Barkley: My best position is up front

I'm not sure he's predatory enough to be an out-and-out striker but we have the luxury of giving it a go now.

A few years back I listened to John Patrick McEnroe talking about what he believed that Tim Henman had done in a vital Wimbledon match.... maybe it was Vs Goran Ivanisevic.

McEnroe was extremely clear that being the very best of what you are is the very best that you can be. McEnroe also was clear that there is no shame in being your very very best, no matter what the outcome. McEnroe was equally clear that being other than yourself or of yourself will never allow you to be your very very best.

McEnroe was asked...."So if you, at your peak, had only ever finished second, would that have satisfied you ?". McEnroe replied "Being yourself at your very, very best is ALL that you can be. Coming second, having been your absolute best would be the very, very best you could achieve. Not being your very, very best and being other than yourself, that's failing".

Ross has laid it out, I hope that he is right.

To be fair, the same could be said about Lukaku.

Maybe this will improve, but when I listen to John Stones and Luke Garbutt (who are roughly the same age) and speak very well, then I listen to Ross it worries me. .Just my observation and opinion for what its worth.

I honestly haven't seen much that suggests he can be a true central midfielder, or box-to-box player. And his form when asked to play so shows his uncertainty in my opinion, which he voices in a roundabout way here. He could perform an attacking midfield role with limited defensive duties or play as a second striker, or false 9 as mentioned here.

He needs to sort this soon with the coaches or he risks losing his confidence even more than he has at times this season.

I don't remember him wanting to be a striker last season when everything was going well. Really he just can't handle the pressure in midfield and thinks he'll have an easier life, less criticism and more hero worship if he plays up front.

He doesn't have the predatory instinct or the aggression to be a top striker. Stick him up front and he'd be another Anichebe.

He's no more a forward than Rodwell was and he's rapidly following his path to football obscurity. A might have been.

I'm glad at least he knows where he should play!

With his physique, shooting ability on both feet and not needing to think and play by instinct, I can certainly see him being able to play in that position.

As with Rodwell, I increasingly get the feeling something is missing, but I can't put my finger on it.

There's a lot more to football than picking the ball up, running at the opposition & bladdering it against the crossbar from 30 yards once every 25 efforts. It's the kind of selfish, schoolboy football Mourinho drummed out of Joe Cole.

Uniquely, he seems to be an attacking midfielder with no idea how to actually play in midfield. Plus off the ball he's abysmal.

Striker now then eh? It's the days of the lone striker. If you can't hold the ball up forget it.

So, at 21 years old, and despite been touted as one of England's greatest prospects, the lad, and his manager don't yet know his best position on the pitch.

Could the same of been said about Rooney, Shearer, Gerrard, Gascoigne? Absolutely not, they knew what they were, and went on to be greats.....

What the hell, we're away from relegation, Kone and Lukaku are nursing injury. Nothing really left to play for this season. And maybe, just maybe, he's been thinking, "Fuck me, I've always been better than Kane. If he can do it..." So, what's to lose?

Give him a go, Roberto.

And...

"Could the same of been said about Rooney?"

Yes! It absolutely could. He's played every position going!

Barkley is at his best on the ball, driving at players. Players of that nature tend to thrive on the wings where they have a little room and more one-on-one situations. Barkley has all but proven that he can't play out there.

I don't think he's got the striker's instinct... but I'm all for giving him a go up there. I'd give anything to see us play with him and Lukaku up front. What do we have to lose now?

I should imagine Kone's still going to be out for the next couple of games. So give Barkley a few games alongside Rom. There's no harm in trying him there. The lad can't be any more confused after playing in every other midfield and wing position this season.

Come on, Roberto. give it a go!

It does beg the question though where does he play? Because for me when he plays in midfield he can't tackle, his decision-making is poor, and he can't defend. The only thing he can do is dribble on occasion.

I think I have come to the conclusion that this lad flatters to deceive and isn't good enough. We all know a lad like Ross who we play 5-aside with; you know the one, untouchable at 5-aside but shite in an 11-aside match.

Sell in the summer and get what we can.

I think Barkley's best attribute is that he's always looking to turn, and he seems to do it better the closer he is marked. Give it a go, it might be the reason some people are suggesting that he hasn't got a football brain, who knows?

