Ross Barkley

[KevinGage]

He is definitely Premier League top 6 > 8 quality. But a player of his type will usually blow hot and cold.

I'd still do the deal if Chelsea don't do a pisstake on the price.

[ChicagoLion]

Possibly his position is one where we can make a first team improvement. How much would Chelsea want? £40m? Could we find better? It's a tough one.

I am concerned that his fitness problems are long term, I would not pay Chelsea anything because I do not think he can make a long term consistant contribution to the team.
Could be another Micah Richards type situation.

[London Villan]

He has 20 games to prove himself.

[ChicagoLion]

He has 20 games to prove himself.

Yes good point, I wonder how many he will play.

[eamonn]

I'd be interested in those who paid attention to him at Chelsea to judge whether this is as good as it gets from him.

[ChicagoLion]

I'd be interested in those who paid attention to him at Chelsea to judge whether this is as good as it gets from him.

someone put the stats up and it wasnt great.

[brontebilly]

Possibly his position is one where we can make a first team improvement. How much would Chelsea want? £40m? Could we find better? It's a tough one.

Look at his stats at Chelsea and even at the Everton. Why didn't Conte rate him I wonder?  Chelsea won't be getting a fraction of 40m for him no matter where he ends up. He's not top 6-8 club standard. I think there is far more scope in both Luiz and McGinn to improve than Barkley.

Alli and Eriksen to mention two would be better value I think.

[Risso]

Possibly his position is one where we can make a first team improvement. How much would Chelsea want? £40m? Could we find better? It's a tough one.

I am concerned that his fitness problems are long term, I would not pay Chelsea anything because I do not think he can make a long term consistant contribution to the team.
Could be another Micah Richards type situation.

Yes, as I mentioned yesterday, when talking about Sanson, Smith said they looked at "toughness" as a key attribute when bringing players in, and they wanted everybody to have played 70% of their matches over the last three years (something like that anyway). They must have been hoping that Barkley's talent trumps this requirement, because he very much doesn't fit this criteria.

[Small Rodent]

You can see he is trying. Sometimes too hard, maybe. And he certainly has the talent.

[Bryan]

Possibly his position is one where we can make a first team improvement. How much would Chelsea want? £40m? Could we find better? It's a tough one.

Look at his stats at Chelsea and even at the Everton. Why didn't Conte rate him I wonder?  Chelsea won't be getting a fraction of 40m for him no matter where he ends up. He's not top 6-8 club standard. I think there is far more scope in both Luiz and McGinn to improve than Barkley.

Alli and Eriksen to mention two would be better value I think.

What would Coutinho cost?

[OzVilla]

Obviously he still needs to show us what he’s got in the 2nd half of the season but I think he’d be a good signing at the right price. He’s tailor made for our style and he’s a good age. His injury record between now and May will determine the price.

[The_ads]

I’d be dropping him today as he looks totally off it and AEG is incredibly unlucky to be warming the bench again, poor fella was nominated for player of the month a few weeks ago.

[Abbeyfealeavfc]

Nice goal by Barkley but there is no way I would be paying big money to bring him to VP. Chelski fans on tw-atter are saying his goals vs Soton and Leicester have upped his selling price. Without the ball he is just a passenger. He doesn't know how to press and I'd be interested to know his stats on winning tackles and interceptions. Near our goal he's a liability. I should imagine the last thing Smith said before play yesterday was don't give away any free kicks for Prowse to take advantage of. Only Barkley gave one away which fortunately our wall dealt with.
Imo he should have been subbed 2nd half to bring new energy to the midfield...



(...got to drive his price down

[PaulWinch again]

That goal was brilliant. Great movement and superb placement of the header.

[Ads]

Disagree, as I thought he was good off the ball second half, dropping much deeper towards our own 18 yard box

Felt it was their shape of effectively having 3 at the back with the way the full backs stepped out and the wide forwards went narrow to swamp as a press, that caused us issues first half.