Ross Barkley

[Simon baker]

Me too. Defo. I've advocated biting the bullet on this move back for ages. I have a hunch that, whilst not suddenly becoming an 'enforcer' type, RB would learn to muck in with closing down the opposition a lot better than he does now.

Every good team needs blend in that CM department. If you have two predominantly holding players then you limit the way you play...especially against mediocre opponents.

Agreed been saying for 3 years he should have played centre mid against the 10 men behind the ball brigade & lower level opposition at the very least.

Against the big teams who we can play on the break I have no issue with him playing number 10 as it's actually not a strict number 10 he is often picking the ball up in space deeper as we are invariably say deeper under pressure.

This is also the reason he tends to have his better games against city, arsenal even Chelsea away last year he was top class.

 

[4737carlin]

Odds on to be loaned out next year IMO if he doesn't start fitting in to Koemans team better...

How long is left on his contract? I could be wrong but im sure there is only 2 years, if so we can't really loan him, I think he is more likely to go on a cheap sale, which on his current form wont be much, such a shame.

 

[BlueToff]

How long is left on his contract? I could be wrong but im sure there is only 2 years, if so we can't really loan him, I think he is more likely to go on a cheap sale, which on his current form wont be much, such a shame.

We ain't loaning Barkley out mate.

He'll sign a new contract IMO, but he needs to pick his form up. He's been frustrating the last few games - he'll make one mistake and his head will start to drop.

 

[riddick]

Me too. Defo. I've advocated biting the bullet on this move back for ages. I have a hunch that, whilst not suddenly becoming an 'enforcer' type, RB would learn to muck in with closing down the opposition a lot better than he does now.

Every good team needs blend in that CM department. If you have two predominantly holding players then you limit the way you play...especially against mediocre opponents.

Except we are STILL playing 4-2-3-fn1. We STILL rely on having 2 DM against teams that sit back against us. It's infuriatingly negative. And nothing against Barry and Gueye, they've been great this year. We are just too reliant on a DM that should be a part time player.

 

[davek]

Except we are STILL playing 4-2-3-fn1. We STILL rely on having 2 DM against teams that sit back against us. It's infuriatingly negative. And nothing against Barry and Gueye, they've been great this year. We are just too reliant on a DM that should be a part time player.

We have the players at our disposal to play different formations. This is one of the reasons I'm very unimpressed with Koemans behaviour over RB. Instead of going very early on chewing him out in public he should have been trying to solve the Barkley conundrum by experimentation with different systems. Some might say that's pandering to one player, but he is THAT important to us, so it's warranted. If after that expirimentation he's not happy, then the manager has the right to simply bench him or (if he wants to deploy the nuclear option) sell him on. But there's a lot of scope here with Barkley to keep him and prosper with him...if there's a will......

 

[Nil Satis Niasse Optimum]

He'll go in July for 4m with a 50% sell-on clause based on any profit his next club makes on his inevitable sale in 2 years' time.

 

[Blue Cheese]

I'd like to see him dropped back for a few games, Gueye can be his shield but Barry is playing well so how do you fit him in deeper?

 

[davek]

I'd like to see him dropped back for a few games, Gueye can be his shield but Barry is playing well so how do you fit him in deeper?

Against City it'd be madness. As Simon baker says above: he's best left alone further up to do the damage he's done on them before.

But against the Burnleys etc of this world, he defo can drop back and have Gueye to play his launch pad for him.

 

[orly]

He'll go in July for 4m with a 50% sell-on clause based on any profit his next club makes on his inevitable sale in 2 years' time.

Not sure I like this one Butters

 

[Ihaters]

Have said it before, but it's a mentality issue IMO, the lad looks like he's carrying the world on his shoulders, he thinks he needs to be our main man week in, week out, it's almost as if he's scared to try certain things that a couple of seasons ago he would just do instinctively, maybe he's aware of the groans from the crowd when something doesn't come off and that's affecting his game.

The first thing he needs to do is start enjoying his football again, he just looks like he doesn't want to be out there at times, also, he looks like one of those players who needs an arm around him now and again, under Koeman though, that seems unlikely.

Good... a large part of his learning imo is thinking about what he is about to do and then judging whether it is a good idea or not.

He did not do that enough previously for me, but if he keeps doing it he should instinctively develop an understand of what is a good move and what isn't, instead of just assuming everything is good but maybe he didn't get it technically right, when the opposition are running at our defence with the ball he just gave away, and he's blaming himself for a lack of ability he clearly has.

If he questions his moves now, soon he will question them in advance as the ball is arriving, then question them in advance and come up with the right answer, then his sheer ability can kick in, and he will grow in both confidence and quality and become the player we want him to be...

If he doesn't question what he's doing as he does it, then he will just remain as he is, mostly decent, with a few great touches and few terrible ones...

For me, great midfielders know where players are around them, can decide where the ball is going to go before they get it, can trap the ball from most angles, and can send it where it needs to go...
Barkley currently can trap the ball regularly from that list, the other things are not so far away but separate him from greatness imo.

 

[khadim kane]

I think he is great player but I think he needs to be more confident

 

[Timak]

Apparently Barkley delivered the most accurate crosses of any player last week in the PL. Despite not playing at his best he has now developed a way to actually be effective when not on form. If you remember the season before last he couldn't do it then.

 

[Vaughan]

A lot of people were saying he was better deeper after he played there against QPR a couple of seasons ago with Besic. However the balance has to be right, he couldn't do Barry's job so would Gana have to do that and Ross play alongside him?

Can still play the three of them, just Ross is deeper, it means the 10 is not as close to Lukaku. so currently we may look something like this:


--------------Gana-----Barry----------------

Mirallas---------Barkley---------Bolasie-----

------------------Lukaku----------------------


Barkley deper would look more like this:


------------------Barry-------------------

------------Gana-----Barkley---------------


Mirallas---------Lukaku--------Bolasie------


Both 4-3-3 formations just different variations

 

[Kaiser Soysauce]

We have the players at our disposal to play different formations. This is one of the reasons I'm very unimpressed with Koemans behaviour over RB. Instead of going very early on chewing him out in public he should have been trying to solve the Barkley conundrum by experimentation with different systems. Some might say that's pandering to one player, but he is THAT important to us, so it's warranted. If after that expirimentation he's not happy, then the manager has the right to simply bench him or (if he wants to deploy the nuclear option) sell him on. But there's a lot of scope here with Barkley to keep him and prosper with him...if there's a will......

"If after that expirimentation he's not happy, then the manager has the right to simply bench him"

Unfortunately, a period of experimentation that does not yield results can lose a manager his job.

"We have the players at our disposal to play different formations"

Yes we do, but surely a manager wants to employ his own system having players in his (and their) natural positions.

"very unimpressed with Koemans behaviour over RB. Instead of going very early on chewing him out in public"

Most people react well to criticism. Maybe not public criticism, but it's down to RB to show what he's worth now.

I for one think he hasn't the mental strength to get through this.

 

[MartyMcFly]

The play him deeper shouts are utterly baffling IMO, people want a player who constanly loses the ball and instead of him losing it in the final 3rd, they want to drop him deeper so he can lose the ball nearer to our goal.

Have a think lads.

Does anyone have any stats for how many times he has lost the ball that has lead to chance?

It's an often used phrase yet I rarely see him lose the ball in our own half. Further up it happens. Damn I wish it happened more because right now he plays so safe it hurts our attack. A player playing as a No 10 shouldn't be getting a pass % in the 90s.

Would really love to know if the "constantly loses the ball" is actually true. I never thought it was true back before he went to the world cup and it certainly isn't is true as far as I can tell now.