By the time he was 21, Jack had played about 80 games for Everton whilst Ross is about 10 behind him. Jack had bagged 4 goals and Ross has 8.

Both got full England honours without anyone knowing where they were best deployed. People said Jack should have been a central defender and now Ross thinks he's a striker.

Two superkids taking a while to come to terms with their talent as they mature into...........?

Wherever you play, Ross try and make an impact ffs!!

We know he has an eye for a goal with a great shot but the mental toughness to take the stuff that gets handed out when your back is to goal would be the real test.

As people have stated, his heading ability is unknown as a front man but he does have skill elsewhere to make a go of it should it be necessary.

What it really comes down to is the service from other areas because as we all know, without it, no matter how good you are, you are not going to get the goal opportunities. It could well be that he may be called upon against the Saints to get into the box more.

I don’t see the qualities or the attributes that convinces Ross himself or TW posters that his ’best position’ is striker.

Personally, if Ross genuinely believes this, I find it rather worrying and concerning for his immediate and long-term development.

Interesting you mention Jack Rodwell in relation to Ross’s comments.

My recall about JR eventually playing CB did not come from the player himself, but was something mentioned by the coaching staff, recalling where he played his very junior football for Everton and subsequently trotted out now again by all and sundry.

My further recall of Jack twice playing pre-season friendlies at CB for the first team at Coventry and Blackpool was that he was absolutely GASH in the role and should never be seriously considered to play there.

He has ability but I don't see any football brain and I would take the £50m from Man City or Chelsea like a shot. We can use the money and can't afford to take the (in my view, very significant) risk that he doesn't make it.

Maybe this is harsh, but the current glaring difference to me between Barkley and any top calibre player (Rooney, Messi, Ronaldo, Suarez etc) is not his position but his deficiency in heart and desire. He rarely tracks back, even when he's been at fault for giving the ball away.

Naismith has probably a fraction of his ability, but for all his critics this season he has produced more (8 goals to Barkley's 2). This is down to sheer hard work and determination.

Until this is addressed, if it can at all, unfortunately we're better off cashing in on his 'potential' before he's found out by the Fleet Street peddler of nonsense and the rest of the league cottons on to what many of us recognise already.

He's got everything to play central midfield. He doesn't even play Number 10 very well, so why would he want a role with his back to goal and even more defensive attention?

He should be like a Toure type figure, getting goals from deep and just striding past midfielders. Put McCarthy or Gibson next to him in the middle and just let him play his natural game.

I've seen it all now from Everton: Rooney on the wing; Rodwell Number 10 and on the wing; Barkley on the wing and now asking to go upfront... What's the point of having an academy when we do this?

Let's pretend we actually need 40 points to stay up. I don't think so, but just for arguments sake, we do. We won't accrue 6 out of the last 24? Of course we will.

So why not let our lad Ross have a go at the position he is saying he thinks he's best favored? What's the harm? Relegation is out finally; Top 5 long gone.

In that vein, how about Roberto experimenting with Baines in the mid-field and Garbutt at LB. Baines is going nowhere, so no harm done. Worst case with Garbutt, the Club has a stronger argument at the Tribunal, yes?

We're all looking to the summer and what it brings. We know well our history with money available. "You can have the bulk of the cash in for who you sell." So, who?

I get a kick out of posters declaring a Barkley transfer won't involve £40-50 million. Haha. How much did Man Utd pay for Luke Shaw? Remind me. The money's there and our Ross is the real thing. Our young Stones isn't worth as much as Luke Shaw? Haha again.

If Ross at striker works and ups his value, Garbutt getting lots of playing time strengthens us at the tribunal; give me an alternative to what we already know.

The side needs re-building. Form holds, Roberto will have the cash available ONLY if he sells off our top talent.

It's Everton's well-established "Wayne Rooney" standard.

Anyway I don't know enough about the ins and outs of football, but was fascinated to watch a documentary of how Arsene Wenger coached a reluctant winger to become Arsenal's all time greatest striker. You all know his name, and it ain't Ian gobshite Wright.

After wishing and hoping to see Ross progress, I'm afraid it just won't happen. I see a distinct parallel with Barkley and Rodwell in so many ways, early promise, hype, premature England caps and maybe the probable transfer for a big fee.

Most of us Everton fans hope Ross will fulfil his promise but we can't wait for ever. So, should one of these huge purported offers from Chelsea or Man City arrive, I would take it.

