Jagielka and Barkley play as England draw in Italy

"Really poor defending from England. Graziano Pelle was unmarked to flick home, he has been really good. He has been strong and held the ball up very well. Phil Jagielka is five or six yards off him, you need to be tighter. Joe Hart had no chance."

"Lovely from Ross Barkley, feeling for the defender at his back, turning the other way and spreading it out wide for Kyle Walker to clip over the heads of his team-mates. Barkley always likely to give it away, but he’s exciting to watch. Can England afford to build a midfield around him though? Or is he too much of a luxury? He’s made this better to watch, I know that much."

"No sooner do I say that, and Ross Barkley shows his frustrating side! Harry Kane flicks it on to the Everton man, who gets his head down and drives on, he tries to beat the last man when a simple pass to Wayne Rooney was on. Square it!"

"That’s what Ross Barkley can do, rolling his man and making 45 yards right down the middle, a great run, he then lays it off to Harry Kane who thrashes in a first-time strike, stinging the palms of Gigi Buffon from 20 yards. A sign of England’s future, perhaps?"

Jagielka kept England in it, that’s why 99.9% of Evertonians fucking hate anything to do with International football. Biased pricks.

Can’t believe the abuse he gets on here. He’s an athlete in the Yaya Toure mould.

Another sly dig at Everton, as if it was the club’s fault he hasn’t been playing well this season – so maybe the rumours about him being wanted at other club’s isn’t as far off the mark as some might believe.

Barkley injects pace into the game, when he gets the chance to turn.

Carrick might not be the quickest, but he’s a very talented footballer, and England improved from the minute he came onto the pitch

Usually do okay in friendlies, England, but, like Everton, they’re never as good when the pressure is on!

"...that’s why 99.9% of Evertonians fucking hate anything to do with International football..."

And this confirms that 93.6666666% of statistical data is made up on the spur of the moment to prove ... nothing in particular.

Barkley was pretty good when he came on not unbelievable. His decision-making was still poor but will get better. He simply does not defend – whether manager and team can accept that, I don’t know.

I do think, if he plays at a top of a diamond, he would be great for us and be the man.

He is too introverted for his own good, when he showed great skill and awareness by driving straight through the Italian defence, he should have ignored Rooney’s shout for the pass and had a shot at the goal, the same as Townsend had done minutes before>

Until he realises he is as good as most of the English players, he will not improve; lack of confidence is one thing holding him back.

Getting on his back when he makes a mistake or pointing out a fault will not improve his confidence. With a decent manager, he will be a fantastic player.

Getting on his back for the sake of it is not what a lot of us are trying to do, we want him to succeed, but if he is not told his faults, how is he going to learn?

It would be great if Barkley’s impact could end in a few more goals like the Townsend cracker.

Phil Jagielka 5

Heavy touch in bring the ball out and, along with Smalling, failed to command the penalty area for Italy’s goal. Look ill at ease.

Delph got 5.5 and that was one shit performance by him.

How many top players make these long high speed runs? Bale certainly, YaYa Toure occasionally... but not many. It’s a sure way of being knackered in next to no time.

Barkley is a big powerful lad not built for stamina. He’s not a Naismith or a Besic who can both run all day and not breathe heavy. He has to learn to pace himself whilst not upsetting supporters who want to see more energy. Oh yes, I’ve screamed at him many times.

Right now I’m not certain he is 100% match fit. He was gasping for air after those long runs last night and I’m hoping Martinez will play him further up the pitch. We’ll see. More than likely he’ll be back on the bench.

He has a decent bit of pace on him and I know that most times you CAN put ’stamina’ on to ’sprint’ but not sprint onto stamina. You also lose the ’snap and twitch’ reactions when you bulk up too much.

I also have doubts and worries with the way Martinez has handled the whole fitness side of the Club, given our poor over all start, the wholesale resignations and departures of long-serving staff, all the hammies, Osman’s book and "Martinez’s hardest day was like Moyes’s softest day" revelations. I even think some of Barry’s poor form is down to a lack of a really hard pre-season, the sort that ’Puts money in the bank’ over a long campaign.

