Barkley..again

[GrandOldTeam]

I'd find it difficult to look past his somewhat murky history with us, but I do think you're being a little harsh about his role this season. He's certainly playing deeper and he's their creative spark, but it hasn't been an undisciplined free role, he's done it within a structure and has a defensive role to play too.

That said, even if I could get past him being who he is, it would really need to make financial sense (wages would need to be very reasonable) and it'd need to be a deal with little to no risk for us in terms of length. And even then, I'm not sure he works in a Dyche side, although I will admit that we do need someone to replace Gomes as the sole creative body in the midfield options.

I don't think I've been harsh at all about saying he needs freedom, I later shared quotes from his manager, mirroring exactly what Martinez said about him when he was here, and long afterwards.

Rob Edwards: “Ross is a player that still needs an element of freedom to get the best out of him - as long as we can get a couple of non-negotiables from him - he’s got to be able to feel the game to be at his best. “He’s an artist, really. You’ve got to allow him a little bit to go and do his stuff. We love having him here, he’s come into the group and shown loads of humility, worked incredibly hard.

"heres the basics, now just go and play your own game" - don't think you afford that luxury to him because he's not that good.

We're still in a position of pragmatism/% football - Barkley, as a free deeper role doesn't fit - as you acknowledge, doubt towards whether he works in a Dyche side. I think Dyche/Thelwell would have accepted the beg to sign last summer if they wanted him.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Please remember just how proud you are to be turning down Ross Barkley when DCL gets injured, the chronic hoofball stops working, and we end up going 12 weeks without creating a goal scoring opportunity.

Far from not being a Dyche player, Barkley offers something that is very much needed in a Dyche set up… a bit of creativity and forward passes that are actually played on the floor!

Even if he doesn’t start games, he’d be very welcome as a sub where we are chasing games having gone behind.

But if you all want to continue with the absolute brilliance of Adama ‘the next big thing’ Onana pulling the strings in midfield, (or his substandard replacement) then so be it.

Onana over Barkley every bloody day of the week.

The thing is though, we likely need to sell Onana and there's demand.

When Barkley was out with his begging bowl last August and only Luton took a risk late on, Onana has the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea lining up. Strange, that.

 

[AsiaAsia82]

And we also re-sign Dele, to have a Barkley-Dele midfield..

 

[witchdoc187]

I can't believe people want him back. Madness. Like those on the deli Ali thread thinking he might play for us again

 

[Dymak]

Onana over Barkley every bloody day of the week.

The thing is though, we likely need to sell Onana and there's demand.

When Barkley was out with his begging bowl last August and only Luton took a risk late on, Onana has the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea lining up. Strange, that.

City were interested in Rodwell once. He was the next big thing, until he failed to make it at Sunderland.

But we are comparing different players, and that’s my point really. You aren’t going to get one tenth of the creativity from Onana, despite Onana supposedly being worth six times Barkley’s value.

DCL gets injured and we are screwed from an attacking perspective! We really need more in that regard. I’d rather be bringing Ross Barkley onto the pitch whilst chasing a game, rather than have Idrissa Gueye or whoever launch it up to Beto’s head for the 20th ineffective time.

 

[Dymak]

Hard to look past him costing the club £20m though.

I’m reluctant to start this discussion, again, but how did Barkley cost the club 20 million?

Some Evertonians seem to think that Chelsea were obliged to sign Ross Barkley upon our say so. In reality, Chelsea were under no obligation to buy Ross Barkley whatsoever, and they were free to pull out of the deal at anytime, or they could have waited a further six months and signed him for free had they wished to.

Likewise, Barkley was under absolutely no obligation to sign for Chelsea whatsoever, and he could have walked for free if he had waited another six months.

Further, my understanding is that the injury that postponed the transfer was an actual bloody injury, and not a figment of anyone’s imagination.

Then you also have to figure in Ronald Koeman into the equation, who quite frankly was bullying several of our players… Ross included. No wonder he wanted to leave, as it was near enough a constructive dismissal ffs.

Barkley gets a proper raw deal from many Evertonians, just like Gary Speed did.

 

[summerisle]

 

[Michaelcoyb]

Would hope we’d have better options but given our financial predicament we probably don’t.

 

[smileychap]

No return for Ross for me. Loved him then didn't, fell waaay short of acceptable in the transfer. OK, let bygones be bygones and glad his career enjoyed an Indian Summer at Luton - but still fell well short there for a reason.

20k a week instead of Gomez, maybe. Let's see if he really loveS Everton afterall

 

[Victus]

I don't know. He has been good for Luton but he has a slow mind on the pitch, he gets the ball picked off him far often than you'd like in dangerous positions.

 

[degsy]

I have posted before on this, he has the skills but does not have a "football brain". Takes the wrong option far too often, and at 30 I would rather invest in a younger player that could earn us some money in the future.

Naturally gifted of this there is no doubt, but he's all instinct and even at 30 (too old anyway and if we're buying 30yr old there are better than him) he's barely picked the basics of 'there are some times when the Percentage Ball is the proper ball to play.'

 

[b-rad]

City were interested in Rodwell once. He was the next big thing, until he failed to make it at Sunderland.

But we are comparing different players, and that’s my point really. You aren’t going to get one tenth of the creativity from Onana, despite Onana supposedly being worth six times Barkley’s value.

DCL gets injured and we are screwed from an attacking perspective! We really need more in that regard. I’d rather be bringing Ross Barkley onto the pitch whilst chasing a game, rather than have Idrissa Gueye or whoever launch it up to Beto’s head for the 20th ineffective time.

City weren't just "interested" - they signed him. Played him a dozen times over two years and shipped him off as fast as they could.

 

[degsy]

Onana over Barkley every bloody day of the week.

And there's a largish minority school of thought that Onana is not that effective for us anyway, nevermind Barkley.

The thing is though, we likely need to sell Onana and there's demand.

When Barkley was out with his begging bowl last August and only Luton took a risk late on, Onana has the likes of Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea lining up. Strange, that.

 

[Bedfordblue]

 

[Furey1878]

I don't he'd suit Dyche's system, and given how he jibbed us off initially, it just wouldn't be good for anyone if he had a stinker and the crowd are getting on his back.

He'd be a good signing for someone like Brighton, Palace or Bournemouth I reckon.