Ross Barkley

[Stats 7,053]

On 1/12/2020 at 7:33 AM, Tomo said:

I don't want to kneejerk on one game (well two as he played the position against Brighton home aswell) but could his best position actually be in one of those deeper lying midfield positions?

He had two clear shooting opportunities at the edge of the box yesterday that he wasted by dithering on the ball which was a clear reminder as to why he became so frustrating and fell behind Ruben then Mount in the advanced midfield role, however in a deeper role he kept things ticking over quite nicely and made some pretty good cross field passes to James.

Dare I say, against the Burnley's of this world, he's may be a better option than Kante in that position.

I think this game and the Liverpool game proves this. He was superb. His physical strength is amazing too. So much fans have written him off, but like we have seen before with this forum and general fans, people will start realizing keep writing of our own players as 'shit' and 'useless' is far-fetched and knee-jerk. Thought he was best player on the pitch today.

[NikkiCFC 7,942]

12 minutes ago, Stats said:

I think this game and the Liverpool game proves this. He was superb. His physical strength is amazing too. So much fans have written him off, but like we have seen before with this forum and general fans, people will start realizing keep writing of our own players as 'shit' and 'useless' is far-fetched and knee-jerk. Thought he was best player on the pitch today.

Also he was great against Spurs. 

Motm for me today with Pedro close second. 

[communicate 2,703]

10 minutes ago, Stats said:

I think this game and the Liverpool game proves this. He was superb. His physical strength is amazing too. So much fans have written him off, but like we have seen before with this forum and general fans, people will start realizing keep writing of our own players as 'shit' and 'useless' is far-fetched and knee-jerk. Thought he was best player on the pitch today.

Barkley problem has never been technical or physical problem. His decision making can be erratic. Plus defensively he is suspect. Today and against pool, we defended with 11. It mean less pressure for our midfield. 

[Tomo 21,733]

21 minutes ago, Stats said:

I think this game and the Liverpool game proves this. He was superb. His physical strength is amazing too. So much fans have written him off, but like we have seen before with this forum and general fans, people will start realizing keep writing of our own players as 'shit' and 'useless' is far-fetched and knee-jerk. Thought he was best player on the pitch today.

In all honesty I thought he was poor against Liverpool despite that great goal but the complete opposite today. 

He needs to start showing it a lot more often but he will be in the side against Villa (even if Kova returns) and rightly so.

[NikkiCFC 7,942]

 

[OneMoSalah 8,776]

9 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

 

Have no idea what Joe Cole is seeing because tbe the performances we see most games hes played in his spell here dont reflect this quotes....

I'd been saying he should of been used more when Mount was underperforming earlier in the season but I am sorry, for anybody to say Ross Barkley has done a terrific job for Chelsea, I cannot accept that.

He has had maybe 8 good games in 3 years for fuck sake. Its at the stage where I would say he is a potential casualty come the summer unless Frank can get him to deliver week in week out against everybody be it Bayern Munich, Southampton or Oxford United. 2 games every 6 months isnt any use.

Joe Cole was a severely underrated player when you look back on his career here especially but Ross Barkley is a severely overrated one. 

[Jase 43,479]

10 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

Have no idea what Joe Cole is seeing because tbe the performances we see most games hes played in his spell here dont reflect this quotes....

I'd been saying he should of been used more when Mount was underperforming earlier in the season but I am sorry, for anybody to say Ross Barkley has done a terrific job for Chelsea, I cannot accept that.

He has had maybe 8 good games in 3 years for fuck sake. Its at the stage where I would say he is a potential casualty come the summer unless Frank can get him to deliver week in week out against everybody be it Bayern Munich, Southampton or Oxford United. 2 games every 6 months isnt any use.

Joe Cole was a severely underrated player when you look back on his career here especially but Ross Barkley is a severely overrated one. 

Joe Cole has never been the brightest of fellas, TBH. 

[Jase 43,479]

20 hours ago, NikkiCFC said:

 

"He's done a terrific job at Chelsea"??

