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Romey 1878
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Shukes Grand Master

Shukes

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Did he lose weight???

 

I was scoffed at last year for suggesting he was carrying too much Hollywood muscle.

 

I only know from amateur league myself I was a rapid 11st 7lb winger. Within 2 years I was 14st 7lb but whilst I was ripped and lean I just had no acceleration or ability to get my breathe on the pitch. The muscle soaks up the oxygen and it's difficult.

 

For the record I'm now 17st 7lb.... footy days are well over!

Fatty!, ;-)

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nogs
nogs

Forgotten what? He was one of our best players second half of last season?  Barkley gets it in the neck for not being Lionel Messi. The weight of expectation on him has always been ridiculous, fr

Newty82
Newty82

Cannot believe he might end up at Chelsea after saying no in the summer...and we lose £15-£20 million. That's harsh Ross, really harsh. I've no issues with players wanting to move, look to f

Romey 1878
Romey 1878

:major overreaction alert:   He wasn't that bad yesterday at all! A sad day? Not going to make it? Be a mid-table player? Wow. Just wow.   I admit he hasn't got back to what he showed at the start

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Bailey Grand Master

Bailey

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Times article where Koeman speaks about Barkley.

 

The Everton manager has already explained what is required: responsibility and consistency.

 

He is one of the key players who is performing in an important position for the team, said Koeman. He needs to be creating chances, scoring goals.

 

But he also needs to show more responsibility in terms of the defending part of the team. That is one of the aspects in football where he can improve.

 

I have spoken to everyone in pre-season, about football, about their position in the team and how we train. We do meetings and we explain.

 

I have contact with everyone. But, okay, I have spoken with him. I have told him how I see Ross Barkley and where he needs to improve.

He has been playing three, four seasons in the Premier League now? Now show your quality. Not once every two months but every weekend. The responsibility is important for him to take. Put it on your shoulders. He is a very, very good player.

 

It is actually five years since Barkley made his Everton debut in a 1-0 defeat at Goodison Park to QPR on the opening weekend of a season and there is a sense that he stands at a crossroads in his career even at his young age.

 

In terms of goals, assists and appearances last season was Barkleys best. Yet the last of his 12 strikes for Everton came in February against Bournemouth and after that his form plateaued along with his team-mates.

 

It is now the season for the midfielder to show his bad habits, such as pirouetting into opponents when in possession, are not simply part of his make-up and prove Roy Hodgson was wrong to ignore him in France.

 

The way he is training, the way he is playing is not a lack of confidence, said Koeman. He has responsibility. Of course he was disappointed not to play at the Euros.

 

But, okay, he has to react in a good way. Show your quality for Everton and show the national coach he made a big mistake not to give you any minutes. Show your quality on the pitch. That is the only answer what I expect.

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Romey 1878 Grand Master

Romey 1878

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More than his performance (which was very good) I loved how mature he was in his interview after the game, and nice little bit of class he showed when he scored and revealed the t-shirt. Being made captain for the game must've been a proud moment for him and could be the making of him - it'd be nice if he could maybe be given the armband for cup games because I think giving him extra responsibility would benefit him.

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Romey 1878 Grand Master

Romey 1878

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http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/koeman-hails-barkley-contribution-everton-11790891

 

"Phil Jagielka was not playing, Leighton Baines was not starting and if you look around the team maybe the best option was Ross to be the captain. It means a lot to him, an Evertonian young boy who starts in the academy.

"That is one of the reasons he was captain. He needs to show responsibility about his performance."

 

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Lowensda Newbie

Lowensda

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It's great to see Koeman identifying local lads for captaincy.

 

I'll be honest, Ross needs to relax a little in his interviews, he comes across very nervous because he's over thinking what he's 'supposed' to be saying. Which in turn, sounds very scripted. I'm happy for him to say what he wants. That'll be more from the heart.

 

Nice of him to show his sipport for Sid's family too. Good lad.

 

Agree with Mark, even if he's not 'officially' club captain, make him a vice and give him the band in cups.

