Ross Barkley...

Walters_19_MuFc

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You were one of the ones I recall that was always backing us to sign him. I think you're right but it's really hard to see that potential when you don't have the quality coaching.
He has always been a player I have liked. Agree with the quality coaching, though. Ross has always had the physical attributes, which is massive in the modern game. Quick, powerful lad. What was lacking is his understanding of the game, and it seems that under Sarri, who is tactically very good, he is starting to really flourish.

Still very early in the season, and he will need to continue performing at a high level to be in that bracket of a 'top class' player, but I honestly think he has it in him.
 

youmeletsfly

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Barkley is the absolute example that good coaching and positive management can bring players from under the water.

Meawhile in Manchester...
 

SCP

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Here is my take :D

The best thing will happen for Barkley or Loftus Cheek is to work with someone like Sarri.

Some doubted he wouldn't play them because Kovacic is a foreign signing. In the first place he is there to win and get the 3 points, and he will do it with those he thinks are suited for that. Nothing against Academy players or English ones. At Napoli only Insigne was Italian, if we take Jorginho out of the equation.
 

Orc

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Top coaching off the pitch with Sarri and having two world class midfield partners in Jorginho and Kante are really helping him.

He and Kovacic have both been really solid so it's definitely a selection headache for Sarri.
 

Classical Mechanic

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Top coaching off the pitch with Sarri and having two world class midfield partners in Jorginho and Kante are really helping him.

He and Kovacic have both been really solid so it's definitely a selection headache for Sarri.
Think he'll favour Kovacic in games where Chelsea have to defend more and Barkley where they face teams that sit in.
 

Kentonio

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and having two world class midfield partners in Jorginho and Kante are really helping him.
I think this is one of the main things he needed. Being the top talent in the Everton midfield meant he was always trying to do too much, and couldn't just learn from better players and build his own talent.
 

SCP

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I think this is one of the main things he needed. Being the top talent in the Everton midfield meant he was always trying to do too much, and couldn't just learn from better players and build his own talent.
This and learning with Sarri too. Chalobah woked with Sarri at Napoli and even not playing much with him said he learned a lot with him. I heard this on a podcast related to Italian football with James Richardson if I am not wrong. You guys have there a great manager. If he will win important titles is another matter.
 

Kentonio

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This and learning with Sarri too. Chalobah woked with Sarri at Napoli and even not playing much with him said he learned a lot with him. I heard this on a podcast related to Italian football with James Richardson if I am not wrong. You guys have there a great manager. If he will win important titles is another matter.
Yeah, seriously tough time in the PL to try and do that, but we seem to be heading in the right direction. I'm hoping he can pick up a cup or two this year to break his duck.
 

SCP

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Yeah, seriously tough time in the PL to try and do that, but we seem to be heading in the right direction. I'm hoping he can pick up a cup or two this year to break his duck.
The problem with football fans is your team can play good football, the manager can improve players, but if he doesn't win nothing sooner or later they will come with the old "I told you so he never won nothing" argument.
 

Adam-Utd

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Barkley is the absolute example that good coaching and positive management can bring players from under the water.

Meawhile in Manchester...
Yep. He’s transformed him in 2 months, makes you wou wonder what a good coach could do for us.
 

Rozay

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I practically saved his career with this thread :D

Always saw the talent, and have said for a while that I see SOME of Kev de Bruyne in him. His on a great run at the moment and Alli (rightly) won’t be getting that England place back from him in a hurry.
 

Dancfc

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He is a complete liability off the ball which limits where and who you can play him with.
Cesc isn't as bad as people think in terms of defensive positioning, his big problem is he has no agility or lateral movement meaning often people just glide past him even when he's positioned well..
 

RochaRoja

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People forget that Frank Lampard didn’t have his breakout season at Chelsea until he turned 25.

Barkley is still 24.
 

Theafonis

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Cesc isn't as bad as people think in terms of defensive positioning, his big problem is he has no agility or lateral movement meaning often people just glide past him even when he's positioned well..
What I’ve seen is that Cesc’s legs are literally immobile. His legs don’t want to do want his brain wants. Still a great player who is capable of playmaking, just a problem when opposition get at him.
 

Hoof the ball

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I'd say a good 3/4 of Redcafe, based on comments, kept saying Barkley was "sh*t", even though it was absolutely obvious that he possessed very good technical quality. Fair play to those that did hold to that opinion of him spanning back a few years, also.
 

SquishyMcSquish

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He's always had talent, he's just a bit brainless. He's so often been very frustrating to watch because he never seems to make the right decisions .. but coaching can help a hell of a lot with this, so I wouldn't be surprised if Sarri does mould him in to an effective player. Put in the right system he has the tools to be dangerous, I always considered him one of Everton's best players and IIRC he had a couple of seasons for them where he looked great.
 

