Ross Barkley

[Woolly Blue]

Laughing here. A player rated by Xavi - the best midfielder in living memory - getting told by some on here that he's too thick to be a top player.

I think I'll go with Xavi's analysis.

Xavi reckoned Raheem Sterling's good enough for Barcelona too mate.

 

[davek]

He might be clever at football, but he doesn't know how to translate that to his feet. It's all in his head. He needs psychiatric help.

Things I've learned tonight:

Ross Barkley is thick
Xavi knows nothing about football
Managers telling players that they're rubbish is a good thing
Going out of cup competitions is a cause for celebration

It's been an education.

 

[Elong]

Things I've learned tonight:

Ross Barkley is thick
Xavi knows nothing about football
Managers telling players that they're rubbish is a good thing
Going out of cup competitions is a cause for celebration

It's been an education.

BAWK mate. BAWK.

Ross needs some real help though, I agree the comments from the manager aren't helpful even if they are accurate at the moment. Some sportsmen simply don't make it despite having all the talent at their disposal due to mental illness, doubt or anxiety.

Straight up it looks to me like Ross has something like that.

 

[YMJ]

Very few players are great at 22 and why exactly does he have to be great. He's 22 and already an important player for us. He just struggles in and around the penalty box.

Agree totally. He doesn't have to be great at 22, but he does have to contribute something positive to justify his place and at the moment I'm not sure he is doing that.

I think that under Martinez he was put under so much pressure to be the main man that it overwhelmed him. He needs that pressure reduced now, by letting him know he isn't indispensable that he can be just good at the moment and that's ok, as long as he keeps developing.

 

[davek]

Xavi reckoned Raheem Sterling's good enough for Barcelona too mate.

I think we might see that come to fruition if Guardiola sorts him out.

Still, the forum experts might be right and Xavi and Lampard and Hoddle and the other rubbish midfielders are wrong. That'll be it yeah.

 

[davek]

BAWK mate. BAWK.

Ross needs some real help though, I agree the comments from the manager aren't helpful even if they are accurate at the moment. Some sportsmen simply don't make it despite having all the talent at their disposal due to mental illness, doubt or anxiety.

Straight up it looks to me like Ross has something like that.

Barkley is a centre mid. Playing him as a number 10 is a job he can get by with, but he'll never excel at it.

 

[yakublue]

The level of scapegoating on here is mad. Blaming him for us losing makes no sense at all, even if he didn't have his best game. He's 22 years old and even when he plays poorly he makes himself available and keeps working for the team. He's a really important player for us, too important if anything.

There's too much responsibility on Ross's shoulders - it's not his fault that we didn't really bolster our options as far central midfield goes this summer. Perhaps if we'd bought Mata or a similar number 10 type of player we could rest/rotate, but the reality is we're very reliant on him through the middle. It's not Ross's fault that we don't have much squad depth.

I find it bizarre that fans are so quick to get on his back. In the long run it's good for nobody.

 

[Eggs]

....folk need to stop making excuses for this fella regarding age, confidence and injuries. As RK said, Barkley needs to deliver on a consistent basis and he's failing to do so. To progress to the next level we need players of that ilk and it's looking like Barkley mightn't be capable.

 

[allen]

So Ross is this season's Cleverely, is he?

I know football can be a tricky sport to understand, but our problems don't boil down to one player.

I've read some absolute trash on here about him. There were plenty labelling him a 'coward' last night - which couldn't be further from the truth. He never hides. He keeps trying, even when he's having a stinker.

The lad's a trier - if anything, he tries too hard. He's clearly dealing with a huge psychological block that's going to take a lot of work to shift. I don't think Koeman has found the right recipe yet.

 

[LABlue2]

Barkley is a centre mid. Playing him as a number 10 is a job he can get by with, but he'll never excel at it.

Barkley has played as a number 10 in the vast majority of his premier league games.

Still, the forum experts might be right and Moyes and Martinez and Koeman and the other rubbish managers are wrong. That'll be it yeah.

 

[streeky]

Barkley is a centre mid. Playing him as a number 10 is a job he can get by with, but he'll never excel at it.

The kid is terrified of tackling, that's why every manager has not been stupid enough to play him centre mid

 

[MikeH72]

THE most talented player at the club. Our new manager is a former world class player. I expect Koeman to make this lad better than he is. To do that he needs to stop flapping his gums about him in the media and start coaching him. Maybe he can get off from FF a bit later for his golf sessions for a couple of days per week to earn some of the £6M he gets to do exactly that?

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

[ianefc]

The targeting of Sissoko is starting to make more sense, I think he would profit massively from a bit of competition for his place, I still don't think Koeman is 100% convinced about Deulofeu so in saying that, more often than not the 3 that line up behind Lukaku will be Barkley, Mirallas and Bolasie.

 

[ToffeeTim]

He lacks hunger to make it at the very top level. Managers can smooth his rough edges to an extent but ultimately he needs to find inner determination that he badly lacks it seems.

 

[CahillsCornerFlag]

....folk need to stop making excuses for this fella regarding age, confidence and injuries. As RK said, Barkley needs to deliver on a consistent basis and he's failing to do so. To progress to the next level we need players of that ilk and it's looking like Barkley mightn't be capable.

Really is starting to feel like he won't quite make it, he's had ample opportunity to learn and improve in the #10 role but he's not quite kicking on. Still a good player, but not the world beater so mqny expected.