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Hafnia Grand Master

Hafnia

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Again another inspired bit of psychology from Koeman. The lad probably has the tendency to allow others to call the shots and he likes a comfort blanket - Koeman is challenging him to step up to the plate and maybe this will instill a different mentality in Ross. He's not a kid anymore, this is the season where he really needs to make his talent show.

 

Couple of things - his shooting. I think he needs to hit the ball softer, he really can smash it, but smashing it means that the ball needs to take a very linear flight both vertically and from a horizontal plane - keepers can read these better than balls that may curve or bounce. His free kick last night went in because the ball was moving whilst flying - if he lashed it the keeper would have probably saved it.

 

when to shoot - he waits till he has a clear clear view. Use the defender as a shield for the keeper, yeah the defender may get his foot in the way - so what? a deflected goal or a corner. He loves to demonstrate his ability to strike a ball - we know he can, he just needs to pick the best ways of getting them in the net.

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markjazzbassist Proficient

markjazzbassist

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Glad to see RK has given him some goals to hit and challenged him. Equally as glad that Ross is up for it and excited to improve.

 

The bit about Sid Benson the scout, sounded like the club lost a real gem. Talked to Ross every week, always told him he'd make it? What a classy guy, wow, the more I hear about him the more I feel for his family.

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Romey 1878 Grand Master

Romey 1878

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Ross Barkley was in the physio room on Tuesday, preparing for Everton’s EFL Cup tie against Yeovil Town at Goodison Park when Ronald Koeman walked in. Barkley recalls what happened next: “The gaffer just said, ‘You’re skipper today. I know how much it means to you, and how much it means to the fans. So go out there and show what it means.’”

 

Barkley’s eyes lit up. Phil Jagielka, Leighton Baines and Gareth Barry were rested yet Koeman could have given the armband to Ashley Williams, an experienced captain, but he chose a 22-year-old home-grown attacking midfielder and diehard fan. “I grabbed my phone and phoned my mum [Diane] who was shocked,” Barkley says. “She was buzzing and said, ‘Go and get a goal for Sid.’ ’’

 

I’m going to use what happened in the summer to kick me on this season to get to the next level

Sid Benson was a much-loved scout, who brought Barkley and others such as Francis Jeffers to Everton. When Benson passed away on August 17, aged 74, after a short illness, Barkley tweeted: “Rest in peace mate, thanks for everything.”

 

Barkley stays staunchly loyal to those who helped him on his path towards the top. “I might not be where I am now if Sid didn’t spot me when I was a kid,” he says. “He was a great fella, texting me after every game, calling me. I spoke to him the day before he passed away. He didn’t sound too bad on the phone. We were sorting out me going round to see him at his house the following day. I couldn’t go that day because we were doing double sessions. Unfortunately he passed away on the Wednesday. I was devastated.

 

“I had a feeling I was going to score for Sid in the game. I asked our kit man to put a little message on it [the under-shirt] for him. When I had the free kick I was just having a pop at goal, and luckily enough it went in and that goal was for him.”

 

Barkley lifted his shirt to reveal the message: “R.I.P. Sid Benson”. It was an emotional evening, being able to pay tribute to a friend and mentor and also feeling the armband around his right bicep. “It was unbelievable,” he says. “Supporting the club was a dream, then joining was a dream, then making my debut was a dream, and then to lead out the side as captain felt so good. I had to lead by example. We were winning 1-0 and we needed another goal, so I scored. It brought out more to my game, as captain. I have to be more vocal, take more responsibility.”

 

He’s talking like a captain. “Hah!” Barkley laughs. “For Everton, it would mean everything to lead the club out in the future but we’ve got the likes of Jags, Bainesy and Ash is a big talker in the changing room. I’ll get the armband off the kit man, it was different from the Premier League ones. I put a picture on Twitter. I was very proud.”