I have also watched with Interest the 3 careers of Israel Folau, RL, Aussie Rules and RU, and how he changed his muscle mass and aerobic capabilities, down with mass and up with speed and stamina and back up with mass for Union. He was I think 98 kg for League, 93 kg for AFL, is now 103 kg for Union and in none of those 3 shapes is or was there any fat.

So it is do-able, all the info is out there in physio-land. Lukaku could do with the same as well.

Barkley can be as good as anyone in English Football, he’s got the talent. Let’s get behind the kid, and enjoy him when he comes good.

Jags was fantastic at reading most moves and intercepting danger. As we also know though, most of Jagielka’s best defensive play is on the ground or waist height; anything in the air is when he is uncomfortable.

At least we got through the break without injuries... didn’t we??

Barkley is still young, give him a break.

He definetly suffered a la Baines – nobody passed to him for long stretches of the game.

At the end of the day, I and a lot of fans on here rate Ross and know he will come good. I’ve said it many times he is a very slow learner but his time will come.

If I ever doubt him, I think back to the Man City game at the end of last season when he did everything right, so I know he will become the player we will all be proud of... it’s just a matter of when.

This season he has played central midfield, left wing, number ten, holding midfield. What’s Martinez’s next brilliant idea? Left back? Goalie? Centre-Forward?

We are so lucky to have a potential diamond, and we can see what he is capable of. He is not without his faults, mainly to do with psychology and decision-making, but all he needs is the correct coaching and development, and it’s not happening. Not at GP, at any rate.

I also agree Jags was MotM – assured, hardly ever lost possession, so many blocks and tackles I lost count.

He is a great talent for sure, but we will need to take it slowly with him and give him room to develop at his own pace. He is not going to be a player like Rooney or Gerrard who walks into the team and performs immediately, as he seems to lack that bit of cockiness and confidence.

I had my eyes tested last weekend and wondered if he might like the number of my optician. As they say, "Should’ve gone to Specsavers". Sorry about my senior moment back there. I’m well over sixty, I think it’s allowed now and then... hehe.

What makes you think Barkley can’t get around the football pitch? There are certainly a few Italian players who would disagree with you when he left them for dead yesterday while dribbling the ball from deep.

Barkley may stroll around the pitch at times when he doesn’t have the ball, but that seems to either be his style which neither Hodgson or Martinez is changing, or maybe he’s under specific instruction to save his energy for breaking forward and let others do the closing down.

Makes you wonder if Barkley spent more time with the England coaches than RM we might have the real Barkley back.

At Everton, he’s expected to perform at a high level for 93 minutes and he certainly kept going at Kiev. In other games he hasn’t fared so well and if there is a stamina or fitness problem it needs to be sorted. I love watching him on the ball and hope he has many happy years in a blue shirt. A royal blue shirt.

These players are being elevated beyond their station because they’re playing against very ordinary players who happen to have genius agents.

Gareth Bale for €100? I have 2 words to say about that... 1) Sheedy. And
2 ) SHEEDY.

I do wonder what the coaches do in training and if they have all forgotten that a good player or team lets the ball do all the running and a good player or team should always have control of the ball and where it goes on the pitch.

Why is it that most on here have been having a go at the squad’s lack of fitness levels all season? Do you seriously think anything will change next season.

Living in hope is for fools. The debate about Ross will go on with every game he plays or doesn’t. The only common thread I will agree on is supporting any player who wears the blue shirt.

Ronaldo conserves his energy for bursting runs, well that’s what he did at Man Utd.

With nothing much but pride to play for until the end of the season, it’s going to be a long debatable Summer here on ToffeeWeb. I’m certainly looking forward to the many polarized views it will create.

Agree Barry, has been shocking this season, but he is a much better player than Carsley ever was for me.