Nevertheless, here we have a player with unbelievable natural ability that is floundering in the current set up. Perhaps he is being played out of position and in the wrong system.

I came across this article a few weeks ago which I found really interesting reading. Link

I am not suggesting that we can be compared with Real Madrid but I would suggest that we do have the players to play Ancelloti's system.

For anyone who is interested I suggest you read carefully the reference to the paragraph entitled "Ronaldo's New Role.

Perhaps it is time to play Lukaku and Barkley in a Ancelotti's version of the 4-4-2 system. I think we have the players to fill the spots in behind them. It might just work...

The other non-starter is asking Baines to play in midfield; the lad has played there and looked lost. He's a specialist full-back and a great one. We need to get the checkbook out to fill these positions adequately, which will probably be funded by selling Barkley, the way it's looking.

To me, he just lacks that bit of the devil in him that just about all the top boys have. Maybe it's not coaching he needs but a good old-fashioned confidence shrink.

Would you have been saying the same thing last season? One poor season and he's written off. It's fickle and ridiculous. He has bags of ability but has been stifled by a poor manager.

Whether he can make a decent striker is not a question that can be answered until we see him given a go at it. And not just one chance. He would need to train like a striker and play a run of games before anyone could judge.

There are a few strikers about who don't get poachers goals and don't head the ball particularly well. Messi being a prime example. (Not suggesting Ross could ever play at his level.)

The kid has talent. How many times did Kane go out on loan and not set the world alight? He's 5 months older than Ross and has only made the step up this season. He was given time to develop and look at him now.

It's only when you go right back to the days of 2-3-5 that he'd be, as Colin Glasser said, a good old fashioned inside forward.

To my mind he should be put I the Fabregas role and be able to run from deep with a defensive mid along side him. Won't happen on Bobby's shift cos he likes two DMs, or should that be Barry and A N Other.

If he's been listening to Rooney tell him to play up front, then he needs to take a leaf out of Rooney's book and learn to be a nasty bastard.

One of Ross's biggest problems is his fear, and lack of toughness. Imagine him up against players like John Terry, or Shawcross? They'd have him for breakfast.

He's not a Lineker but then how many of them are around nowadays?

He's no Ferguson but there's even fewer of them than there are Linekers.

He's a player with pace, strength, two good feet and skill. Likes to run at players, likes to be creative.

He can't tackle. Isn't a possession type.

So what is he? Assuming he's a decent player.

He's a forward of some nature isn't he? Call it a false № 9, № 10. Whatever. What was Steven Gerrard when it became apparent he wasn't exactly a midfielder? He certainly want a false № 9 or № 10. That lot just played to his strengths and reaped the rewards.

I say play him there. Off Lukaku and in the style he can bring.

There's a handful of games to figure out if he's a game changer or an asset for sale.

This season, he has been more often a passenger than a maestro, and that is down to his work rate. Most wouldn't accept it from a foreign player, eg, Mirallas, so why should he be given the benefit of the doubt just because he's come through our youth system? If anything, he should understand better and show more.

Ross can be anything he puts his mind to with the right coaching. At the moment, he suffers under a complex RM system which only RM understands.

At the moment, he suffers because he gets shifted from pillar to fucking post and never knows where he's going to be playing next. How can someone develop like that? We should be playing him in a midfield three – with McCarthy and Gibson doing the donkey work and him doing more of the creative stuff.

Best player we've had since Rooney and being wasted – absolute disgrace.

I hope Roberto doesn’t play him as a striker, though, not until he has learned how to score more from the № 10 position. I would rather see players play in their natural positions and we’ve got a very good natural goalscorer in Chris Long who I imagine is eager to show what he can do.

Nothing exciting on the OS either...

What is going on at Everton?? No news re the stadium since the crap a few months ago, nothing re plans for the summer, nothing re transfers for the summer, nothing re contract talks for those running out, not a squeak from the chairman for god knows how long....

I wouldn't be surprised if there was tumbleweed blowing about at GP.

Upping the tempo suits most of our team. Especially Ross.

He's been shit this season. But I keep coming back to the question... Who has been anything but shit for us? It can't just be the case that every player stopped bothering?

