Ross Barkley

[Nike 373]

Barkley doesnt know what a pass is.

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

I wouldn't want him for £50m at all, I said if we can get him for a reasonable price then go for it (i.e. £25m). He's still incredibly young and still has some decision making issues but IMO he's a lot more dangerous than Oscar is in the final third but I believe he could also perform Oscar's role in the team right now pretty well.

I disagree that he's an all out attacker only, there's a lot more to his game. IMO he's best as a B2B midfielder.

If he didn't loose the ball so much he could possibly be a mid. But he can't be so wasteful and be a midfielder. That would do more harm than good.

He's very direct. Either he'll go through you or loose the ball. Hence why I call him an all out attacker because he's very good at attacking (with his dribbling and running) and not much else.

[Viper22 2,418]

Debatable that he's not as good of a number 10 as Oscar IMO. Sure, Oscar has better defensive skills and might be slightly more rounded but Barkley is much more influential in the final third than Oscar is IMO. Barkley also has the right attributes to play Oscar's role in the team I think whilst I couldn't see Isco doing that at all, and Reus is not a number 10 whatsoever. They aren't the same age either at all... Oscar is 23, Barkley's 20.

I'd be happy with signing Barkley provided he's coming at a reasonable price.

I said roughly the same age... Oscar is 2 years and 3 months older. I'll admit I thought Oscar was younger though. But you cannot possibly suggest that Barkley is as good a number 10 as Oscar? Oscar starts for Brazil, Barkley won't start for England for the foreseeable future (rightly or wrongly, it's just a fact), with Sterling and Rooney ahead of him. I really REALLY rate Barkley, I even think he's got more potential than Sterling, and he's the best young English player out there. If we were going to sign any English player i'd like it to be him. But he is NOT good enough (yet) to be playing 10 for a team which is the best in England and one of the top 4 in Europe. He has the potential to be good enough and I wouldn't be fussed if he did sign for us, but I just think that there are other players around who are more complete players currently (e.g. Reus) and players with more potential and are better already too (e.g. Isco).

Btw, as a quick note, I know Reus can't play 10, but he can play RW, so we could sign him and either drop Willian or move him to CAM instead of Oscar. Either way our team would be much stronger. Dropping Oscar for Barkley would at best keep the quality in our team the same.

Barkley is great on the ball and an excellent dribbler, but with Schurrle/Willian and Hazard on the wings we already have direct dribbling AMs, we need at 10 a creative/goalscoring player, and Oscar fits that bill much better than Barkley. You can't see Isco doing Oscar's role as a 10? You obviously neglected to watch him at Malaga then mate, he was absolute quality there for them, and has been very good for Madrid when he's actually been given a chance.

In conclusion though, although I think Isco would be a better signing (not to mention cheaper) and Reus is one of the top 20 players in the world even if we'd have to shift either him or Hazard to accommodate him (and if the release clause story is true then much cheaper, unbelievably), i'd be happy for us to sign Barkley instead (he's English after all which is a big plus) providing the fee is at the very max £30million.

[Viper22 2,418]

Disagree with that. I think Barkley is a lot more rounded because of the physical edge he has. Barkley's athleticism makes him a lot more rounded than Isco.

Isco wouldn't be able to perform Oscar's role efficiently, we'd be wasting his talents in that role. Barkley on the other hand fits in like a glove IMO.

Quick side note, you do know Isco best (and by far his most played) role is CAM yeah? How would be wasting his talents putting him in his best position?

[The Skipper 20,609]

Quick side note, you do know Isco best (and by far his most played) role is CAM yeah? How would be wasting his talents putting him in his best position?

Isco's best role is definitely the traditional CAM, but we at CFC don't play with the traditional CAM. Our CAM's main job isn't to be the side's main creative outlet. We require a different skill set from our number 10.

[Viper22 2,418]

Isco's best role is definitely the traditional CAM, but we at CFC don't play with the traditional CAM. Our CAM's main job isn't to be the side's main creative outlet. We require a different skill set from our number 10.

But Isco is creative more than anything else? His passing is excellent. As long as he goes nowhere near high balls and doesn't try to cross (his main weaknesses) then he'll be fine.

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

But Isco is creative more than anything else? His passing is excellent. As long as he goes nowhere near high balls and doesn't try to cross (his main weaknesses) then he'll be fine.

He means what Isco could do without the ball. Our #10 needs to somewhat good at pressing and defending. If you just need a creative #10 then why bother with Isco, just push Cesc there and buy a midfielder instead. To have Isco in front of Cesc is useless imo, they have similar skillset. You would want a complementary player.

Possible options:

Get Pogba - move Cesc foward

Get Koke - move Cesc forward

Get Reus - straight swap with Oscar or deploy on LW and move Hazard in the middle

[Blue Lion 5]

We should just bring mata home.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

If he wasnt english no one would care...but we are in need for english players.

Thing is we need top homegrown talent, but no one is good enough to start for us. There will come decison to be made, either spend 30m for english who will play on bench (and maybe get himself in first 11 eventualy) or stay without any english starter in our team (unless we seriously count on our youth school) for next few years.

[Myself 793]

barkley is better than gotze

[Thendo 1,088]

We really need to get more english players in the squad, with Terry gone in a season or two aswell we'll be left with only Cahill as real starter material. Even if we aim to get youngsters from the academy in to the XI, signing one of Barkley or Ward-Prowse in the next coming years would be necessary imo, aslong as they don't go for mega-crazy money.

[Myself 793]

We really need to get more english players in the squad, with Terry gone in a season or two aswell we'll be left with only Cahill as real starter material. Even if we aim to get youngsters from the academy in to the XI, signing one of Barkley or Ward-Prowse in the next coming years would be necessary imo, aslong as they don't go for mega-crazy money.

Actually I can see us having 3 first team english players before long.

In 2-3 years..

Courtois

Dave - Cahill - Zouma - Luis

Matic

Baker - Fabregas

Brown - Costa - Hazard

with Chalobah and Ake (not English though) somewhere there.

Mourinho, please don't waste these youth players, pleeeeeeease.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

Actually I can see us having 3 first team english players before long.

In 2-3 years..

Courtois

Dave - Cahill - Zouma - Luis

Matic

Baker - Fabregas

Brown - Costa - Hazard

with Chalobah and Ake (not English though) somewhere there.

Mourinho, please don't waste these youth players, pleeeeeeease.

Baker maybe, but Brown I doubt very much. He has talent, but I doubt. Boga will probably get there sooner.

And if we ever sign another CAM/CM (if we sort english players) it should be Pjanic. That guy is simply outstanding player and one of best midfielders in the world. Maybe even Schneiderlin and play him in double pivot with Matic. Or Pogba...

[Myself 793]

Baker maybe, but Brown I doubt very much. He has talent, but I doubt. Boga will probably get there sooner.

And if we ever sign another CAM/CM (if we sort english players) it should be Pjanic. That guy is simply outstanding player and one of best midfielders in the world. Maybe even Schneiderlin and play him in double pivot with Matic. Or Pogba...

fuck, did i put brown? meant to put boga in there

[BlueLyon 9,359]

fuck, did i put brown? meant to put boga in there

no problem mate