He is a midfielder with an ability to score goals, he should've played yesterday. He's hungry, he's looking to prove himself and looking back to play after all his injuries.

Conte should use him to the next game, Kante and Bakayoko are holding the midfield, Hazard - Barkley and Giroud are doing the attacking business. 

Never was looking for us to sign him, but he's already our player and we must use him, maybe we got a real deal here.

5 hours ago, Zeta said:

Bet he's wishing he went to Spurs.

Yeah, the bench at Wembley is a lot more comfortable than ours.

Seems he is as frustrating for Chelsea as he was at Everton. Has potential but he's coming in to his prime.

Their is a talent but he always makes the wrong decsion.

Never found his right position.

Can be a second striker as knows where the goal is but not intelligent enough to read the game.

Good tackler but his passing game needs upping

Box to box midfielder and Will take the game by the scruff of the neck rushing forward with the ball, but final pass will let him down

Let's wait and see what Sarri can do with him. He's got the talent.

Let's wait and see what Sarri can do with him. He's got the talent.

He had his best football under Martinez who let him play.

Koeman was too defensive

9 hours ago, bluescouser said:

Seems he is as frustrating for Chelsea as he was at Everton. Has potential but he's coming in to his prime.

Their is a talent but he always makes the wrong decsion.

Never found his right position.

Can be a second striker as knows where the goal is but not intelligent enough to read the game.

Good tackler but his passing game needs upping

Box to box midfielder and Will take the game by the scruff of the neck rushing forward with the ball, but final pass will let him down

A bit early to be making that comparison, he's only played a handful of games for us. Next season will be the best time to judge him.

5 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

A bit early to be making that comparison, he's only played a handful of games for us. Next season will be the best time to judge him.

Surely if the rumoured targets come off along with what we already have, he will spend another season as second string

 

9 minutes ago, WhiteWall said:

Surely if the rumoured targets come off along with what we already have, he will spend another season as second string

 

I don't know, i don't think Barkley is our worst midfielder at present, he's better than Bakayoko and Drinkwater. I don't think there is much between him or Loftus-Cheek either, i actually rate Barkley a little better at the moment. Even if he is second string next season, i would still expect him to get more game time than last season. I wouldn't be surprised if he played less than 100 minutes of football for us last season.

Edited June 22, 20188 yr by Scott Harris

2 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

I don't know, i don't think Barkley is our worst midfielder at present, he's better than Bakayoko and Drinkwater. I don't think there is much between him or Loftus-Cheek either, i actually rate Barkley a little better at the moment. Even if he is second string next season, i would still expect him to get more game time than last season. I wouldn't be surprised if he played less than 100 minutes of football for us last season.

I’m actually inclined to agree with you here Scott.  However, due to the fact that RLC is 2 years younger with roughly the same injury history, I’d prefer we have him the game time.

9 hours ago, mwblue10 said:

I’m actually inclined to agree with you here Scott.  However, due to the fact that RLC is 2 years younger with roughly the same injury history, I’d prefer we have him the game time.

Maybe we could fit them both in. I'm still unsure where Loftus-Cheek's best position is.

If Sarri does arrive, it's likely we will play with 3 midfielders. So if he goes with Loftus-Cheek, will he play next to Kante, or push up a bit and support the wingers and striker? I like the idea of Loftus Cheek playing slightly deeper, i've seen him run from deep for Crystal Palace, the guy eats up yards in seconds, it reminds me of the way Yaya Toure and Patrick Viera could just drive forward so easily. But at the same time, i have doubts about his defensive work and intensity. He may have the ability to play next to Kante, but i'm not sure if he will play at the tempo needed to play that role. The thing is, i don't see Loftus-Cheek as an attacking midfielder. I think he's a good passer of the ball, but i don't think he picks out enough clever through balls or gets enough shots on goal to play the role. I think this is where Barkley slightly has the edge on him and why i would prefer him in that role over Loftus-Cheek.

Finding somewhere to fit Loftus-Cheek will be the biggest ask. If we bring in another CM who is good at the defensive side of the game and can contribute to the attack, then i don't know how things will go with Loftus-Cheek and Barkley.