"We had seen Tommy Wright and Colin Harvey advance from the Central League. Tommy's progression was seamless whereas Colin, inexplicably, was a Goodison whipping boy for a short time. How could anyone boo the breathtaking skills of The White Pele? "

I hope there's a new paragraph like this written in about 50 years.

I guess will have to wait 'till the pre-match conference in couple of days.... then again, maybe not..

Said this a few times Ernie, it's difficult to judge anyone this season when they have mostly been playing like fuckwits.

I say give him a go up front but have patience.

I remember our wonderkid Rooney being in the arse pocket of a 60-year-old Dion Dublin playing centre half. Bad days happen and they need to learn from them.

He is best at what the rugby types call broken-field play. If Martinez gets his head sorted after this season's shambles then he could have a really good season next time, if we pick up the tempo of play.

But he does have unbelievable ability. For me he should be used like Fabregas, stationed in central midfield alongside the hard working McCarthy. There he can see the whole game in front of him and have a bit more time and space on the ball. He can still dribble forward, take long shots, and generally take the game to the opposition. QPR goal anyone?

Barkley the Enigma! Why do so many Evertonians criticise or groan at him? Why do so many managers think heÂ’s the next best thing in English football? Is he ever going to be a world class talent? Is he going to develop to become the next midfield Beckenbauer? A midfield Rooney? The best № 10? A false № 9? A forward??? The best box-to-box player? ... and anything else we want to dream.

I think therein lies one of the problems – does anyone really have a clue where his best position is? I honestly feel the likes of Martinez, Hodgson, Pellegrini, and Mourinho all have their own ideas on what to do with him and virtually all would be different. Martinez would accept some luxury in his side, a player who doesn’t track back, who doesn’t tackle, who doesn’t mark anyone, a player who will take risks; whereas Mourinho would only expect a team player, a talent who also works hard. Hodgson wouldn’t want any risk-taker near his team, and god knows where Pelligini would use him, but he seems to be constantly sniffing around.

I really believe the lad is confused, he isn’t a “I know exactly what I’m going to do" 18-year-old Rooney. To me, he lacks the will, the drive, the confidence to take control of a game. When he speaks, it's often a word-for-word repeat of the question he’s just been asked; there is no belief in himself, no personal view, it reflects a person who wants to be led, told what to do. I don’t see a unique individual screaming to demonstrate his talents. He clearly has them but they are only shown fleetingly.

I think Evertonians by nature have a slight mistrust of a player who is technically brilliant but doesnÂ’t put a shift in; those who are old enough will remember Duncan McKenzie, another technically talented player who went missing for large parts of games, particularly the harder, tougher ones. Can Evertonians take to a Barkley who just might become in MartinezÂ’s eyes a carefree № 10, the playmaker, but forgiven team responsibility? Is it really in our DNA to watch a player who, when the pressure is on, just floats about, looking disinterested?

IÂ’m unsure myself how heÂ’s going to develop, can he develop in the Premier League? Would he more suited to a European League (probably Spain) where the game is slower, more technical, where the fans would support a gifted player, rather than a worker?

The one thing I would like to see if nothing else would be for Martinez to find him a position – not as a wide player – give him at least five or six games there on the run, and see if he can actually become the player all and sundry think he can.

It would be perhaps more telling if the passing accuracy was split into backwards and sideways passing as opposed to forward balls.

He is physically strong when on the ball, despite people trying to claim he goes all Ned Flanders at the first sign of confrontation. He can turn, beat a man, run with it at pace and smash it with either foot. As for his heading ability, or lack of, how many times has he actually been in a position that necessitated him challenging in the air at regular intervals? I certainly can't remember him constantly losing out in an aerial duel. Anyway, the ability to 'stick a nut on it' is becoming a less important attribute for a forward to possess as the years pass by.

For me though, his best position and the one he should be played in at all times is central midfield. Not 'attacking' midfield, 'defensive' midfield or token 'short end of the straw so stuck out on the touchline' midfield. A plain and simple central midfielder that used to be common place in the game before rigid fairy on a fucking christmas tree formations and systems became the new managerial religion.

