Ross Barkley

[Villan_of_oz]

10 minutes ago, It's Your Round said:

We’ve come along way from this time last year. We’re debating whether Smith is right to try and play Barkley into fitness, whereas 12 months ago he was trying to play Drinkwater into fitness. 

This is true, I hope my examination of Barkley's worth doesn't make me look like I'm unaware of our progress.

Overall I couldn't be happier but I believe this forum and football in general is something that warrants debate on points of difference.

Edited February 5, 2021 by Villan_of_oz

[It's Your Round]

6 minutes ago, Villan_of_oz said:

This is true, I hope my examination of Barkley's worth doesn't make me look like I'm unaware of our progress.

Overall I couldn't be happier but I believe this forum and football in general is something that warrants debate on points of difference.

Not at all. 
 

That’s why all love football, everybody has their own take and it’s interesting to hear people’s views. 
 

I’m on the fence with Barkley, he’s clearly not fully fit, but then we know what he’s capable of when he’s on top form. Arsenal might well be the right kind of game for him, he should get a bit more freedom on the ball. But I’d have no qualms with him being benched, if Smith thinks he needs to sit this one out. 

[Loxstock92]

I do wonder whether his playing time is partly down to Deans promise to get Ross into the euros squad. Obviously cant do this from the bench and maybe deans almost made a rod for his own back.

of course it’s down to the player first and foremost to perform to justify selection but it makes me wonder. 

[Villan_of_oz]

5 minutes ago, It's Your Round said:

Not at all. 
 

That’s why all love football, everybody has their own take and it’s interesting to hear people’s views. 
 

I’m on the fence with Barkley, he’s clearly not fully fit, but then we know what he’s capable of when he’s on top form. Arsenal might well be the right kind of game for him, he should get a bit more freedom on the ball. But I’d have no qualms with him being benched, if Smith thinks he needs to sit this one out. 

I will have my opinions, but if me being wrong makes Villa better so be it. I can admit I'm wrong. 

I want nothing more than for Ross to tear Arsenal a new one and rip them apart. I hope history proves that I have no problem admitting egg on my face when I'm wrong.

However if Ross plays and plays the same he has the last 3-4 matches, I shall be full of anxiety no matter the score.

[Villaphan04]

 

don't know how reliable but fwiw

[Loxstock92]

5 minutes ago, Villaphan04 said:

 

don't know how reliable but fwiw

Can’t say I’m surprised, on his day he’s a level above the quality we would have hoped to get in the summer. Yeah injury hasn’t helped and he’s working his way back.

for the right price I’d take him a heartbeat and I really hope he finds his form again.

[handsworthvilla]

7 hours ago, It's Your Round said:

We’ve come along way from this time last year. We’re debating whether Smith is right to try and play Barkley into fitness, whereas 12 months ago he was trying to play Drinkwater into fitness. 

Exactly. And I actually remember having the same debate about whether Drinkwater had a clause in his contract which said he had to play

At the time I was utterly convinced he must have because he was absolutely, unequivocally dreadful each time he played, but started every single game. I was obviously wrong because he got dropped at some point but it was very bizarre how he kept starting 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

5 hours ago, Villaphan04 said:

 

don't know how reliable but fwiw

Hardly mind-blowing journalism though is it?

Sounds like the guesstimation most of us on here have assumed is the case. lol

[villalad21]

Starting again which he shouldn't.

Sends the wrong message to the rest of the squad.

[OutByEaster?]

I've calmed down a bit from my anger over his performance in the week, and I think the comments from the manager were very interesting after the game. 

Smith said he'd changed the shape and that having two eights rather than a ten hadn't worked - I think he's right on that and I think it tells us something about Ross Barkley.

The key to that is what I'm going to call four-line football - we've been describing football teams in three lines for as long as I can remember - 4-4-2, 4-5-1, 4-3-3 - all of that stuff, but I think particularly in recent years, that's changed a bit. I think we need four lines to describe our midfielders.

