Ross Barkley

[Stephenlloyd]

He has an incredibly lazy mentality to his defending is the biggest reason. I blame martinez tbh. You can't be a luxury player and want to play that deep.

Frankly none will agree with me that I think he is better off playing in a front three with lukaku and deulofeu if we ever play that well. His biggest strength his dribbling and He simply doesn't show any signs of wanting to defend for his club only attack

I have thought for a while now that he needs a new manager, a tough manager to take his game to the next level.

Martinez has been great for him, to let him make mistakes and improve with virtually no pressure.
That needs to change now

 

[dannyboy]

I have thought for a while now that he needs a new manager, a tough manager to take his game to the next level.

Martinez has been great for him, to let him make mistakes and improve with virtually no pressure.
That needs to change now

This is a good point. There's absolutely no reason why Barkley can't add a bit more work ethic to his game. His heading ability is something he could really work on like Rooney did too.

 

[Pabbers]

Work rate and heading ffs, England in a nutshell!!!!

 

[Bluebonic]

Work rate and heading ffs, England in a nutshell!!!!

I think Barkley would be pulled on his workrate if he played for Barca mate? The top teams all pull their weight, or they dont get played! I dont mind that he doesnt tackle ( well, not much anyway) as he suffered a horrendous leg break that could have ended his career, I cant blame him if that still plays on his mind. but if he is to be moulded into a top CM then I am afraid workrate is an absolute necessity!

I dont want to see him to see him running around like a headless chicken, but nor do I expect a lifelong blue, to trot backwards after a ball he has lost, i exoect to see him bust a gut to get back and help his team? I dont think that ish unreasonable.

 

[Pabbers]

I think Barkley would be pulled on his workrate if he played for Barca mate? The top teams all pull their weight, or they dont get played! I dont mind that he doesnt tackle ( well, not much anyway) as he suffered a horrendous leg break that could have ended his career, I cant blame him if that still plays on his mind. but if he is to be moulded into a top CM then I am afraid workrate is an absolute necessity!

I dont want to see him to see him running around like a headless chicken, but nor do I expect a lifelong blue, to trot backwards after a ball he has lost, i exoect to see him bust a gut to get back and help his team? I dont think that ish unreasonable.

Not 1 of the top attacking midfielders do this in the prem all the time, and they are all foreign.

Ross does do it at times tho.

 

[Saint Domingo]

Bashing Ross? Have a word with yourself, one of the premium attacking players in the prem and he's blue through and through. The problem with this team is not Ross Barkley. So what if he's rubbish at headers? A good manager moves him out of the danger zone and has him on the edge of the box when we're defending corners or on one of the posts. Martinez continues to put him in the 6 yard box up against the oppositions beat headers of the ball. That's poor management.

 

[Paulie]

I think it was the best and worst of Barkley this weekend.

 

[loooweee]

Does barkley know which position he prefers to play? Cm or am? I think he been back and forth with it tbh really hope to see 4231 gone when the manager leaves

 

[EFC78]

Not 1 of the top attacking midfielders do this in the prem all the time, and they are all foreign.

Ross does do it at times tho.

I've been one of Barkley's staunchest supporters but I do think his lack of aggression and tracking back deserves some criticism. I reckon his bad injury has put him off 50/50's but if that's the case he can still do things to put the opposition players off and not make it so easy for them. Likewise in the air. I do actually think the point about a new manager may be valid with both him and Stones now as Stones in particular hasn't addressed his weaknesses and it's as if he gets a free pass from the manager despite it being detrimental to the team.

Having said all of that, at times on Saturday I thought Barkley was a different class yet again and showed the gulf in talent between himself and an average journeyman like Mark Noble. Another area of Barkley's game that needs work is his decisiveness in the final third but that comes from him still being young.

There aren't many better players than Barkley striding forward with the ball though. A joy to watch at times and he made things look so easy the other day at various points in the game.

