Ross Barkley

[Sweech]

Well, I did say "at least," but yeah actually I do think we'd have given them a run for it with Mane. His type is the missing piece, and has been for some time. The other parts have congealed and improved, but still this one missing piece remains.

I think one issue with this thinking is that you're naturally thinking 11+1. As in our squad with Mane but not looking at which games we wouldn't have done as well in when Son, Alli, Kane, Eriksen were being sat to play Mane.

It's all too much ifs and maybes to make these kind of grandstanding claims which I'd hope you're smart enough to realize.

 

[robertgoulet]

Could someone compare and contrast Barkley at this age to Dembele when he was that age? Just curious.

 

[DaSpurs]

I think one issue with this thinking is that you're naturally thinking 11+1. As in our squad with Mane but not looking at which games we wouldn't have done as well in when Son, Alli, Kane, Eriksen were being sat to play Mane.

It's all too much ifs and maybes to make these kind of grandstanding claims which I'd hope you're smart enough to realize.

I certainly can't deny the past, but what I can propose is that I do believe we would have done better with Mane in the side rather than say Chadli, Son, Lamela, or Sissoko. This isn't about factoring in an additional player at all, this is simply accounting for what I believe to be qualities lacking in the choice XI's Poch has picked for big games, qualities which I believe coincide with what Mane offers. It isn't about extra qualities I see in a good player, it's just that I believe Mane is exactly the type of player which would be needed to complement and balance our other quality players out.

 

[ebzrascal]

I certainly can't deny the past, but what I can propose is that I do believe we would have done better with Mane in the side rather than say Chadli, Son, Lamela, or Sissoko. This isn't about factoring in an additional player at all, this is simply accounting for what I believe to be qualities lacking in the choice XI's Poch has picked for big games, qualities which I believe coincide with what Mane offers. It isn't about extra qualities I see in a good player, it's just that I believe Mane is exactly the type of player which would be needed to complement and balance our other quality players out.

Agree we need a player like Mane but would want to keep Son 100%

 

[Sweech]

I certainly can't deny the past, but what I can propose is that I do believe we would have done better with Mane in the side rather than say Chadli, Son, Lamela, or Sissoko. This isn't about factoring in an additional player at all, this is simply accounting for what I believe to be qualities lacking in the choice XI's Poch has picked for big games, qualities which I believe coincide with what Mane offers. It isn't about extra qualities I see in a good player, it's just that I believe Mane is exactly the type of player which would be needed to complement and balance our other quality players out.

I agree with that completely.

Really I agree with your point just not to the same degree perhaps. I think we'd be a better team I'm just not sure it means we'd have won the league.

 

[arunspurs]

Barkley signing would certainly strengthen our bench. In case if Kane is injured or needs a rest, Dele could be potentially played as no9 & Barkley could take Deli's position. His signing certainly increases our forward options.

 

[stevespurs]

Poch has improved every player in our team. Get Barkley on the double training sessions with Poch, he could be a cracking signing.

He's skilful, strong, direct and can pick a pass. Could work well with Eriksen.

 

[stevespurs]

In saying that...I'm not holding my breath on Sissoko improving

 

[Kuryakin]

Poch has improved every player in our team. Get Barkley on the double training sessions with Poch, he could be a cracking signing.

He's skilful, strong, direct and can pick a pass. Could work well with Eriksen.

I kind of hate watching Barkley play and he always frustrates me when I've watched Everton paly. But if he can improve to be that next "Rooney" player under Poch, go ahead.

 

[Hakkz]

https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.co...ey-ronald-koeman-romelu-lukaku-seamus-Coleman

Ross Barkley review

 

[$hoguN]

Barkley signing would certainly strengthen our bench. In case if Kane is injured or needs a rest, Dele could be potentially played as no9 & Barkley could take Deli's position. His signing certainly increases our forward options.

We have Son and Janssen. We should not be playing Dele up front ffs

 

[DaSpurs]

Agree we need a player like Mane but would want to keep Son 100%

Absolutely. Would keep him in the side over any of the other attackers after the obvious three.

 

[Shadydan]

We were 7 points off Chelsea, those dropped points against Leicester, Bournemouth, Sunderland and WBBA were the difference, it's not totally inconceivable that if we had an attacker like Mane in our team we wouldn't have beaten those teams which would have given us enough points to get us over the line but tbh I think it's a bit too simplistic to look at things like that, I definitely think we would have had a better attack though especially when we were struggling for goals in October/November.

 

[dagraham]

We have Son and Janssen. We should not be playing Dele up front ffs

Especially because his main strength is his ability to ghost into space from deep.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

We were 7 points off Chelsea, those dropped points against Leicester, Bournemouth, Sunderland and WBBA were the difference, it's not totally inconceivable that if we had an attacker like Mane in our team we wouldn't have beaten those teams which would have given us enough points to get us over the line but tbh I think it's a bit too simplistic to look at things like that, I definitely think we would have had a better attack though especially when we were struggling for goals in October/November.

It's difficult to legislate Chelsea winning 30 from 38 games. This would a have been a challenge too far for most clubs,

 

[Bobbins]

Barkley signing would certainly strengthen our bench. In case if Kane is injured or needs a rest, Dele could be potentially played as no9 & Barkley could take Deli's position. His signing certainly increases our forward options.

That sounds like a judicious use of funds -pay something like £20m and about £80k per week for Barkley to sit on the bench until Kane gets injured, and when that happens, Dele can occasionally play centre forward whilst Janssen sits on the bench and Son stays on the wing?

Cool story bro.

 

[Bobbins]

It's difficult to legislate Chelsea winning 30 from 38 games. This would a have been a challenge too far for most clubs,

There's very little way we can possibly improve on last season, we were just unlucky to come up against a Chelsea team in ridiculous form in terms of managing to keep winning all season. Many other years we'd have won the title with that points total.

The difficulty for us this coming season will be maintaining that level and points total in a new stadium with possibly greater pressure from teams around us, not trying to improve on what was already our best season in living memory.

 

[worcestersauce]

There's very little way we can possibly improve on last season, we were just unlucky to come up against a Chelsea team in ridiculous form in terms of managing to keep winning all season. Many other years we'd have won the title with that points total.

The difficulty for us this coming season will be maintaining that level and points total in a new stadium with possibly greater pressure from teams around us, not trying to improve on what was already our best season in living memory.

Perhaps this signing would enable us to do that.

 

[Ossie85]

Well, I did say "at least," but yeah actually I do think we'd have given them a run for it with Mane. His type is the missing piece, and has been for some time. The other parts have congealed and improved, but still this one missing piece remains.

I don't understand this obsession with the pacy player. Who's the speedster in the Real Madrid squad?

 

[King of Otters]

I don't understand this obsession with the pacy player. Who's the speedster in the Real Madrid squad?

I hear Bale is a bit nippy.