So, against West Ham we played 4-1-4-1 with the four at the back, Luiz in front of them, Barkley, McGinn and the two wide midfielders in front of that and Watkins up front. Normally we'd play 4-2-3-1 with Luiz and McGinn both holding.

Now within that, I think McGinn and Luiz are both capable of playing in either the second or third lines - they can both play as part of the double pivot that's worked well with us this season or in the slightly advanced role that we've seen McGinn play in the past - a traditional number eight.

Barkley can't do that - the manager has pretty much confessed that Barkley can only play in that third line and only as a ten - which means in order to accommodate him, you need two holding midfielders. He's not going to do that work in the middle of the pitch, he's going to create and he's going to help you get goals high up the pitch, you need two other midfielders dedicated to doing the grimy stuff. We're very lucky (or smart) in that we have Watkins up top who takes a lot of pressure off the rest of the team with his running, without that effort, I think our third line would be a little more exposed.

With Traore and Grealish on the flanks, there's a limited amount of that hard graft that's going to come from elsewhere so it means that the pressure on that second line is huge - McGinn and Luiz need to cover a lot ground and do a lot of work to support all that creativity - against West Ham, we decided to give them more freedom and ask Ross to do more work - that isn't working - Ross doesn't have that in his locker.

So, having come to an understanding on his limitations, I'm a little more forgiving of Ross than I was during the week, but still not entirely convinced I'd want to keep him. I think with Sanson, against some teams we now have the ability to play a 4-3-2-1 with a solid midfield three allowing the two wide men the freedom to attack and not worry about the work, I like that idea, and, we also have Jack able to play in the ten role if we need it and add Trezeguet out wide - Jack is better than Ross in the ten (no shame in that for Barkley) and the addition of Trez helps to put a little bit more workrate back into things - essentially, I think we can play well without him.

He's a luxury, he's talented, he's got an eye for goal and he's clearly rated by his teammates, if we buy him, I won't be particularly unhappy about it, but to play him we need to play a certain way and I think we'll have to be ready to sacrifice him at times in order to give us a little tactical flexibility - Grealish, McGinn, Sanson and Luiz are all capable of playing in more than one tactical role - Barkley is a peg of one shape - sometimes that shape won't be what we need, and sometimes it will.

Hopefully today is a day for a Barkley shaped peg and he can stick two fingers up at me and the rest of his critics.

 

[KentVillan]

The most frustrating player in the squad. I can see why Smith starts him because he has that moment of brilliance in his locker in the final third, but we end up with 2 strikers effectively when he starts. He offers so little tracking back, and he slows down the play in the middle of the park.

[StefanAVFC]

Send him back. Poor performances, childish behaviour. Poor.

[DCJonah]

I thought he was ok. Better than recent games. 

 

[Keyblade]

He was better today, but we might as well be playing 4-4-2 with him in the team.

[tomav84]

do one ross. perform like that and throw a tantrum about getting subbed? if there was a bottle near me i'd have been kicking it when i saw you lose it and make ZERO effort in winning it back. **** right off. a kid from the academy put in 10x the shift you did in the 20 mins he was on

[WooJung]

I thought he was much better than in the previous games, a lot of our attacking play went through him. 

Still needs to improve 

[Guest av1]

Much better today. 

[JAMAICAN-VILLAN]

Wasn't pleased by his antics at being subbed AT ALL.

Deano seemed miffed as well and rightly so.

You are no Jack Grealish mate. 

Was better today though.

 

Edited February 6, 2021 by JAMAICAN-VILLAN

[gwi1890]

Just now, DCJonah said:

I thought he was ok. Better than recent games. 

 

I though he was better but some questionable decision making needs to lift his head when dribbling it’s high school head down and go stuff, subbed at the right time played his part , J.J had a good game and worked when he came on

[villalad21]

Not for me.

We looked a lot more structured when Ramsey came on.