Ross Barkley

[Risso]

Last night we saw the player we all thought we were getting - not perfect by any means - but a solid premier league creative force.  I think the next couple of games will be telling - obviously he's done enough to keep his place. 

But, does the Everton game continue to stand out as his "good one", and he reverts to what we've seen over the last couple of months, or, is it a further sign his injury and fitness issues are behind him and this is what a fit Ross Barkley looks like?  There were signs last week, and he was good tonight.  Let's see how he does against a much better side next weekend...

I still woudn't buy him. He's got all his ridiculous childish responses to being subbed on his charge sheet too, as well as way more bad games than good ones.

[saunders_heroes]

Barclay was excellent before the injury and pretty dodgy since he came back. Maybe he isn’t/wasn’t 100% fit? He looked good again yesterday, and it just seems silly to be writing him off so soon. I think he's been turned into a scapegoat for our poor form since January.

[Risso]

Barclay was excellent before the injury and pretty dodgy since he came back. Maybe he isn’t/wasn’t 100% fit? He looked good again yesterday, and it just seems silly to be writing him off so soon. I think he's been turned into a scapegoat for our poor form since January.

Bloody hell, really?

[Allan C]

Barclay was excellent before the injury and pretty dodgy since he came back. Maybe he isn’t/wasn’t 100% fit? He looked good again yesterday, and it just seems silly to be writing him off so soon. I think he's been turned into a scapegoat for our poor form since January.

I agree with most of your points, despite what others on here say, he was good before his injury and Covid but I don’t think he was a scape goat. He is an easy target for criticism though despite others playing as badly. Last night was typical, he started well but lost his man for the goal, and immediately it was “hook Barkley”.

Bloody hell, really?

[SaddVillan]

Nooooo!.

His aggregate form over the games he's played just doesn't justify the fee that Chelsea want or the wages he'd expect.

He is one paced and defensively non-existent, hardly ever makes a challenge, puts his foot in , or tracks back

Now that may be acceptable if you're Messi or Ronaldo, but he definitely isn't.

In the same way that a leopard never changes his spots, he will go down as one of those players who, on his day could be brilliant, but for most of the time just went through the motions.

Given the crop of talent we have coming through I wouldn't want to see the progress of one of them blocked by Barkley taking a squad place, nor would I want to risk them being  negatively influenced by seeing his half hearted efforts being rewarded by a juicy fat contract from Villa.

He was given the chance, but for whatever reason hasn't taken it.

Thanks and cheerio.

Having said all that, it wouldnt surprise me to see him have a worldy against us next season and beat us single-handed.

[CT]

I didn’t want him to start last night, but he had a very good game.

It shows what might have been possible had that performance been shown on a more regular basis. He could have stepped up and led this team. We’d be in the top six and probably looking at spending a fair chunk to keep him permanently.

So well done last night Ross (apart from the defensive corner) , but one good performance in months isn’t what we need, IMO.

[KevinGage]

I am not the only one frustrated by Barkley's performance last night? It was like he was trying to prove a point, but not to the team that's paying his wages, or his parent club, but the club he left years ago.

Player's form can come and go, but the effort should always be there. McGinn is a good example of that. But last night Barkely covered more distance than any other player - where has that effort been for the past 4 or 5 months? He wanted the ball, didn't hide and took responsibility on the pitch. Again where has that been - definitely not there when he was stropping off the pitch.

He has bags of talent - when he can be arsed, but last night was about Ross Barkley, not about Villa's number 20. There are plenty of better options for the £20m-£40m we'd need to buy him.

Aye, that was my concern as well.

We'll see over the next few games if he's truly over his slump or whether last night was a one off in a match that mattered to him. They should all matter to him.

 I've had a wee bit more sympathy than most in that we don't truly know to what extent the injury sustained in November and then the Covid shutdown blunted his progress. But if he reverts to type in the last five it'll look like he picks and chooses his games.

[jwarry]

I’d be happy with a cheeky £50m bid for him and Abraham

[aj2k77]

At fault for the goal.

[OCD]

He shouldn't have been on Calvert-Lewin at set-pieces anyway. It was a complete mismatch. McGinn was on him at the next corner, which again wasn't a good match-up.

I think we'll sign him on another season-long loan deal and use the cash elsewhere. Maybe Abraham.

[frank black]

He shouldn't have been on Calvert-Lewin at set-pieces anyway. It was a complete mismatch. McGinn was on him at the next corner, which again wasn't a good match-up.

I think we'll sign him on another season-long loan deal and use the cash elsewhere. Maybe Abraham.

Rumour that our season loan cost a hell of a lot of money. I expect us to move on from Ross Barkley unless there’s a miraculous turn of form.

[TelfordVilla]

One swallow does not a summer make. Not consistent enough for the money. Better value available elsewhere. Never going to be committed to our shirt. Move on.

[The Edge]

When he signed I was chuffed and had plenty of disagreements with fellow Villa fans who were less than impressed. After his first 10 games or so I thought I'd been proven right. Then after his umpteenth no show I stopped defending him and joined the "no thanks" camp. I'd given up on him. Then last night he went back to being the player I originally thought he was. Now what do I do? Fuck knows anymore. I think he's reading my posts and doing it to wind me up.

[SoccerHQ]

Aside from the shot that hit the post I didn't think he was that productive in final third, Traore was way better imo.

We need to stop falling into the trap of suddenly handing out new deals to players who suddenly come alive end of the season for 4-5 games. Let's remember Barkley was subbed last week after an hour when we were losing so this was first time in months he's actually done full 90 minutes.

Reminds me a bit of when Hendrie just to score a few goals when his contract was running down and he'd get a new one...and people would be moaning about the exact same things 12 months later.

FWIW I'd have signed Barkley if the option was there in January but he's been massively disappointing since then so in a way a year's loan was the best option and think DS has seen enough to look elsewhere for next season.

[Flamingo Lane]

I didn't think he looked especially good or was particularly productive last night.  The free kick when he tried to score from way outside the box was predictable, self-indulgent and wasteful.  True, when the chance of scoring a goal against his former club came into prospect his eyes might light up, otherwise I thought he was incredibly lucky to get a start and I'm not looking forward to seeing him play for us again.