I think Barkley and Loftus Cheek will both be staying next season but will be competing against each other for one of those CM positions as i expect us to pay 433. Kante will always play, i expect Fabregas to play alot plus it looks likely we will sign Seri. I don't want either of RLC or Barkley playing out wide.

Edited June 23, 20188 yr by jack_super_class

21 hours ago, Scott Harris said:

Maybe we could fit them both in. I'm still unsure where Loftus-Cheek's best position is.

If Sarri does arrive, it's likely we will play with 3 midfielders. So if he goes with Loftus-Cheek, will he play next to Kante, or push up a bit and support the wingers and striker? I like the idea of Loftus Cheek playing slightly deeper, i've seen him run from deep for Crystal Palace, the guy eats up yards in seconds, it reminds me of the way Yaya Toure and Patrick Viera could just drive forward so easily. But at the same time, i have doubts about his defensive work and intensity. He may have the ability to play next to Kante, but i'm not sure if he will play at the tempo needed to play that role. The thing is, i don't see Loftus-Cheek as an attacking midfielder. I think he's a good passer of the ball, but i don't think he picks out enough clever through balls or gets enough shots on goal to play the role. I think this is where Barkley slightly has the edge on him and why i would prefer him in that role over Loftus-Cheek.

Finding somewhere to fit Loftus-Cheek will be the biggest ask. If we bring in another CM who is good at the defensive side of the game and can contribute to the attack, then i don't know how things will go with Loftus-Cheek and Barkley.

A lot of good points in there. For me RLC is a ball carrying midfielder a guy who can break the lines by dribbling past players into space. Problem with that style is you tend to give the ball away lots, so you have to have good cover in behind. Part of the reason he starts wide for Palace.

Maybe we could fit them both in. I'm still unsure where Loftus-Cheek's best position is.
If Sarri does arrive, it's likely we will play with 3 midfielders. So if he goes with Loftus-Cheek, will he play next to Kante, or push up a bit and support the wingers and striker? I like the idea of Loftus Cheek playing slightly deeper, i've seen him run from deep for Crystal Palace, the guy eats up yards in seconds, it reminds me of the way Yaya Toure and Patrick Viera could just drive forward so easily. But at the same time, i have doubts about his defensive work and intensity. He may have the ability to play next to Kante, but i'm not sure if he will play at the tempo needed to play that role. The thing is, i don't see Loftus-Cheek as an attacking midfielder. I think he's a good passer of the ball, but i don't think he picks out enough clever through balls or gets enough shots on goal to play the role. I think this is where Barkley slightly has the edge on him and why i would prefer him in that role over Loftus-Cheek.
Finding somewhere to fit Loftus-Cheek will be the biggest ask. If we bring in another CM who is good at the defensive side of the game and can contribute to the attack, then i don't know how things will go with Loftus-Cheek and Barkley.

What you have wrote about loftus cheek is what evertonians said about Barkley.

28 minutes ago, bluescouser said:

What you have wrote about loftus cheek is what evertonians said about Barkley.
 

The difference between them for me is that Barkley had the ability to bang one in from 30 yards, something yet to be seen from RLC. If anyone should be compared to Ballack it's actually Barkley. I'm not particularly a fan of either tbh but then I have no expectations about finishing top 4 next season.

The difference between them for me is that Barkley had the ability to bang one in from 30 yards, something yet to be seen from RLC. If anyone should be compared to Ballack it's actually Barkley. I'm not particularly a fan of either tbh but then I have no expectations about finishing top 4 next season.

That is actually a good comparison. He just needs to be more intelligent off the ball and get in the right spaces

Is it just me or does Barkley look absolutely jacked in these training pictures?  Cahill must have left behind his workout regime for him while he’s away at the WC.

Good, bulk up strengthen for the new season

Is it just me or does Barkley look absolutely jacked in these training pictures?  Cahill must have left behind his workout regime for him while he’s away at the WC.

Looked good yesterday. Strong and positive on the ball and was unlucky not to get himself a goal. 

If he stays fit, I think he could play a big part for us this season. Might finally have a source of goals from the midfield again. 