 

[Jase 43,479]

 

[Vesper 28,768]

7 hours ago, Jason said:

 

IF we were to sell Barkley, that is guarantee that my numbers work (and go into net profit (even without a Jorginho sale due to Kante refusing to play) territory for my big buy post

or we could replace him with an non English upgrade for not much extra cost at all. I will not go back and re-edit that long post but I think we could grab Aouar or Donny van de Beek at a COVID-19-caused bargain price .even.

IF we sell Jorginho, then we are insane to not take those funds and buy Tonali (as Juve will not be buying both of them) as his club, Brescia, is in crazy financial trouble due to COVID-19.

They were dead in the middle of COVID ground zero (Northern Italy) and never were in great shape anyway.

I know it is the height of hubris upon my part, but FFS, I wish I had control of sales/buys for just the next several months. (Well to be honest the last several years, in terms of sales timing for a few of the deals and the ability to BLOCK THE DRINKWATER BUY!!!, lolol) The other cock-ups I am not going to even get into.

That is all crying over spilt milk now though, and Marina and the board can make up for it partially (it is after all all still oki IF the books balance for FFP whilst we massive upgrades, the damage then is 'only' the the £425m or so that we shit away since summer 2016 until the books are closed on the current dregs yet to be liquidated or (GRRRR) let go for free. Although it sounds harsh as fuck, the only real damage is Roman being out the cash and us being stuck with Kepa, unless the lad improves, (which I am doing an atheist prayer he does) if they do SMART business the next 2 summer windows. I will not get into hypotheticals about titles and trophies won if we had sorted shit, as I still see no way we could have topped Shitty and Victimpool the past 3 seasons, and we did win the title right before that. A case could be made for better results if we are talking about the fucking Supercup (fuck the bindippers) and/or winning the another FA cup or two or one or more League Cup(s) in that 2016 to 2020 time frame, plus the CS, which I am one of the few who even cares about it, lolol. We also could have went deeper in the CL (still do not see us winning even if I had completely had my retro-exchanged team)

[Vesper 28,768]

There’s a feeling of now or never for Ross Barkley at Chelsea

https://theathletic.com/1854318/2020/06/15/lampard-everton-england-ross-barkley-at-chelsea/

Ross Barkley could be forgiven for wondering what might have been. In a parallel universe, where the coronavirus pandemic never struck and football, like society, had merely muddled on as normal from mid-March, he would be recovering now from England’s opening fixture of Euro 2020. Croatia were due at a crammed Wembley on Sunday. Having featured in six of eight qualifiers for the tournament, his role would potentially have been pivotal.

He had just been starting to make his quality tell under Frank Lampard at his club, too, before COVID-19 swept in and football was suspended. He had rasped that fine shot across and beyond Adrian to see off Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Cup, and followed that five days later with arguably his most impressive display yet in a Chelsea shirt against his former employers, Everton.

His performance that afternoon had those excited by the data salivating — six key passes, a pair of assists, seven successful dribbles, two clean tackles, three shots. With the naked eye, he played with the strut of one who belonged. He looked comfortable in the attacking brief in which he was being asked to operate, his decision-making and passing seemed crisper and more assured. Barkley was a shoo-in to start the team’s next league match, at Aston Villa. Gareth Southgate, who has lent heavily upon him since the World Cup, would surely have picked him for the scheduled friendlies against Italy and Denmark at the end of March. Things were looking up.

Now, lurching back to reality, all there is once again is uncertainty.

Barkley may well begin at Villa Park in the team’s scheduled opener to mark Project Restart next Sunday afternoon. Jorginho and N’Golo Kante featured in a friendly against Reading in midweek and QPR yesterday, but the France midfielder has only just returned to contact training and the Italian is still serving a suspension. Given there was such balance to the midfield on the team’s last competitive outing, there would be a logic to Lampard leaning on the personnel who contributed so impressively against Everton. But, 15 weeks on from that 4-0 success, his inclusion from the start is far from the definite it would have been in March.

Indeed, with Chelsea having bucked the anticipated trend of austerity by launching an eye-catching recruitment drive, it suddenly feels as if the 26-year-old is fighting more than ever for his future at Stamford Bridge. Hakim Ziyech has been secured from Ajax and Timo Werner will follow from RB Leipzig, both dynamic forward-thinkers to implement the slick, incisive style Lampard craves. There is long-standing interest, too, in Kai Havertz at Bayer Leverkusen for all that others share that admiration for the Germany international.

