Ross Barkley

[Goldenballs]

Yeah that video is a weird one, staggering about talking to himself. Thank god it's only a loan.

[olaftab]

Is he still here?

[Risso]

I'm sure I read that 10 of our first team squad had Covid-19, perhaps it's affecting him. Because I'm amazed that a professional could seem to perform so badly without a good reason.

It was 9 players, but it could have been anybody out of the first team or U23's. Before the first game back this was reported:

"A lot of the players and staff were asymptomatic, but some symptoms crept up on people. I told one of the players that he'd had a positive test and he felt fine.

"He said, 'No chance, I'm in a good place.' Two days later when I spoke to him he was lying in bed with aches and pains.

"The hard part is to evaluate the players' recovery because we've only had a three-day build-up to Man City," said Smith, who is still without one unnamed coronavirus-affected player but does have Ross Barkley available for the first time in two months after hamstring trouble.

"We can't push them as much as you would like to assess their fitness levels, but that's no excuse.

"We've had an awful lot of players who have not had Covid at all, they've had 10 days of rest which other Premier League players haven't had."

So somebody was ill, but it doesn't sound like it was Barkley from that.

[Drummond]

Maybe he's just realised he's fucked everything up then. Because something sure as hell isn't right with him.

He's never come across as a bad un to me before. Erratic at times and makes some odd choices in possession but he's really off form.

[Ian.]

He’s certainly not right at all, he looks so shot in that clip, it’s hard to believe it’s the same fella who terrorised the same side earlier in the season. It’s a bit worrying that he’s made the squad really based in the clips I’ve seen. It doesn’t just like loss of form, he looks proper out of it.

[Neil Hawkes]

Is the clip still available?

[JD]

That clip looks very unsettling. Looks like a person going through a hard time and his head space not being right. Surely the club should look at this and not play him again. If he does have psychological problems I hate to say it, but that is Chelsea's problem to deal with, not Villa's.
We should cut the loan, regardless if we have to pay and just send him back. His headspace has completely gone. 

[Nii Lamptey]

He offers absolutely nothing to our squad. HOW Smith gave him pitch time ahead of Keinan at the weekend still blows my mind?!

We're safe, we've blown any remote chance of Europe (and probably for the best), so get the kids in and give them some first team experience. Why play him when it's basically the equivalent of going a man down? Surely we're not thinking of making him permanent in the summer?? Terminating the loan early and sending him back to London would be the best option for us.

[London Villan]

It would be interesting if there were fans in the ground - I'm sure the message would get through about the lack of effort not being acceptable.

[Mossie Hennebry]

It would be interesting if there were fans in the ground - I'm sure the message would get through about the lack of effort not being acceptable.

I think he would be gone if the away section saw him lumbering around with the game in the mixer.

[Risso]

He offers absolutely nothing to our squad. HOW Smith gave him pitch time ahead of Keinan at the weekend still blows my mind?!

We're safe, we've blown any remote chance of Europe (and probably for the best), so get the kids in and give them some first team experience. Why play him when it's basically the equivalent of going a man down? Surely we're not thinking of making him permanent in the summer?? Terminating the loan early and sending him back to London would be the best option for us.

Did the same last year with Drinkwater. Baffling.

[paul_e]

I think Drinkwater was a panic loan when they realised how long McGinn was going to be out for with the idea that he'd bring a bit of experience into a midfield that was very short on premier league experience.

[Footy-Vill]

Opportunity calls again now for Ross. Several injuries to other players have now placed him back into the first eleven.
The timing is good for him as he is nearing full match fitness just needs to be picking up the sharpness

Every chance Barkley will get a run of games now to season end
Interesting to see how he now performs as he's given the platform
A success in performance and contributing and he'll be signed.

Otherwise he won't be.
So let's see what he can bring.

[Risso]

Opportunity calls again now for Ross. Several injuries to other players have now placed him back into the first eleven.
The timing is good for him as he is nearing full match fitness just needs to be picking up the sharpness

I think of all the wrong things you post, that's the wrongest yet.  Back in the first eleven my arse.

[CT]

How long does he need to get fit from a hamstring injury?

Injured around mid November, it’s now mid April, but he’s “nearing full fitness”.