil Satis Niasse Optimum]

It'd help if he had a brain, alas...

He's a nothing player. He'll have one flash of brilliance in a 38-game season. Squad player at best nowadays, unless some miracle occurs and he turns good all of a sudden.

 

[Dharma]

Just coasting through games, still looking for his move away.

 

[bazzer25]

Just coasting through games, still looking for his move away.

Nobody wants to buy him though.

 

[Bluebonic]

He is our Gabby Agbonlahor sadly, in ten years time he will still be here, flattering to deceive!

 

[kenada_blue]

Oh my days.

So apart from the lad ticking the midfield over, spreading play, hassling more, having shots (only player to make the keeper have a save twice), picking the ball deeper as well as attack....he needs to do more?

Really?

So the front 3...not 1 or 2... But 3 in Mirallas (who played more centrally), Bolasie, and Lukaku all did enough in front of him??

This right??

 

[Maltese_Falcon]

Will go down on the list of other English 'talents' that were meant to become Diego Amando Maradona but ended up being Scott Gemmil !

 

[wainy]

So you didn't watch today mate, where he contributed more than any other attacking player we had?

Not surprised you can't "remember" anything if you don't watch it.

What did he contribute today then? Any goals? Assists? Did he dominate midfield?

Sorry how dare we question the lad just Coz he's from Liverpool. Just because wasn't as poor as others doesn't mean he's above criticism.

 

[IlliniToffee]

Oh my days.

So apart from the lad ticking the midfield over, spreading play, hassling more, having shots (only player to make the keeper have a save twice), picking the ball deeper as well as attack....he needs to do more?

Really?

So the front 3...not 1 or 2... But 3 in Mirallas (who played more centrally), Bolasie, and Lukaku all did enough in front of him??

This right??

Bolasie scored, created at least two other genuine chances just narrowly thwarted, and showed a willingness to take on defenders. Lukaku got into several good positions and, while he could have played better, got himself in place to score many times had either better service been provided or a defender not made a very narrow intervention. Mirallas was poor and, like Barkley, needs to create more.

But just look at the sorts of things you are talking about, like he's playing as a number 6. Everton doesn't need another player "ticking the midfield over," which too often for Ross is just a polite way of saying "making the easy pass backwards rather than trying to create."

He was more active pressing and in defense today, to his credit. But again, compare Ross to his competitors occupying the same position. Apart from maybe winger it's the single biggest gulf in talent compared to the top teams.

 

[MartyMcFly]

I thought he started well but in the end did very little. I hate to say it but he's just not a creative midfielder. He either learns how to play further back or he won't make it here.

That was against Burnley and he failed to create one chance.

 

[kenada_blue]

Bolasie scored, created at least two other genuine chances just narrowly thwarted, and showed a willingness to take on defenders. Lukaku got into several good positions and, while he could have played better, got himself in place to score many times had either better service been provided or a defender not made a very narrow intervention. Mirallas was poor and, like Barkley, needs to create more.

But just look at the sorts of things you are talking about, like he's playing as a number 6. Everton doesn't need another player "ticking the midfield over," which too often for Ross is just a polite way of saying "making the easy pass backwards rather than trying to create."

He was more active pressing and in defense today, to his credit. But again, compare Ross to his competitors occupying the same position. Apart from maybe winger it's the single biggest gulf in talent compared to the top teams.

All in the the 2nd half.

From today it looked like he did what he was told which was to be a central midfielder. When he got chances to shoot, he did. When he had to drive on he did. He was never directly playing off Lukaku as we had the wide players doing that...Mirallas being the key player who drifted inside more that staying out wide (can anyone remember a wide cross he put in?).

And I agree about the competition, we should've bought another creative outlet as we're lacking. But those players are top European talent doing a sole job surrounded by better players.

 

[ToffeeTim]

He doesn't worry opposition defences anymore in the slightest. It's just hard to fathom what's went wrong for him.

 

[Ashtonian]

He doesn't worry opposition defences anymore in the slightest. It's just hard to fathom what's went wrong for him.

Martinez.

Said it the other day. Martinez had a young player playing like a young player. Told him to do his thing and now at the point of kicking on so to speak get hasn't got a clue the basics of his game and is no better than he was 4 years ago.

I will always say the potential in Barkley is massive, but the player he is now is nowhere near a top 7 team. If only we had signed a replacement for him in the past 2 years, like any competent team would have done for a 21 year old player.....

 

[IlliniToffee]

Martinez.

Said it the other day. Martinez had a young player playing like a young player. Told him to do his thing and now at the point of kicking on so to speak get hasn't got a clue the basics of his game and is no better than he was 4 years ago.

I will always say the potential in Barkley is massive, but the player he is now is nowhere near a top 7 team. If only we had signed a replacement for him in the past 2 years, like any competent team would have done for a 21 year old player.....

I think it was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation for Martinez. Throughout his tenure the fan base has thought Ross would kick on to become a world class player. To get there was going to require playing time and plenty of forgiveness when things went wrong. It's difficult to bring in a high priced option at the same position to only be competition. We don't have that luxury. And if the replacement wins out then you'd hear a lot about destroying Ross' psyche and all that.

The Martinez gamble was that all these young kids could turn into not only competent players but the kinds that could carry on to a top four position. The only one it really worked with was Lukaku, who was, not coincidentally, the most expensive player. Stones may still get there, but he's been a weak link at Everton and now at Man City, and it's beside the point for us now anyway. Besic isn't going to get there. Deulofeu isn't going to get there. I won't speak as declaratively here but it's very difficult to see Barkley getting there.

 

[MartyMcFly]

All in the the 2nd half.

From today it looked like he did what he was told which was to be a central midfielder. When he got chances to shoot, he did. When he had to drive on he did. He was never directly playing off Lukaku as we had the wide players doing that...Mirallas being the key player who drifted inside more that staying out wide (can anyone remember a wide cross he put in?).

And I agree about the competition, we should've bought another creative outlet as we're lacking. But those players are top European talent doing a sole job surrounded by better players.

That's what we were playing. In a way very similar to Martinez except it's Cleverly or Kone instead of Mirallas.

We are playing two midfielders who offer nothing going forward. For that system to work Barkley would need to be a David Silva like player and he just isn't. I also want to stress that's not his fault.