I think back to to the QPR game in which Barkley was paired with Besic and wonder what might have been. It was the best, most mobile and dynamic our midfield has looked all season. It looked like Martinez had stumbled upon something he could build on and offered hope (and a little excitement) for forthcoming games. Irrespective of the quality of opposition, Barkley was electric in that game and was in a place where he'd finally found some form and could kick on. The manager only had to say 'same again next week, son' but, instead, instantly ruined any momentum by reverting to his regulation safe and trusty (but getting really fucking rusty) double defensive drones.

He has had a bad season, so maybe he sees a change in position as his salvation, and there is no doubt he would be motivated to perform.

It would be an experiment worth trying.

With the ball he was very good at times but there is still something lacking in his overall game, hope it comes to him soon, if it ever does.

@72 In my opinion, harsh or not, his performances so far this season have generally been petulant and lacked accountability. I agree that the football we've played doesn't necessarily suit him, but I also think he makes the same mistakes week after week and doesn't learn. His decision making consistently puts the rest of the team under pressure, but I get the impression that he's always searching for his Match of the Day highlight moment. Possibly the worst and most controversial comparison I can make is that he's turning into a Blue Balotelli.

And I'm sorry, Number 93, but to refer to him as a Blue Balotelli is a fucking disgrace.

Under the right manager and with a clear understanding of his role within an effective system, Ross can be a helluva player. He is our diamond and I hope he continues to shine brilliantly for us in a blue shirt for many years to come.

David, he has got to do his share of winning the ball, even the very best players do that.

Any specific examples of Barkley demonstrating on the field petulance? Go on, give us just one... because I must have missed it.

His performances may have been subdued this season, he may have suffered a crisis of confidence and been fearful of doing what comes naturally at times, but he's never sulked or thrown a strop. He's just an honest lad, playing for his boyhood team, who was prematurely built up beyond reason, only to be swiftly subjected to (equally premature and over the top) brickbats from his own fans during his first prolonged period of poor form.

Ballotelli, on the other hand, is basically what is known in scientific circles as a 'right bellend'. He proclaimed himself as being potentially the best striker in the world, before proceeding to stroll, showboat, sulk, sneer, display ill-discipline and disrespect his manager and teammates.

Barkley has never made any fanciful claims to his own ability or potential. He never scrawled 'world beater on his own back. Pundits, other players and his own manager might have, but not the boy himself.

As for the criticism about his lack of 'effort'? It was the same over emphasis on visible 'good solid pro' virtues such as running about a lot, tracking back and closing people down, that saw players like Steve Hodge and Carlton Palmer selected for Enland over Matt LeTissier. Not every player in a team has to end the game aching and panting like a tranny at Brendan Rodgers's birthday party. Especially if the player in question is selected primarily to take the game to the opposition and is playing in a system that sees two others constantly sat behind him whose sole duties are to close down and cover for others.

The Balotelli comment was obviously going to get a bite. However, based on the fact that Barkley has produced little in terms of goals or assists this season I don't see why it's so unfair?

Off the field, I couldn't care less what he gets up to. On the field, I don't see why for 90 minutes he can't put every ounce of effort he has into helping Everton win football matches. Is there any reason to suggest that more effort, or at the very least a more accountable attitude towards his team mates, wouldn't make him a better player?

Evertonians are saying if we get such an amount for him we must sell. Let's not do another Rooney, let's take a chance on a diamond.

Err... except it's not though, is it? Even if he did that (which I don't for one minute accept he does) then where does the petulant part come into play beyond you projecting it onto him?

I've never seen Barkley become visibly irritated, annoyed or uncooperative on the field. Not running after someone wouldn't automatically equate to an irrational childish strop at things not going the way you want them to. It would just be a lack of effort, laziness, slacking off. Not that I subscribe to the view that he displays any of the aforementioned.

As for the Blue Ballotelli label? It's not an 'apt but controversial' tag you've hit on, more 'badly burst contraceptive bag' with some fat birds shit on. It's full of holes and stinks like the inside of a fake leg.

When has Barkley ever displayed an unprofessional attitude on the pitch? When has he ever lashed out at opposition players when things aren't going his way? When has he shown infantile frustration with himself and others? Argued with his teammates? Had a run in with his own manager? All on the field activities that Ballotelli has been known to partake in when things aren't going his way. Ross 'not running back as much as I think he should and not scoring many goals this season' doesn't put him in the same ballpark as that balloon.

Except he's not that type of player. They're ten a penny. Even Everton can sign of few of those in the summer.

