Ross Barkley

[brontebilly]

Did he look a bit mardy when he went off?  Took about ten minutes to walk round the pitch.

I wonder if that had anything to do with southgate in the stands. If he ain't doing it for Villa, he won't be doing it for england.

I think Barkley is very much deluded if he thinks he is anywhere near the standard of the players England have in his position. You simply can't afford to take a chance on him in a midfield three. This clip was shared online last night but he has been at this all season off the ball, those defeats from Leeds and Soton I think he made the same carbon copy lack of effort that cost us goals
https://twitter.com/ChipEighteen/status/1357102820260995072?s=08

If he wants an armchair ride at 10, he is up against the likes of Madison and Jack who are streets ahead of him. If he starts focusing on becoming a regular EPL midfielder capable of playing 8 or 10, he has an awful lot of improving to do based on recent seasons.

[Drummond]

He's playing more than training right now. That says it all to me. He needs a breather on Saturday I reckon, perhaps bring him on if needed later in the game. Let him train and then try him again. He's quality and will show it again for us.

[London Villan]

Lindgard went past him in the pecking order last night.

[nick harper]

Did he look a bit mardy when he went off?  Took about ten minutes to walk round the pitch.

I wonder if that had anything to do with southgate in the stands. If he ain't doing it for Villa, he won't be doing it for england.

I think Barkley is very much deluded if he thinks he is anywhere near the standard of the players England have in his position. You simply can't afford to take a chance on him in a midfield three. This clip was shared online last night but he has been at this all season off the ball, those defeats from Leeds and Soton I think he made the same carbon copy lack of effort that cost us goals
https://twitter.com/ChipEighteen/status/1357102820260995072?s=08

If he wants an armchair ride at 10, he is up against the likes of Madison and Jack who are streets ahead of him. If he starts focusing on becoming a regular EPL midfielder capable of playing 8 or 10, he has an awful lot of improving to do based on recent seasons.

And what did you make of his goal v Southampton?
Or his goal Vs Leicester
Match Winner

Tracking runners from midfield is basic stuff and a minimum requirement as a midfielder. We know he can score goals but that is a real dereliction of his responsibilities to his team mates.

[Mister E]

Put simply: he doesn't do enough to justify the undoubtedly-inflated price tag that Chelsea will ask of us.
Against a solid 2-man holding midfield of Rice and Soucek, he was ineffectual.

[brontebilly]

Did he look a bit mardy when he went off?  Took about ten minutes to walk round the pitch.

I wonder if that had anything to do with southgate in the stands. If he ain't doing it for Villa, he won't be doing it for england.

I think Barkley is very much deluded if he thinks he is anywhere near the standard of the players England have in his position. You simply can't afford to take a chance on him in a midfield three. This clip was shared online last night but he has been at this all season off the ball, those defeats from Leeds and Soton I think he made the same carbon copy lack of effort that cost us goals
https://twitter.com/ChipEighteen/status/1357102820260995072?s=08

If he wants an armchair ride at 10, he is up against the likes of Madison and Jack who are streets ahead of him. If he starts focusing on becoming a regular EPL midfielder capable of playing 8 or 10, he has an awful lot of improving to do based on recent seasons.

And what did you make of his goal v Southampton?
Or his goal Vs Leicester
Match Winner

Nice goals for sure footy. But in truth he didn't play particularly well in either of those games. He was a complete passenger at Soton up to that goal. His best game for us by far was at Arsenal I think. I don't think we are good enough to carry his lack of workrate without the ball, especially if someone like Traore is also in the team. We got away with it at Soton when we were screaming for changes.

They aren't helped that our midfield two haven't been in great form for some time now. They aren't playing like a pair and whether it was per instruction from the sideline or just indiscipline but McGinn particularly was too far ahead of the ball last night. We need a solid two in there to hold their positions.

[danno]

Did he look a bit mardy when he went off?  Took about ten minutes to walk round the pitch.

I wonder if that had anything to do with southgate in the stands. If he ain't doing it for Villa, he won't be doing it for england.

I think Barkley is very much deluded if he thinks he is anywhere near the standard of the players England have in his position. You simply can't afford to take a chance on him in a midfield three. This clip was shared online last night but he has been at this all season off the ball, those defeats from Leeds and Soton I think he made the same carbon copy lack of effort that cost us goals
https://twitter.com/ChipEighteen/status/1357102820260995072?s=08

If he wants an armchair ride at 10, he is up against the likes of Madison and Jack who are streets ahead of him. If he starts focusing on becoming a regular EPL midfielder capable of playing 8 or 10, he has an awful lot of improving to do based on recent seasons.

And what did you make of his goal v Southampton?
Or his goal Vs Leicester
Match Winner

Nice goals for sure footy. But in truth he didn't play particularly well in either of those games. He was a complete passenger at Soton up to that goal. His best game for us by far was at Arsenal I think. I don't think we are good enough to carry his lack of workrate without the ball, especially if someone like Traore is also in the team. We got away with it at Soton when we were screaming for changes.

They aren't helped that our midfield two haven't been in great form for some time now. They aren't playing like a pair and whether it was per instruction from the sideline or just indiscipline but McGinn particularly was too far ahead of the ball last night. We need a solid two in there to hold their positions.