I reckon he's going to surprise a few people this season. 

I've said all along he's a very good signing. Really hope he does well. Think he's seriously underrated by some.

Only saw the highlights but yeah he looked good and was involved. Should have scored. He needs to keep impressing Sarri. Massive season for him. If he fails this season then I can’t see a way back for him. 

Sounds like Ross is loving the new system.

'It has been very interesting,' Barkley said on the club's official website. 'The style that he wants us to play, it is really exciting and very attacking, as well as being very organised.

'We have been understanding what he has been getting across in training, but the more we do it in training, the more we get used to it and I can see from the training sessions that this season is going to be very exciting.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/article-5986033/Ross-Barkley-praises-methods-implemented-new-Chelsea-boss-Maurizio-Sarri.html

Barkley's touches vs Perth Glory

 

10 hours ago, Davey Baby said:

I've said all along he's a very good signing. Really hope he does well. Think he's seriously underrated by some.

A lot of people said it was a bad signing, but i always thought of it as a clever on. I remember back on transfer deadline day last year everybody was laughing at us saying Barkley rejected us, but i never seen it that way at all. The way i see it is that we made an offer, Everton accepted, that gave us a chance to speak to Barkley, we looked at his condition and realised he wouldn't be fit to play football until January, so we decided to wait until January and get him on the cheap. The moment reports of us being "rejected" started spreading, i said we would go straight back in for him in January and i was right. 

It's a clever piece of business from the club. He's not perfect, but before his injury he was one of the only English players expected to go on to become something big. English players like Barkley would set you back more than £30m these days.

Barkley comes to us at a similar age to Lampard when he joined, with similar games under his belt and a similar amount of goals. It's about his fitness, his attitude, whether we give him a chance to develop. He can be a brilliant signing for us IMO.

 

Conte used him all wrong, on the rare occasions he got a game. Conte used him as an attacker, rather than a midfielder, one of the attacking three in a 343, similar to how he always used Loftus-Cheek. This meant that Barkley always had his back to goal when he received the ball, which isn't his game. He needs to be facing the play, just as Loftus-Cheek does. He's a midfielder, not an attacker, just as Lampard was. 

 

If you watch the video above of yesterday's game, you'll see in the first-half he has his back to play often when he receives the ball, and it's not what we want. He's not Zola. It looks like he performed very well but we have to start to use him properly. If we're going to play 433 under Sarri, then he has to be the third midfielder along with Kante and Jorginho. That's where we want him, in that midfield 3, competing with Loftus-Cheek for a place.

 

If we're going to play 4231 under Sarri, then he's playing more as a 10, his back to goal a lot of the time and we're wasting his talent. The only guy we've really got at the club who can play as a 10 is Hazard.

 

Barkley is a midfielder not an attacker.

2 hours ago, Davey Baby said:

Barkley comes to us at a similar age to Lampard when he joined, with similar games under his belt and a similar amount of goals. It's about his fitness, his attitude, whether we give him a chance to develop. He can be a brilliant signing for us IMO.

Conte used him all wrong, on the rare occasions he got a game. Conte used him as an attacker, rather than a midfielder, one of the attacking three in a 343, similar to how he always used Loftus-Cheek. This meant that Barkley always had his back to goal when he received the ball, which isn't his game. He needs to be facing the play, just as Loftus-Cheek does. He's a midfielder, not an attacker, just as Lampard was. 

If you watch the video above of yesterday's game, you'll see in the first-half he has his back to play often when he receives the ball, and it's not what we want. He's not Zola. It looks like he performed very well but we have to start to use him properly. If we're going to play 433 under Sarri, then he has to be the third midfielder along with Kante and Jorginho. That's where we want him, in that midfield 3, competing with Loftus-Cheek for a place.

If we're going to play 4231 under Sarri, then he's playing more as a 10, his back to goal a lot of the time and we're wasting his talent. The only guy we've really got at the club who can play as a 10 is Hazard.

Barkley is a midfielder not an attacker.

Like what you say, for me his injuries will dictate his season.

Technically gifted and have wanted to see him under a good manager in a 4-3-3 so hopefully it will happen for him this season at SB.