 

[Pabbers]

I've been one of Barkley's staunchest supporters but I do think his lack of aggression and tracking back deserves some criticism. I reckon his bad injury has put him off 50/50's but if that's the case he can still do things to put the opposition players off and not make it so easy for them. Likewise in the air. I do actually think the point about a new manager may be valid with both him and Stones now as Stones in particular hasn't addressed his weaknesses and it's as if he gets a free pass from the manager despite it being detrimental to the team.

Having said all of that, at times on Saturday I thought Barkley was a different class yet again and showed the gulf in talent between himself and an average journeyman like Mark Noble. Another area of Barkley's game that needs work is his decisiveness in the final third but that comes from him still being young.

There aren't many better players than Barkley striding forward with the ball though. A joy to watch at times and he made things look so easy the other day at various points in the game.

What I don't get is why do we use every aspect of football, when describing Ross or talking about what he is supposedly not good at.

Pirlo is slow and cant head, and does zero of tracking players, Scholes cant tackle or head. Gerrard is terrible defensive, Lampard doesn't track, Pele cant tackle. Xavi cant head or tackle and is slow, Iniesta cant tackle, Maldini did not tackle. We are so negative.

 

[dannyboy]

Bashing Ross? Have a word with yourself, one of the premium attacking players in the prem and he's blue through and through. The problem with this team is not Ross Barkley. So what if he's rubbish at headers? A good manager moves him out of the danger zone and has him on the edge of the box when we're defending corners or on one of the posts. Martinez continues to put him in the 6 yard box up against the oppositions beat headers of the ball. That's poor management.

No it's not but the issues Barkley has pretty much sum up a Martinez team.

Heading is such a huge part of the game, it's something you can actually practice and become good at as well, but I very much doubt anything's done on the training ground.

People can say it's the English mentality that you need to work hard and practice things like heading, but there's a reason why this squad of players find themselves below West Brom in the table.

 

[Osamabindiesel]

What I don't get is why do we use every aspect of football, when describing Ross or talking about what he is supposedly not good at.

Pirlo is slow and cant head, and does zero of tracking players, Scholes cant tackle or head. Gerrard is terrible defensive, Lampard doesn't track, Pele cant tackle. Xavi cant head or tackle and is slow, Iniesta cant tackle, Maldini did not tackle. We are so negative.

I think Barkley has the frame to make and take tough challenges though. If he were ever to reach his full potential, I think he would be more in the mold of Yaya Toure than some of the players mentioned above. Barkley is a big lad, but I'm not sure he has the mentality to be that kind of player though.

 

[sageyefc]

Could do with pressing his nearest man at times

 

[Pabbers]

I think Barkley has the frame to make and take tough challenges though. If he were ever to reach his full potential, I think he would be more in the mold of Yaya Toure than some of the players mentioned above. Barkley is a big lad, but I'm not sure he has the mentality to be that kind of player though.

But yaya is poor defensive, always hase been and is not good at all at tracking back and tackling. He even takes corners so doesnt even try to win headers.

All players have what some may say are weak parts to their game, even the best that we have mentioned.....never stopped them getting to the top....yet some people say these same things hold ross back, they dont.

 

[EFC78]

What I don't get is why do we use every aspect of football, when describing Ross or talking about what he is supposedly not good at.

Pirlo is slow and cant head, and does zero of tracking players, Scholes cant tackle or head. Gerrard is terrible defensive, Lampard doesn't track, Pele cant tackle. Xavi cant head or tackle and is slow, Iniesta cant tackle, Maldini did not tackle. We are so negative.

Well a lot of our fans are too negative I agree, and I do see your point. But there are always improvements to be made in every players game. There are only a handful of players who don't really need to change their weaknesses as they are so good anyway. Messi being so one footed for example.

I think Ross would be a better player with a bit more aggression and considering his physique and athletic ability, I see no reason why he can't add it to his game. I'd sooner he concentrated on his through balls at the moment though as the rest of his attacking game is superb.