@102 I'm not asking for the extreme, but I don't see how trying to intelligently win the ball back is a bad thing? All of the best teams generally have attacking players who defend from the front, by hassling defenders and taking responsibility to set the tone for the team. Chelsea's players did that against us better than anyone when they mauled us at the start of the season.

I accept he has lots of raw and (as yet) unharnessed ability, but I don't think that he should be absolved from the graft work that can often help swing games in our favour.

The best teams do have a bit of mongrel about them but it's to allow the rest to play. Ross isn't one of our mongrel types. Quite possibly never will be despite him looking like he should be that sort of player. I don't expect blood and guys out of him like I don't expect it of Messi (without exactly making that comparison).

I do see more though from Naismith, a player who doesn't have the same level of natural ability but won many people over (including myself) by his determination to work hard with and without the ball. He has been accused of many things, but his commitment could never be questioned. A few times this season I've seen him have a go at both Lukaku and Barkley when they've lackadaisically given the ball away and left it for someone else to pick up the slack.

His stats for the season in both goals and assists are much better than Barkley's. Is this a coincidence? Lennon has also come in and shown he's prepared to leave the pitch knowing he couldn't have worked any harder – the QPR penalty typified this.

The difference between Barkley and say Mirallas, to me, is that he's young enough to learn and supposedly humble enough to accept he can still add a lot to his game. If he learns how tough it is to win the ball back, there's a good chance he won't give it away sloppily in future. I hope that this would benefit both his and, more importantly, the club's fortunes.

The problem Ross has got at the moment for me is his vision for a pass and knowing when to lay it off. This with his work rate and desire are what he needs to improve in my opinion.

The things he is best at are running with the ball and the power of his shooting with both feet. As with most gifted young English talent, they are put on a pedestal before they have grown as a player.

At the moment, if Ross plays, he has to play the № 10 role and work on his weaknesses. If he does this, there is still great potential for a top class player but, at the moment, he falls into the 'frustrating' category for me.

This performance didn't really indicate anything that we didn't know already.

Clearly he was misquoted.

I hope Ross stays, but if he does go (which eventually he will), I hope Martinez (or whoever manages us) can be as hard-nosed a negotiator as what Moyes was for the likes of Lescott.

Alas, Hard to imagine Martinez being as effective in that sort of way. Man Utd got Rooney super cheap; as for his premature departure, that's sort of down to Newcastle stupidly lighting that match by thinking he would actually go to them.

Here Link

"When asked what his best position is, Barkley said: 'Behind the striker. I feel I can have my greatest impact there . . . . '."

Oh well, fun thread anyway; Barkley as a striker.

A few posters mention this, yet look at Micheal Owen, Eto'o, Henry, Fowler — not exactly giants are they?

Players like McCarthy will not get caught out with the ball because they do the simple things 99% of the time.

What Barkley needs to learn is exactly when to be creative and when to do the simple thing. I agree that he also needs to do more work when we don't have the ball.

Barkley is incredibly talented in my opinion, much more so than Rodwell ever was or ever will be; he just needs good coaching – something I fear he will not get with RM.

A loss of form or lack of commitment are both unfair accusations in these circumstances. We've heard Martinez covering himself by saying it's good for him to play in lots of positions. It hasn't been good for our results... has it?

Barkley and Naismith should never be in the same team (presuming Lukaku is fit).

We earn lots of money for finishing as high as we can which should add to our transfer budget. So far, Barkley does not score often enough for even an attacking midfielder. Fellaini scored plenty for us by creating mayhem and using his awkward but strong assets.

Every top striker misses goals and that is part of a striker's make up. But they shoot often and find space instinctively. Lukaku is strong, quite quick and will score goals. Mirallas is another who scores goals pretty regularly. Unfortunately the rest contribute far less apart from Naismith. Jagielka has out scored most of our midfielders.

I would have Barkley and Lukaku up front without defensive duties apart from at set pieces otherwise they run out of steam. The defence picks itself and I would try having one of the more creative players in either Barry or McCarthy's position to help to provide ammunition for Lukaku and Barkley. McCarthy or Barry with Osman or Pienaar. Lennon, Mirallas to play the flanks with Lukaku and Barkley up front. The bench would be: Robles, Naismith, Besic, Osman/Pienaar, Kone, Garbutt and Distin instead of Alcaraz.