2017/18 Ross Barkley

[Barnfred 55]

scoring a few goals a season and getting a few assists doesn't make you a great player, it makes you bang average.
Doing it consistently on a weekly basis, like de Bruyne, Hazard etc makes you a good player.

he has ability, he can pick the odd pass, but not enough. he has zero ability to tackle though which makes him a luxury player. In order for a team to accommodate a luxury player like that, they need to contribute significantly to justify their

None of that makes him a "waste of space" which is what you are being picked up on mate. They're words you reserve of the likes of Martina and Niasse (in his initial spell I may add).

Neither does not being as good as De Bruyne or Hazard make him a bang average player.

 

[Paul E]

Can you explain what you're basing the bit I've bolded on?

What has given you this impression.

Because he was openly scapegoated on numerous occasion by Koeman and was not offered a new contract until late last season. Then the rumours were the contract wasn't what he was expecting given the next wave of obscene money to the league. After that he was openly criticised by Moshiri to deflect from his own lack of ambition and support for the previous manager. Not buying another forward or the defender Koeman often spoke of was criminal. Particularly the former.

Whilst Barkley may have had his head turned at some point (they all do), the club have messed this up and are now looking for ways to appease the fans by blaming the player. Most of you lap it up too.

 

[gianthogweed]

Sad to see him go but he ain't been that great has he few good games here and there
he is the type of player who will just be a squad player at one of the top 4 clubs a bit like Drinkwater at chelsea
good luck to him

 

[People75]

The golden child. Get's away with everything.

There is just something "off" about, the way he handle himself, in this world.

Him and the snail-derlin.

 

[EFCPaul]

While some of this is definitely true, it could be said also for 98% of our entire squad.

I agree but none of our current squad received anywhere near the love this lad got. The whole club is filled with losers and a loser's mentality. People get comfortable when they've not actually achieved anything and don't like being told the home truths. Koeman tried to deliver them and got a lot of things right IMO, just his signings let him down in the end. I though backed him to the hilt on this issue, Barkley got above himself drastically and somebody had to set him straight publicly.

 

[toffeejack]

Exactly. Not uttered one word that's been inflammatory...which has irritated his army of detractors no end, hence their reaching for daft phrases like "rat".

I know who the real rat is in this football club and it isn't a footballer.

That carpet bagger must be pissing himself laughing at some fans lashing out at players when his two year reign of chaos is to blame.

imagine blaming moshiri instead of barkley haha jesus dave, one's an evertonian and one isn't. The one who isn't is the one trying to move us forward, getting us a new stadium etc. The one who is an evertonian is someone who mugged us off out of getting £35m, despite us helping aid him through three massive major injuries.

 

[willo30]

What saw Lukaku out the door was that first summer of non investment by Moshiri.

And a bigger club than us came in for him. He was making noises as soon as he signed for us that he saw us a stepping stone.
The people who are spending his money I have more a problem with at the moment.

 

[jackyboy]

Has anyone blamed the fans yet? Surely it's our fault Stones left as well? Lukaku too?

 

[Timak]

I agree but none of our current squad received anywhere near the love this lad got. The whole club is filled with losers and a loser's mentality. People get comfortable when they've not actually achieved anything and don't like being told the home truths. Koeman tried to deliver them and got a lot of things right IMO, just his signings let him down in the end. I though backed him to the hilt on this issue, Barkley got above himself drastically and somebody had to set him straight publicly.

So Koeman came in, publicly humiliated the player (rather than having a quiet word) and we've ended up losing a £40m player (£80m if we were buying him) for nothing. I wouldn't say the tactic worked at all.

 

[Michael Tsui]

My only quip is that we didn't sell him 2 years ago.

 

[ProZ]

Allardyce has drove him out the fat so and so

 

[EFC78]

You're absolutely right Neil. I believe the fans in particular were very supportive of Lukaku, despite his numerous verbal outbursts. And initially, couldn't have been more behind Stones after his transfer request. However you can't deny the feelings by part of the crowd towards Stones did change which probably made his leaving a bit easier (in his mind) when it finally did happen.

Little bit different with Barkley. I don't believe he was ever booed as such, but as a STH for the last 4 years, I wish somebody gave me a quid for every time I heard a collective groan if he gave the ball away or held on to it too long. Or didn't see a pass that the rest of us could, or slotted one high into the stands from 30 yards. The complaints and abusive comments were clearly audible, especially on those numerous "quiet" days. Incredibly in many of those games he was probably our best player, but fuses have been always short where Ross is concerned. Probably because expectation is so high.