The sales pitch to those signed or courted revolves around working in a vibrant, youthful team embracing the energy and excellence of Mason Mount, Christian Pulisic, Tammy Abraham, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Reece James and Billy Gilmour. Ruben Loftus-Cheek is fit again after a serious achilles injury. Mateo Kovacic has arguably been the club’s player of the season. Jorginho and particularly Kante, when fit and available, will feel they still have much to offer. There are yet more youngsters — Conor Gallagher, Henry Lawrence, Tino Anjorin (who secured to a new five-year contract this week) et al — waiting in the wings, all reminders of the club’s bright future.

Amid the clutter of competition, it is easy to wonder where Barkley fits in. He tends to find himself listed alongside the likes of Marcos Alonso and Michy Batshuayi these days; players for whom Chelsea would listen to offers as they seek to balance the additions with some requisite squad trimming. Plenty of clubs, post-coronavirus, appear keener to recruit younger players of promise who would not necessitate either a large transfer fee or such hefty wages from the outset. But Newcastle, if under new ownership, and West Ham would apparently be interested in signing a midfielder who is contracted to 2023. An unlikely return to Everton has even been mentioned in dispatches.

Quite how Barkley would feel about moving on remains to be seen. He must curse poor timing given the latest hiatus to his career progression in south-west London occurred through no fault of his own. Global pandemics constitute mitigating circumstances.

Yet an inability to build on those tantalising flashes of class has become a recurring theme. The fact there have been only 23 Premier League starts in 64 games for which he has been available, served under the stewardship of Antonio Conte, Maurizio Sarri and Lampard, since his £15 million move from Merseyside in January 2018 tells its own story. He actually played more minutes for England in September and October last year than he did for Chelsea in the Premier League.

There is so much natural ability there — vision, two good feet, presence when in full steam — but he remains a player who has yet to make himself essential to successive head coaches. Injuries have played a part, as has the disruption in the dugout, but he is still striving to convince all that he should be a mainstay of the Chelsea team. After a while, however good you might potentially be, it is too easy to become peripheral and forgotten. Discarded as an enigma. A transfer that did not quite work out.

Maybe he is still suffering from the hype that has swirled around him since his emergence on Merseyside, and all the obvious comparisons drawn with Wayne Rooney. So much was expected of Barkley. Chelsea had actually courted him for seven years prior to securing his services, their recruitment department having tracked his progress closely since he was 17. Even in that pre-season of 2011 he had been earmarked as Lampard’s long-term replacement as a box-to-box, goalscoring midfielder. There was a bid to buy him and loan him back two years later, which Everton rejected.

When he did eventually arrive, he had 196 senior games to his name. Lampard had boasted the same number when moving across the capital from West Ham in 2001. Yet there the similarities end. In the period since, and despite now boasting FA Cup and Europa League winner’s medals, Barkley has never succeeded in proving wrong those who always argued he would end up stewing on the bench by cementing his role in the side.

There have been promising periods. Not under Conte, when his fitness after a long lay-off was still an issue. But there was regular involvement with Sarri, and he seemed to be thriving under the Italian’s forensic approach to training. Gianfranco Zola, Sarri’s assistant, took him under his wing. “Over the years I haven’t been coached much, and I am at an age now where I understand football a lot more,” he said in the autumn of 2018. “I believe that, if I’d had that type of approach from a coach when I was younger, maybe I would have improved a lot more.”

That was perceived as a slight on Everton’s youth system, and the senior managers — David Moyes (who is clearly not overly concerned given his interest in securing Barkley for West Ham), Roberto Martinez, Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce — under whom he worked at Goodison Park. In truth, it probably reflected the flip side of rushing a teenager into the cut-throat world of a first-team set-up, where instant results were required and there was less time to dedicate to personal development.

The thirst for improvement has been maintained under Lampard, who has publicly praised the player’s “desire to learn”. He hired a personal chef to improve his diet and, for a while, was one of the most industrious members of the team, eclipsing even Jorginho and Kante in terms of the amount of ground he covered during games he had started. Yes, there has been the odd aberration en route — an altercation in a Liverpool taxi over spilt chips, and a trip to Dubai while injured during an international break which, although not breaking any club rules, probably sent out the wrong message — but he is more mature now. He surely recognises he has to seize the opportunity presented to him.

