@Woolly Blue, you know that thing you did to this jarg Balague the other day on the Deulofeu thread?
Any chance...?
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@Woolly Blue, you know that thing you did to this jarg Balague the other day on the Deulofeu thread?
Any chance...?
mythbuster
Player Valuation: £35m
Minimeister
Player Valuation: £35m
I've been really impressed with him this season but shocked the way his confidence just sapped after he had that poor shot with about 15 minutes to go and then the next 5 minutes he looked shot. Similar to Rom in that neither are as consistent as we'd like but the ability is there and will hopefully come with experience.
mythbuster
Player Valuation: £35m
Not at all, just making a polite request
Sounds like something Jimmy Savile would say (joke.)
KevMirallas
Player Valuation: £35m
Thought he was fine until the last 15 minutes or so. He's much improved from last season.
II McColl II
Player Valuation: £6m
Sooner or later he needs to be dropped back alongside McCarthy and get a proper #10 in. He has been brilliant this season at just getting it and moving the ball on but the last 15 minutes were the overly eager Ross from last season who tried too much on his own and it was pretty much because by then he was our only attacking option who was impacting the game positively. Mirallas was anonymous, Kone was tired and Naismith got himself about but has no quality with the ball.
Throw in the fact that Barry as most have felt for a while now doesn't even contribute enough in big games as the holding man as he tends to be the problem more than the solution, aside from the southampton game i can't remember the last time Barry had a genuinely good match for the full 90 minutes. Also needs to be considered the few times we have had to play Barkley deeper the games have been so much more exciting, fast paced and attacking. The 3-3 with Liverpool, the 3-1 against QPR, the comeback against Barnsley the other day were him and Deulofeu made it look like we had a whole new XI in the 2nd half.
I also think he would get the best out of McCarthy again who the last few games has looked awful and its because our pressing game has gone, we are having to sit off teams to keep shape, if you compare the McCarthy from RMs 1st season to the current one there is no harrassing the ball, no perfect timed important tackles, the "duracell bunny" engine has vanished and its also preventing us to be able to really throw our FBs forward like we did.
Literally our whole system could be built around Barkley and with the options available in the squad if required and he found form you could then consider Barry but even then i personally believe Besic could play the role similarly to Barkley from deep but with a bit less attacking ability but great defensive cover in the games that its required.
So in conclusion, better attacking play, quicker flowing football instead of sideways and backwards passing catering to Barry in midfield, legs capable of playing a pressing game and probably would suit RMs football philosophy more than Barry does (2 seasons ago Barry was ideal the last season and a bit he's just taking up a position from another squad player) as age has caught up with him far too much. I feel like the Martinez from his 1st season would have considered something like this if he had, had the Barkley we have now 2 years ago because he was fearless in how he got us playing, now though he seems tentative and has lost his early approach so i don't doubt for a second that we will have to put up with Gareth "Plant Pot" Barry until his contract runs down.
Throw in the fact that Barry as most have felt for a while now doesn't even contribute enough in big games as the holding man as he tends to be the problem more than the solution, aside from the southampton game i can't remember the last time Barry had a genuinely good match for the full 90 minutes. Also needs to be considered the few times we have had to play Barkley deeper the games have been so much more exciting, fast paced and attacking. The 3-3 with Liverpool, the 3-1 against QPR, the comeback against Barnsley the other day were him and Deulofeu made it look like we had a whole new XI in the 2nd half.
I also think he would get the best out of McCarthy again who the last few games has looked awful and its because our pressing game has gone, we are having to sit off teams to keep shape, if you compare the McCarthy from RMs 1st season to the current one there is no harrassing the ball, no perfect timed important tackles, the "duracell bunny" engine has vanished and its also preventing us to be able to really throw our FBs forward like we did.
Literally our whole system could be built around Barkley and with the options available in the squad if required and he found form you could then consider Barry but even then i personally believe Besic could play the role similarly to Barkley from deep but with a bit less attacking ability but great defensive cover in the games that its required.
So in conclusion, better attacking play, quicker flowing football instead of sideways and backwards passing catering to Barry in midfield, legs capable of playing a pressing game and probably would suit RMs football philosophy more than Barry does (2 seasons ago Barry was ideal the last season and a bit he's just taking up a position from another squad player) as age has caught up with him far too much. I feel like the Martinez from his 1st season would have considered something like this if he had, had the Barkley we have now 2 years ago because he was fearless in how he got us playing, now though he seems tentative and has lost his early approach so i don't doubt for a second that we will have to put up with Gareth "Plant Pot" Barry until his contract runs down.
deipnosophist
Player Valuation: £80m
Barkley has played well up till today's game...poor.
Disagree mate...things didn't work out, but he was positive in his play. He's defo not the player from last season.
deipnosophist
Player Valuation: £80m
I did say his game up till today has improved a lot over last season. But today he was pretty average. But this is largely Martinez's fault. He provides no width to him for outlet. Martinez is killing the talent, not developing it.
Think you are massively overreacting with that last statement.
Which based on all of your posts since you've logged on, it's not a surprise.
deipnosophist
Player Valuation: £80m
I guess that is because acceptance of mediocrity is a relative perception. Yours is different to mine...modus vivendi
Fair enough.
Based on last season's performances, I am generally feeling we are heading in the right direction.
Sadly Clev going down today hurts that, as I think he was proving to be a difference maker for us.
I am not at all surprised we struggled today after 120 minutes against Barnsley on Wednesday night.
If we were injury free, I'd feel different, but the fact we had to play Oviedo 210+ minutes is telling.
deipnosophist
Player Valuation: £80m
All good points mate...and today's performance mitigations inherent therein are noted. But is there not an iota of your footballing sensibilities that raise concern toward the fact that Martinez's team set up is not playing toward enhancing Barkley's talents and progression. We are SO narrow. Barkley should be played deeper (bye Barry) with width outlets (wingers). It drives me nuts to see how Martinez sets our team up.
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See, I don't see it that way. It's like people have it stuck in their FIFA/FM brains that playing Kone and Clev out wide is immediately narrowing the play. I've watched the games, and it's simply not the case. Everyone wants to see Del and Mirallas starting on the wings...fair enough if we try it, but for me Del is an impact sub...that's his role.
I won't disagree with you that Barkley should be deeper...Bobby also sees it IMO. His subs in the Watford match show that. People want to slate him for being stubborn, but he completely changed the shape for the Watford match and did the same for Barnsley. Maybe he's gun shy away vs a PL side.
My gut feeling is that Bobby hoped Ross would be his #10 to help bring him to CL football. He's realized that while Ross offers loads, he's not the locksmith we need to unlock those parked buses.
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