 

It all shows how Barkley becomes ever more central to Everton’s fortunes after 143 appear ances. He’s a precious talent, two-footed with the athletic strength and grace from his days as a schoolboy runner. “I’m quick off the mark but not really 100 metres,” he says. “I competed in the Liverpool Schools and I’d win the 400 and 800. When I get in a good stride, I’m powerful.”

 

He’s certainly started the season powerfully, scoring twice, assisting another, and being more fully appreciated by supporters. As they watched this boy from nearby Wavertree, the fans’ hopes were always high, heightened further by the constant eulogising of Koeman’s predecessor, Roberto Martínez. When Barkley did not always match those expectations, the scrutiny was robust, often unfairly critical. The bond seems stronger now.

 

“I’m a local lad and everyone goes through difficult spells. The club hasn’t won anything for a while [21 years] and the fans look at me as if saying, ‘Try to win something,’ ’’ he says. “They look up to me as one of their own. They’d all like to be in my position. There’s a bond between us because I’m a local lad and support Everton.

 

“I’ve spoken to Stevie Gerrard. He helped me with how he dealt with being a local lad and playing for Liverpool. He told me, ‘Don’t put too much pressure on your shoulders, try and enjoy it.’ I love football, and if I’m not doing so well the fans will get on your back, but I don’t feel pressure.

 

“I think I handle it [the interest] well. If I’m walking through town and somebody asks me for a picture, I might have to stop for ten minutes because people recognise me, and I have to do pictures and pictures and pictures. I’m used to it. It’s an unbelievable feeling being in the position I am. I love entertaining. I show flair on the pitch. I try to create goals, try to score ‘worldie’ goals, playing in the No 10 role, getting the fans excited.”

 

Barkley is always learning, always studying others, presently two France players. “I watched Paul Pogba the other day,” he says. “He’s not going to score the goals that Messi and Ronaldo score — Messi’s from another planet — but Pogba gets fans on the edge of their seats. He breaks play up, very skilful, a big powerful lad. He’s going to be a good player in the Premier League. Antoine Griezmann’s class. He’s small, isn’t he? But he gets so many goals through thinking like a striker. I need to think like that in the No 10 role, get more goals and, off the ball, I need to do more defensively.”

 

Barkley is hungry to develop. “It’s the way I’ve been brought up by my mum, to be humble,” he says. “She taught me respect, to work hard and be well mannered, to not get ahead of myself. I’m not a movie star. I just love playing football. Footballers get a lot of attention but I’m just like everybody else. I’m a normal person who has talent and I’ve worked hard at it to get to where I am.

 

“A lot of kids when they’re younger don’t go to school, but my mum was always up, making me breakfast, getting me to school. I must have had the best punctuality at school. My teachers might say, ‘Well, what if football doesn’t work out?’ But I always believed I’d make it. My mum put that belief in me. When I first signed for Everton, I said to her, ‘If I play for Everton I’ll buy you a house.’ My mum said: ‘No, WHEN you play for Everton’.”

 

As well as his mother, Barkley is supported by a close circle of friends. “I’ve got mates from school, and a couple of my best mates used to play here, Anton Forrester [now at Port Vale] and John Lundstram, captain of Oxford United now. We’re close,” he says. They back him loyally, helping him through difficult periods such as Euro 2016 when Barkley travelled with Roy Hodgson’s England squad to France but did not play a minute. “I’d played a lot in the qualifiers, scored as many as the midfielders there at the time and was devastated I didn’t get any game time,” he says. “Roy could have shown more faith in me.

 

“I was working my hardest, doing double sessions but wasn’t playing. I felt I wasn’t important to the squad and that’s not a nice feeling. I’d never like to be in that position again. I’m going to use what happened in the summer to kick me on this season to get to the next level, which I believe I’ll get to.

 

“We’ve got all the talent in the world with England, a lot of young talent coming through with unbelievable ability like Harry Kane, Dele Alli, John Stones, Raheem Sterling, Luke Shaw. It’s going to click together soon. I believe in myself. All the other lads believe in themselves.”

