Friday 30 December 2016 20:02, UK
Ronald Koeman has become accustomed to questions about Ross Barkley but the subject of the midfielder's potential continues to confound. Just how good is he and how good can he be? Adam Bate tackles a thorny issue that's dividing opinion at Everton and beyond...
When Ross Barkley was compared to Paul Gascoigne, this wasn't what they had in mind. His lunge at Jordan Henderson was indeed Gazza-like in its recklessness, the studs connecting firmly with the ankle. But it's Gascoigne's best bits that Barkley is struggling to replicate.
The loss to Liverpool provided a snapshot of the problem. The only local lad to feature in the Merseyside derby was also the most frustrating. His effort was not in question - Barkley covered more ground than any of his team-mates. But his decision-making remains an issue.
Alarmingly, the statistics showed that Barkley lost possession of the ball more times against Liverpool than he found an Everton shirt. The last attempt was the worst, a shanked cross that drew an understandably sharp reaction from Ronald Koeman in the dugout.
Asked afterwards whether Barkley could still fulfil his potential, the Everton coach replied: "I'm not sure." Such ambiguity regarding the midfielder's prospects is becoming the default position for Koeman in regard to a player still seen by so many as England's future.
Of course, accusations of hype abound and Koeman's circumspect responses are a welcome dose of reality after Roberto Martinez's penchant for describing Barkley as "unplayable", "special, "phenomenal" and just about any other superlative that came to mind.
But the numbers go some way to explaining that excitement. Not only did Barkley rank among the top three dribblers in the Premier League last season but there was end product to go with it. He scored eight goals and provided eight assists too.
Only three other players were able to match that feat. Riyad Mahrez picked up the PFA player of the year award for his efforts, Dele Alli received the young player equivalent and Dimitri Payet joined them in the team of the year. Barkley was the one who missed out.
In part that's because Everton endured such a disappointing campaign, but it also reflects the feeling that the big breakthrough in Barkley's game still eludes him. He has now made over 100 Premier League starts and yet has the air of a young man still learning the game.
This season has been difficult and he was dropped for the win at Leicester last time out. Two goals and two assists represents a modest haul and while he has created more chances than any other Everton player, that largely reflects his greater set-piece responsibility. He has become the chief creator and the team no longer creates.
David Moyes' old complaint that Barkley needed to learn where and when he could afford to lose the ball seemed easily rectified. But feeling the flow of the contest remains a challenge for the player. Operating on instinct alone is threatening to limit his progress.
"He can improve with experience, by studying clips, by talking, all these things," said Koeman recently. "It is about tactics, his movement, his productivity." The Dutchman summed it up succinctly by saying: "Sometimes I expect more from Ross Barkley."
The groans of the Gwladys Street end suggest he is not alone. As Gary Neville put it last week: "Can Barkley show a bit more quality?" He was referring to a pass that the player was attempting to thread through the Liverpool defence but it hinted at the wider issue too.
Barkley is 23 now. For a bit of context, he is older than Eric Bailly and Vincent Janssen, two players who arrived in the Premier League for big money in the summer. He is also a year older than Raheem Sterling and two years older than Anthony Martial and Leroy Sane.
All five of those players have been burdened by big transfer fees at a young age. By comparison, Barkley ought to be playing with real freedom in front of a Goodison Park crowd who still serenade him as their 'diamond'. Instead, trust in him is beginning to wane.
"He is young but he is not because he has been playing four years in the first team," said Koeman after dropping him for the draw against Manchester City in October. "It means you are not a talent anymore and need to show what you can do."
Perhaps it's too much to expect someone who played with Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit as teenagers before also coaching Zlatan Ibrahimovic and David Silva as young men to be easily impressed by mere talent. Koeman wants to see it applied effectively and fast.
"Every word I say about Ross is used by the media in a negative or positive way," he said last week. Less talk and more action then. But the fascination with Ross Barkley remains. Even so, he will need 2017 to go rather better than 2016 if the positives are to outweigh the negatives.
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