I inferred from Smith's post match comments that this was instructed:

“I’ll have to reflect, I changed the system a little bit here, just tweaked it and went one and the two in midfield, upon reflection, a two and one probably would have suited us better. And Ross as well as a No.10.

[brontebilly]

Did he look a bit mardy when he went off?  Took about ten minutes to walk round the pitch.

I wonder if that had anything to do with southgate in the stands. If he ain't doing it for Villa, he won't be doing it for england.

I think Barkley is very much deluded if he thinks he is anywhere near the standard of the players England have in his position. You simply can't afford to take a chance on him in a midfield three. This clip was shared online last night but he has been at this all season off the ball, those defeats from Leeds and Soton I think he made the same carbon copy lack of effort that cost us goals
https://twitter.com/ChipEighteen/status/1357102820260995072?s=08

If he wants an armchair ride at 10, he is up against the likes of Madison and Jack who are streets ahead of him. If he starts focusing on becoming a regular EPL midfielder capable of playing 8 or 10, he has an awful lot of improving to do based on recent seasons.

And what did you make of his goal v Southampton?
Or his goal Vs Leicester
Match Winner

Nice goals for sure footy. But in truth he didn't play particularly well in either of those games. He was a complete passenger at Soton up to that goal. His best game for us by far was at Arsenal I think. I don't think we are good enough to carry his lack of workrate without the ball, especially if someone like Traore is also in the team. We got away with it at Soton when we were screaming for changes.

They aren't helped that our midfield two haven't been in great form for some time now. They aren't playing like a pair and whether it was per instruction from the sideline or just indiscipline but McGinn particularly was too far ahead of the ball last night. We need a solid two in there to hold their positions.

I inferred from Smith's post match comments that this was instructed:

“I’ll have to reflect, I changed the system a little bit here, just tweaked it and went one and the two in midfield, upon reflection, a two and one probably would have suited us better. And Ross as well as a No.10.

Was that change just after half time? We certainly looked to be playing a flat midfield three in the second half (McGinn/Luiz, Barkley). Didn't work anyway.

Thought it looked a standard midfield two in the first half but they were all over us in midfield throughout.

[danno]

I think the plan was for Barkley and McGinn to press high and engage Soucek and Rice. Leaving Luiz spare to track the runs of Lingard.

So...                                                    Rather than

Grealish Watkins El Ghazi          Grealish Watkins El Ghazi 
    Barkley McGinn                                    Barkley
            Luiz                                          McGinn Luiz

It was difficult to see what we doing to be honest. I did wonder why McGinn of all people was starting the press last night on occasion. Given that Barkley didn't seem to be tracking anyone...

It ended up being more Leftover Turkey than Christmas Tree formation!

[Risso]

Whatever the plans were, not one of them were put into action. We didn't get hold of Lingard once all evening, and Rice and Soucek will rarely have an easier evening.

[OCD]

The difference between Lingard and Barkley last night was night and day and highlights what we should be looking to get from a number 10. I started the night from quite a neutral viewpoint but I finished it thinking we must be able to do better for that position in the summer. For one, Lingard already looks like he would have been the better bet last summer if Solskjaer was prepared to let him go.

[Stinkin_Thinkin]

Barkley is often a barometer for how we play. When he makes an impact Villa are awesome. But when he's awful so are Villa.
He needs to show more urgency off the ball, at the moment its just jockeying and jogging. If he can't win it make the foul don't let people just ghost past.
The good thing is he can learn the bits that are missing. Luiz was similar last season and Traore in his first few games.
Someone really needs to have the chat with him. He's 27 If he doesn't makes a success of this loan there is no way he is going back to chelsea's first team, he'll be sold to a fulham, west brom or at best/worst newcastle.  Look at Henri Lansbury, It's a short career Ross.

[brontebilly]

The difference between Lingard and Barkley last night was night and day and highlights what we should be looking to get from a number 10. I started the night from quite a neutral viewpoint but I finished it thinking we must be able to do better for that position in the summer. For one, Lingard already looks like he would have been the better bet last summer if Solskjaer was prepared to let him go.

Lets not get ahead of ourselves with Lingard. Last two seasons for United, he got 5 goals in 50 odd league games. His career has been big time on the drift and hasnt been getting a kick with United this season so far. Similar enough age/profile to Barkley really. Martinez helped his two goals into the net last night. Fair play to him, he did very well. Barkley scored for us on his debut too.

[chrisw1]

The difference between Lingard and Barkley last night was night and day and highlights what we should be looking to get from a number 10. I started the night from quite a neutral viewpoint but I finished it thinking we must be able to do better for that position in the summer. For one, Lingard already looks like he would have been the better bet last summer if Solskjaer was prepared to let him go.

So you've drawn the conclusion from one game that Lingard would have been a better bet than Barkley last summer?  Entitely reasonable to draw your conclusion from such a large pool of evidence.  I presume you've similarly concluded that Marinez is rubbish and Jack not all he's cracked up to be?

Remind me, how did Barkley play in his first game for Villa?

[OCD]

You're quite right to say that it remains to be seen as to whether Lingard just had a very good debut or whether it was just a good start to a 6-month loan.

However, I have had 6 months of watching Barkley, while he's been fit and he can be very passive. He has a really good relationship with Grealish which is a big pro but I would want to see more from him from the second half of the season before I would pay out what Chelsea will demand for him.