 

He analyses those sportsmen, past and present, who exude belief. “Muhammad Ali was so confident with the way he spoke but he backed it up, which is why a lot of people regard him as the greatest, a bit like Conor McGregor [the UFC fighter], who’s outspoken but backs it up. Ali had everything. He had that cocky side in the ring.

 

“It’s in the previous three tournaments we haven’t done well. Maybe we’re not expected to do well now because of that. Our mentality has to change. We have to go out thinking we’re as good as anyone. We have to realise we’re good players. We beat Germany, Portugal and France in friendlies and Portugal won it and France went far [the final]. We beat Wales. We know we can beat those teams. In the qualifiers to come, we have to learn from the World Cup and the Euros and improve.”

 

Hodgson’s successor, Sam Allardyce, names his squad tomorrow for the first 2018 World Cup qualifier away to Slovakia a week tomorrow. “Sam’s positive,” Barkley says “He’s a winner. I played against his Sunderland team [on May 11]. They weren’t in the greatest form, battling relegation, but they were solid and won 3-0. You can see he has a winner’s mentality and that will be great for England.”

 

England will benefit from an improved Barkley, who looks sleek after the intense conditioning work ordered for all the players by Koeman. “He came in and got everyone well drilled,” he says. “He expects high standards all the time. He’s a nice fella, easy to talk to, but he’ll have a go at you if your level has dropped, which is what we need if we are to kick on and do much better than in the previous two seasons.”

 

Barkley was “very aware” of the distinguished Dutchman. “When he first went to Southampton [in 2014], a few of the lads here mentioned it, ‘Koeman’s the new manager of Southampton, what a player he was.’ The older staff, in thephysio room, were talking about him, so I had a look [on YouTube], and saw some of the goals he scored, unbelievable goals.

 

“I know what he was like at set pieces,” he says. “He’s helped a lot of the lads. In pre-season, Kevin [Mirallas, against Barnsley] and Gerry [Gerard Deulofeu against Dynamo Dresden] scored free kicks. I’ve scored a couple [against Tottenham Hotspur and Yeovil]. As soon as I came back for pre-season, the manager spoke to me about delivery into the box. He said, ‘You have a lot of power, it’s about contact, getting in the right areas.’ He’s given us a lot more ideas, like short corners, being more creative from set pieces, reverses. Last season, we didn’t do that much on set pieces. We now seem well drilled defensively as well as with our attacking set pieces.”

 

Yannick Bolasie has brought an extra dimension. “He’s a brilliant signing, a great lad as well,” Barkley says. “He’s settled in so quick. He’s big, strong, powerful, got a lot of skill. He’s got a good delivery and the gaffer likes an early delivery into the box, because it’s harder for defenders.”

 

Williams’s arrival from Swansea City is another boon. “He’s a winner, a leader, which is what we need with his experience,” Barkley says. “Seeing off games if we’re winning 1-0, being solid, getting the ball by the corner flag to see the game out.”

 

Williams and the highly promising Mason Holgate have stepped into defence after Stones’s departure. “I was sad to see Stonesy go,’’ he says. “He’s one of my best mates, a great lad. Unfortunately he left but he’s gone to Man City and he’s going to go to the next level. He’s working with the best manager around and you can see what he [Pep Guardiola] did to Gerard Piqué. Stonesy’s a similar type of player to Piqué. I can see Stonesy being the best centre half in the world in a few years. He’s as good a professional as you can see around the place, constantly in the gym, trying to get stronger, working on things in training.”

 

Apart from Stones, Koeman has prevented any further loss of talent with Romelu Lukaku expected to stay. “You know Rom’s going to get a lot of goals, he’s deadly in the box,” Barkley says. “The gaffer’s kept us close together, pushing us to the next level. I haven’t heard any speculation of me leaving. You can see around the place that it’s transforming [with rebuilding at the Finch Farm training ground], with quality players coming in. We want to be fighting for championships and winning trophies.” Spoken like a captain.

 

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