Anyway, todays announcement is nothing new. Apart from the deluded few, we all knew that Barkley would either be sold this window or see out his contract. I'm angry with the player for the part he has played in this, but more angry at the club for their total inability to bring in a replacement for him (and Lukaku). I just can't believe how far we've fallen from 18 months ago. We've lost our 5 best players and not properly replaced any of them. We're just an absolute joke.

Pretty accurate summary there.

As a player I've always rated him and think talent wise he is right up there. But he also has major flaws, the 3 glaring ones for me being - a hunger and desire at all times (like a Dele Alli), his decision making, and his fragile mentality. I've seen him strolling round the pitch at Anfield not looking bothered, shirking aerial challenges and slowly ambling towards 50/50s as we're getting humiliated 4-0. That isn't what you'd expect from a top player, especially a local Evertonian. I hate to have to mention him but he's the complete opposite in those 3 things I mentioned to Steven Gerrard and you'd never see him behaving like that in a Merseyside Derby either.

As for the stick Barkley took from the fans. I think those who claim it's a myth that he was treated more harshly have missed it for whatever reason. The atmosphere at times towards the team during the failed Martinez seasons was poisonous towards all players, but none suffered more anger from the fans than Barkley did in my opinion. Maybe Howard would have, but then any save he would make would be met with applause from the whole ground which is natural for a Goalkeeper so he would have been reassured by that.

That said, Barkley also had numerous occasions where he was shown support by the fanbase as a whole - the song we had for him and several banners. Yet his weak mentality has allowed him to focus on the fact that a section of our fans strongly dislike him rather than taking encouragement from those that did value him. And that is why I don't think he has the mentality to have an impact at Spurs that someone like Dele Alli has, or Frank Lampard did at Chelsea.

I won't boo him, unless he behaves like Rooney did when he plays against us, but I have little respect left for him and how he's treated the club in recent months and think wanting to leave Everton at this moment for a club like Spurs is a strange move from a Boyhood fan. Spurs (if he does go there) are doing great at the moment but they aren't Man United and can't see them winning more than a few cups, by which time, we could have made progress ourselves.

 

[toffeejack]

Such a shame.

We've missed him so much this season and will miss him massively.

Don't be surprised if he goes and ends up being back here by the start of the 2019-2020 season, though!

Shame on the club for letting it get to this stage. Shame on Koeman for being so blunt. Shame on Ross for not manning up and seeing how much he'd improved last season and now wanting to jump ship.

A s*** show from start to finish. Should have been handed a new deal in the 15/16 season, instead we let it drift.

Well done Everton. And thanks for nothing, Ross. Could have been a legend here, lad. Instead you'll go down as a player with all the talent in the world who could never make a proper decision!

Still not sure if it's all to do with that scrap thing in L'Pool last year, but it is what it is.

the sad part is that we wouldn't have missed him if klaassen turned into the player we thought we were buying. I think we bought him expecting to sell ross in the summer. Until the utter toad decided i couldn't be bothered and got us to milk his medical fees. I hope to god some sort of agreement is in place for him to be sold for a substantial sum now that we've paid to get him the treatment.

In my opinion, we shouldn't have been paying for that for him as soon as he decided to do a u-turn and cost us £35m. If we don't get a fee now i will be distraught at the way we paid him a year's worth of wages and medical bills, all to aid another club. If he could come back and get us CL and then go on a free that would be totally different, but right now, he can't do anything for our season.

 

[bluestevon]

Stones, Del, Lukaku, Barkley, I pinned my hopes on those 4 leading us to glory whilst playing beautiful football. If we'd matched their ambition we could have held onto them, instead we spent stupid money on average players and will probably continue to do so in an attempt to replace what were genuinely world class young players that could have been here for years to come (with possibly the exception of the inconsistent Del).

It's ok guys, don't panic we've got Ashley Williams lined up to replace John Stones.

No no like we said before guys, no panic needed cos we've got an untried youngster from Sheff Utd to replace Lukaku.

Panic you say? pffft We've got all the creativity we need to replace Barkley in our £45m Icelandic god

*Sigh*

Just shut up Everton and don't patronise us whilst you spunk £27m on a nobody from Turkey as some kind of sweetener for flogging our best talent in years.

No you're partly joking mate, but Stones would always have went City as soon as they called, and Lukaku would always have wanted to leave to a already established bigger club, Del was and still isn't good enough to pine over the one lunged wonder boy, as for Barkley, he can get to f' really, 24 and still being talked about as potential sums him up, made more headlines for being sparked out for banging some scrote of a bird and for the will he won't he saga, ultimately could end up being a perma crock or washed up player after that hamstring rip anyway.

 

[DanEFC92]

Hope his knees explode on his debut