This isn't a reply trying to [Poor language removed] Barkley off but you mention that he's had 20 more touches of the ball than Sigurdsson on average but Barkley comes deep and does needless passes between him and the other players and an example of this was the first half Saturday on the right wing where he dropped in deep, took the ball from Coleman, played it short to Davies, got it back, played into Coleman, got it back, give it back to Coleman, who then told Barkley to go inside to Schneiderlin I think it was and he gave it short to Davies instead, all in that right wing area still who eventually did give it inside to Schneiderlin and we attempted to develope the play. So in that passage of play Barkley had numerous touches of the ball but we got absolutely nowhere with it, didn't create space or get forward so it was needless and he does that a lot I've noticed over the years so sometimes it's better to have less touches, but have more of an influence on games than have loads of touches and not do a thing.
Now I don't truly believe Barkley is an attacking mid. If he plays at No.10 or of late, wide right in a front 3, he tends to drop very deep and go searching for the ball, over crowding the centre of the park and in turn isolating Lukaku up front. And he doesn't always look to want to get in the box, go beyond Lukaku and get goals. He does get one or two don't get me wrong, but to me he seems a player that wants to be in the middle and on the ball and make the team tick. But I don't think Koeman quite trusts his tactical awareness and defensive discipline to play in a deeper role.
But you watch Sigurdsson and he does want to break out from midfield and get in the box and on the end of things. He does want to get in there and score goals or create and we definitely lack a midfielder like that and that type would compliment both the styles of Gueye & Schneiderlin imo and it's all about fitting together the right styles.