Whether that is feasible given the quality and sheer quantity of the competition is open to serious doubt. Lampard is balancing experience with youth. Barkley may fall in the middle ground not least because, when everyone else is fit and available and the midfield rejigged, he will probably end up competing directly with the promising Mount for that attack-minded berth in a central three. Should the board be seeking to claw back a fee, they may consider him a saleable asset.

But that is for August, not now. He has apparently returned to Cobham, like his team-mates, fit and eager to make his mark in the restart. Which is just as well given that, if he is to stand any chance, he has to recapture that form from March when Everton were swatted aside so emphatically. Otherwise a player considered integral to the national team, who boasts 33 caps and had hoped to be excelling at a major tournament this summer, may be forced to consider his options.

This is no time to be on the fringes. Not at 26 and the peak of your powers. Barkley needs to demonstrate he deserves a significant role in Lampard’s Chelsea future, or it might be time to explore a new challenge.

[NikkiCFC 7,942]

4 goals and 4 assists this season in 1277 minutes. Not bad stats. Mount has 6 and 4 with over 3000 minutes.

Game winner today, started in wins against City, Liverpool, Everton, Spurs and played good games.

UTD in first round and Bayern aside where he was played out of position and we never had a chance we won all the games this season when he started. Plus draw against Sheffield. 

We can say what we want about him but these are all facts.

[killer1257 3,282]

He is a terrible passer. I hope Lamps does not see him as a starter. Horrible passer is an understatement

Gesendet von meinem VOG-L29 mit Tapatalk

[King Kante 1,474]

Personally I hope he continues playing and doing ok, as that way we may be able to con someone into buying him. 

Joking aside, Barkley for me is a ok squad player but he shouldn't really be a starter for us. 

[NikkiCFC 7,942]

9 minutes ago, killer1257 said:

 I hope Lamps does not see him as a starter. 
 

 

8 minutes ago, King Kante said:

 Barkley for me is a ok squad player but he shouldn't really be a starter for us. 

I agree with both of you. Our goal is to be best team so I cannot see Barkley as a starter in this team.

But as a squad player he is great.

What is the purpose of squad player? To do a job in cup games and to step up when we have injuries/rotation.

Barkley has 3 goals and 1 assist on 4 FA cup games. Probably our best player in cup so far. Also he did great job in the PL in all his starts lately. Spurs, Everton (3 assists in 2 games), City (good game defensively).

So if we look at him as just a squad player we cannot really complain.

 

 

[King Kante 1,474]

3 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

 

I agree with both of you. Our goal is to be best team so I cannot see Barkley as a starter in this team.

But as a squad player he is great.

What is the purpose of squad player? To do a job in cup games and to step up when we have injuries/rotation.

Barkley has 3 goals and 1 assist on 4 FA cup games. Probably our best player in cup so far. Also he did great job in the PL in all his starts lately. Spurs, Everton (3 assists in 2 games), City (good game defensively).

So if we look at him as just a squad player we cannot really complain.

 

 

I think Barkley's future depends on what SFL does with Mount and RLC. In my opinion, all three is too many. Tbh, I rate Mount quite highly, so I think Barkley's future will depend on what happen's with RLC or maybe even if we buy Harvetz (which I think is unlikely.)

[killer1257 3,282]

I agree with both of you. Our goal is to be best team so I cannot see Barkley as a starter in this team.
But as a squad player he is great.
What is the purpose of squad player? To do a job in cup games and to step up when we have injuries/rotation.
Barkley has 3 goals and 1 assist on 4 FA cup games. Probably our best player in cup so far. Also he did great job in the PL in all his starts lately. Spurs, Everton (3 assists in 2 games), City (good game defensively).
So if we look at him as just a squad player we cannot really complain.
 
 

As a squad player, he is okay, but do not forget that we also have Gallagher in our team and RLC is also a midfielder. Potential wise, both RLC and Gallagher are better than Barkley, so if some other club would pay us 20 mio. +, I would sell him

Gesendet von meinem VOG-L29 mit Tapatalk

[Magic Lamps 11,653]

You can bet your ass on him starting vs Wham based on his match winner today.