SilentWitness

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Him and Lukaku both need to go back to Everton, that's their level.
Lukaku should have stayed one more season with us and then moved in hindsight, but also his first season at United was a good starting point, he's just had a horrible second season so i disagree with you that we are Lukakus level, he's definitely got it in him to rebuild and come back like someone such as Luke Shaw has. He shouldn't take being dropped as an insult but as a drive to get back to his best.

Barkley is a different case, left on bad terms and off the back of a bad injury where he didn't feature for pretty much any of the 17/18 season and suddenly he's starting fairly regularly for a Chelsea team that has a horrible dressing room atmosphere. Poor career move for him to have left in the way he did and to the wrong club.
 
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Lukaku should have stayed one more season with us and then moved in hindsight, but also his first season at United was a good starting point, he's just had a horrible second season so i disagree with you that we are Lukakus level, he's definitely got it in him to rebuild and come back like someone such as Luke Shaw has. He shouldn't take being dropped as an insult but as a drive to get back to his best.

Barkley is a different case, left on bad terms and off the back of a bad injury where he didn't feature for pretty much any of the 17/18 season and suddenly he's starting fairly regularly for a Chelsea team that has a horrible dressing room atmosphere. Poor career move for him to have left in the way he did and to the wrong club.
In hindsight both should have stayed where they were - lukaku thought he was too good for the club when in actual fact that was his level. With Barkley the fans were bullying him so I guess he had to leave.

But tbh neither are good enough to be starting for a top 6 team every week, they need to think about their next moves carefully.
 

Robbie Boy

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No idea why Chelsea signed him he’s nowhere near good enough.
 
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SilentWitness

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In hindsight both should have stayed where they were - lukaku thought he was too good for the club when in actual fact that was his level. With Barkley the fans were bullying him so I guess he had to leave.

But tbh neither are good enough to be starting for a top 6 team every week, they need to think about their next moves carefully.
I disagree, Lukaku at his best is good enough to be starting for a top 6 team. Due to this season people are completely forgetting his scoring record in the PL prior to that reflective to his age and the team he was playing in. For the majority of the time he was with us we were floating around 10th in the league and in a team that had barely any creative outlets yet he was still banging them in for us.

Barkley should leave Chelsea though, he'd do well in Spain.
 

stepic

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Not exactly sure what Barkley really does on a football pitch. And he’s not really a central midfielder.
 
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I disagree, Lukaku at his best is good enough to be starting for a top 6 team. Due to this season people are completely forgetting his scoring record in the PL prior to that reflective to his age and the team he was playing in. For the majority of the time he was with us we were floating around 10th in the league and in a team that had barely any creative outlets yet he was still banging them in for us.

Barkley should leave Chelsea though, he'd do well in Spain.
Lukaku is a good goalscorer but that's about it, most top 6 clubs want more from their striker than just goals. This is why Lukaku falls flat, players like Rashford and Firmino may not get 25 goals a season but they offer their teams a lot more going forward.
 

Seij

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Still boggles my mind Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley were Chelsea's solution to their midfield.
 

Walters_19_MuFc

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Wait there, so Kovavcic is good enough but Ross isnt?

Barkley didnt have the best of games today, but no one in a Chelsea shirt did.

Following a long lay off, he started the season tremendously when everyone more or less wrote him off. Came up with some crucial goals and assists and rightfully got his England call up, in which he bossed the game against a Spanish midfield consisting of Thiago, Saul and Busquets - all of which most on the Caf would deem world class.

Yes, he has been in poor form of late, but who in a Chelsea shirt hasn't?

He, along with every other Chelsea player, is suffering from the slow, predictable play of Sarri's system.

Will he go on to be a top class player and be pivotal to a team winning titles, who knows? I just find people are too quick to say some players are not good enough when they go through a dip in form.
 

sunama

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I remember that there were many who felt that MUFC should buy Barkley. Myself, I thought that Barkley's true level is Everton and that was the right club for him.

Still boggles my mind Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley were Chelsea's solution to their midfield.
I think because Drinkwater had a good season with LCFC, alongside Kante, CFC thought that pairing them up again, would be a good idea.
No idea why they bought Barkley.
 

kouroux

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Will he go on to be a top class player and be pivotal to a team winning titles, who knows? I just find people are too quick to say some players are not good enough when they go through a dip in form.
Oh I know, he won't. Best he can hope is be a part time player in a winning, he has never been nowhere near good to be the kinda player you mentioned
 

dbs235

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If he didn't head the ball to Aguero would this thread have been bumped?