Ross Barkley

[Vive_La_Villa]

39 minutes ago, It's Your Round said:

Anyone think he’ll start on Saturday? I’m predicting he will, and that the internet will implode at 16.30 tomorrow. 

Crazy if he still starts.

[It's Your Round]

9 minutes ago, Vive_La_Villa said:

Crazy if he still starts.

I really hope he doesn’t. Ramsey deserves it for me, by all means bring Barkley off the bench for ten mins, but he’ll be next to useless against Leeds’ endeavour. 

[Wainy316]

We really cannot afford to start him.  If he's in that 11 then I'd say it's a contractual obligation.

[Louis]

Give Sanon a start instead of Barkley.

[Kingman]

1 hour ago, It's Your Round said:

Anyone think he’ll start on Saturday? I’m predicting he will, and that the internet will implode at 16.30 tomorrow. 

Hopefully he will be omitted from the squad and doesn't travel. 

[Rolta]

I don't think he's a lost cause, but I think he should be on the bench tomorrow. Pre-injury I was mostly pleased with him, but his worst game was definitely against Leeds (but that's not the reason why he should be on the bench—he's clearly not been on top form recently) .

Edited February 26, 2021 by Rolta

[gwi1890]

57 minutes ago, Rolta said:

I don't think he's a lost cause, but I think he should be on the bench tomorrow. Pre-injury I was mostly pleased with him, but his worst game was definitely against Leeds (but that's not the reason why he should be on the bench—he's clearly not been on top form recently) .

Exactly and Smith keeps saying if the players are playing well they keep the shirt, but it doesn’t seem to apply when playing poorly 

[OxfordVillan]

2 hours ago, It's Your Round said:

Anyone think he’ll start on Saturday? I’m predicting he will, and that the internet will implode at 16.30 tomorrow. 

Unfortunately I do think he’ll start because Dean Smith keeps bigging him up and hasn’t really shown an appetite to change things at all from his preferred starting 11, unless forced by injury.  I think it’ll prove to be a mistake starting him, but would be delighted to be proven wrong. 

[Zhan_Zhuang]

It's astonishing to believe but the more he plays it seems he must have a clause in his loan deal. Becoming increasingly difficult to deny it!

Ramsey and possibly Sanson Would offer us so much more than Barkley.

[villa4europe]

I think he'll start because deano will see it as a tough game and value his experience, with grealish out he'll see Ross as our main creativity 

Unfortunately it will be a tough game because of energy and work rate which is why he shouldn't be playing him 

[tomav84]

1 hour ago, villa4europe said:

I think he'll start because deano will see it as a tough game and value his experience, with grealish out he'll see Ross as our main creativity 

Unfortunately it will be a tough game because of energy and work rate which is why he shouldn't be playing him 

thing that smith doesn't seem to realise is that vs leeds we don't need experience. we just need energy! that's the main hurdle against this lot. match their workrate and the quality in the team should take care of the rest

ramsey and sanson will come flying out of the blocks if they were to start. i can see us being 2 down in the first 20 mins if we start games as we have done lately

[Jono62]

Of course he will start. Probably score as well.

[Follyfoot]

3 hours ago, Kingman said:

Hopefully he will be omitted from the squad and doesn't travel. 

If he starts I am going for a walk when the game is on, enough is enough.

Smith said 'his numbers' are good, I assume he is talking about his pay packet 

 

[TRO]

If he plays Ross Barkley, he must have his reasons.

We keep hearing, we have had a good season,so far,and we have, one exceeding what we expected.....in such circumstances, he has to be trusted to do it his way.....we can't have our cake and eat it.

Dean will live or die by his decisions, so far, he is doing ok.....let him get on with it,I say.

Edited February 26, 2021 by TRO

[TRO]

1 hour ago, tomav84 said:

thing that smith doesn't seem to realise is that vs leeds we don't need experience. we just need energy! that's the main hurdle against this lot. match their workrate and the quality in the team should take care of the rest

ramsey and sanson will come flying out of the blocks if they were to start. i can see us being 2 down in the first 20 mins if we start games as we have done lately

We need both, you can never say, we don't need either.....experience usually lends itself to positioning, and game management.

I agree with you though, energy, is crucial in this game.

Dean has some tricky compromises to make IMO, due to the squad profile.

[Kingman]

Pretty obvious Barkley's issues are upstairs rather than downstairs, He needs withdrawing "Petrov Style" ASAP. Poor kid would be in a thousand pieces if Villa Park was full and would of been withdrawn by now.

Pull the kid out for his own wellbeing, Only contributing to his own demise as things stand. 

Edited February 26, 2021 by Kingman

[Mjvilla]

It's interesting that the debate of youth against experience debate should pop up in our most experienced players thread. (Out of the regular starters). And also that the debate should happen when the most experienced player is probably our weakest performer.

It's been pretty clear to me that we are going a certain direction with this squad from last summer onwards. It's all been about building and developing players. We have the youngest squad in the league (I think I'm right in saying that). That's by design. I think we saw an opportunity with Barkley, which hasn't worked out. His signing was the exception to the rule, though, in general.

We've seen teams like west ham and Everton, year after year buy experienced players from top sides. They don't progress that way. They stay idly sitting 7th-12th most seasons, sometimes slipping below that. I, genuinely, think we are aiming higher than that. Buy young and develop them. Mould them into the players Dean wants. 

It's a project worth taking the time to allow it to take its course. We've seen the development, it's been huge. I think it's why Dean is rigidly sticking to a certain way of playing and formation. He wants this to be the villa way. I think those asking for a soucek type will be disappointed. I don't think it will happen because it's not what Dean wants..the proof will come in a few years time. Do we sit idly mid table hoping for a good season to finish sixth? Or do we follow another path?

I look at the average age of the players Leicester have signed over recent years and allowing them to develop and get regular PL game time and become excellent premier league players. I think this is more the model we are going for. I think it's the right way to go.

 

[Zatman]

5 hours ago, villa4europe said:

I think he'll start because deano will see it as a tough game and value his experience, with grealish out he'll see Ross as our main creativity 

Unfortunately it will be a tough game because of energy and work rate which is why he shouldn't be playing him 

If he does he should push Barkley out into Jacks role and start Sanson, Nakamba or Ramsey

[roonst83]

Do I think Barkley could be doing better? Yes. He looks slow on the ball and not aware of what’s around him too much and struggles to move the ball on at pace. However, a lot of the issue is with the fact we can’t get the ball to him higher up the pitch enough due to McGinn and Luiz getting overrun constantly in games. He’s a symptom of the overall issue which is our midfield not winning that midfield battle. 
 

[jimmygreaves]

1 hour ago, roonst83 said:

Do I think Barkley could be doing better? Yes. He looks slow on the ball and not aware of what’s around him too much and struggles to move the ball on at pace. However, a lot of the issue is with the fact we can’t get the ball to him higher up the pitch enough due to McGinn and Luiz getting overrun constantly in games. He’s a symptom of the overall issue which is our midfield not winning that midfield battle. 
 

Isn't he part of the midfield which is getting overrun?

Edited February 26, 2021 by jimmygreaves