20: Ross Barkley - Royal Blue future

hairy cataract wrote:

Rotterdam 1985 wrote:

callmebubbles wrote:Could be worth a go. We have fuck all creativity

Based on his ability alone, I'd take him back without a second thought. Especially on a free.

It's just the crowd, and the angst it might create. We really don't need that, but we're an unforgiving bunch, unfortunately.

He'd want huge wages cos he's on a free, and, realistically, I can't see him as anything other than an impact sub, even with the state of our current team.  I think Lampard wants a team of fighters who he can rely on to give him 100% for 90 minutes, and stay focused. I don't think there's room for someone like Ross.

Aye, you're probably right. I don't want anything going on that turns Goodison into a fuming cauldron of division and self-hate anyway.

Watching Forest yesterday giving it a really good go against Spurs just reminded me that a relegation battle with Forest and a relegation battle with Everton are two totally different things. Forest have no expectations, like Fulham, Brentford etc. The pressure obviously weighs far heavier if you're scrapping at the bottom with a big club. We need that togetherness that we showed at the end of last season, players and crowd in concert, to have any sort of chance.

Barkley would fuck that up. But Bill loves a reunion, so it'll probably happen.

Rotterdam 1985 wrote:

hairy cataract wrote:

Rotterdam 1985 wrote:

callmebubbles wrote:Could be worth a go. We have fuck all creativity

Based on his ability alone, I'd take him back without a second thought. Especially on a free.

It's just the crowd, and the angst it might create. We really don't need that, but we're an unforgiving bunch, unfortunately.

He'd want huge wages cos he's on a free, and, realistically, I can't see him as anything other than an impact sub, even with the state of our current team.  I think Lampard wants a team of fighters who he can rely on to give him 100% for 90 minutes, and stay focused. I don't think there's room for someone like Ross.

Aye, you're probably right. I don't want anything going on that turns Goodison into a fuming cauldron of division and self-hate anyway.

Watching Forest yesterday giving it a really good go against Spurs just reminded me that a relegation battle with Forest and a relegation battle with Everton are two totally different things. Forest have no expectations, like Fulham, Brentford etc. The pressure obviously weighs far heavier if you're scrapping at the bottom with a big club. We need that togetherness that we showed at the end of last season, players and crowd in concert, to have any sort of chance.

Barkley would fuck that up. But Bill loves a reunion, so it'll probably happen.

I can still see Barkley coming in at the last minute, the way Dele did, if we can't get anyone else. Moshiri would probably like the deal too cos no fee.

I'm worried. Even if we bring in a big boy striker, I think we're just too shit not to be in the bottom three for most of the season. Getting Gana would be a massive boost, so we can have someone sitting in front of our slow and injury-prone defence. But the likes of Patterson and Mykolenko are simply not PL standard at the moment, so we're going to create very little in a 343 or 523 or whatever you want to call it set up. I'm starting to think that it's not the front three that will be a problem - Gordon/Gray/Maupay will be okay - but the complete lack of service from our wing-backs means they will be feeding off whatever scraps they get. It's no coincidence that our last two goals have come from a Pickford punt to Gray and a Coady punt to Gordon. Even getting in someone like Broja won't help if nobody is getting the ball to him.

Barkley’s problem was always decision making. In a Bobby Martinez champagne football side you can abide it, because we were creating a million chances a game, but right now we need people who do the simple shit well and make the right football decisions. A Barkley who hasn’t played in years isn’t the answer to anything. And him playing the wrong pass *again* while the street end go apoplectic is in no one’s best interests.

He won't improve us, but he wouldn't be our worst midfielder either. We don't really need his inflated salary on our wage bill, but that's nothing to do with me.

I think our fate for this season may well depend upon whether or not we get Gana Gueye back in the next few days.

Gueye AND another attacker, one with pace, AND a midfielder who can pick a pass. In other words, we are fucked!!

Nice

Made 4 Gwladys wrote:Official. OGC Nice have signed Ross Barkley on a free transfer after the contract termination signed just few days ago with Chelsea

That takes the biscuit…

Made 4 Gwladys wrote:would you ??


Everton and other Premier League clubs alerted to Ross Barkley’s availability after the former England international left Nice on a free transfer.
Barkley keen on a return to the Premier League and his agent is trying to make it happen. Also some interest from Scotland.

Only if everything relating to the signing is club-friendly:

• Short-term, maybe rolling contract, allowing us to get out of any commitment without being tied to three or four years of his wages if he continues to be shit.
  

• Reasonable wages based not on him being a former Chelsea player, but based on him being a flop at Nice. Also incentive based, according to appearances etc.
  

• On the assumption that Dyche would even want him, and that's far from guaranteed. So no more blubby "he's one of us" bollocks from Billy K.
  

If Barkley can do better than that elsewhere, hey ho, that's fine, good luck to him. But "some interest from Scotland" says it all really.

All the talent in the world but never really had a 'football brain'. A bit late to hope that's ever going to change, so thanks, but I'm out.

Not much of a team player, would probably want fuckwads of money, he's as broken as Dele, so no thanks.

No. Anyone who thinks otherwise, please reach out for help. There are lots of numbers you can call.