Does anybody think that Ross Barkley is currently overrated?

I hate it when people use this line. His general performance was poor bar those two imo as was the rest of the team.

Also think that Hodgson tactics ****ed up the whole team.

But Rooney was singled out for particular criticism, which is unfair because he contributed more than almost everyone else on the team.

Can't say I counted, but quite a lot - every game against top 4, both games against Utd, both games against Southampton all for sure. Possibly some others as well. Watched them quite a lot because of Lukaku, and Fantasy Football. Pretty sure Barkley didn't play in all of them tho.

He had a masterclass against Chelsea. Even Jam won't be able to deny that.

Barkley is rated as he should be, a quality prospect. Nobody is saying he is world class. But no he is English so we must say he isn't that good and any plaudits are only because he's English.

He is going to be tremendous.

You mean the game at goodison. Barry was the one who was putting our team in his backpocket.

Personally feel that Everton got lucky that game too. At the bridge I don't remember too much, remember them being better in the first half and then us battering them for the final 20mins.

He's a prospect I guess. It's not the case that we don't rate him because he's english, e.g. I rate Sterling as a player and Henderson. But all I see him do is run with the ball and shoot and he's seen as the next big thing, honestly think that's down to a lack of discipline. Honestly that's Wayne Rooney mkII. Not denying that he has talent though.

Of course you'll say that.

He's no Jack Wilshere

And Chelsea were lucky at the Bridge.

And of course.

But I don't go saying how great Ramires or Lampard was that game?

I agree with you. I think Barkley does have a lot of talent but the way he is being described is just not right. People are comparing him to a young Paul Gascoigne which is a bad comparison because he is some way behind where a young Gascoigne was. I've even seen it repeated a few times that he's like Gazza but with more pace so better. This is completely ridiculous. Barkley has more pace than Gazza but his touch is nowhere near as good. His main trick seems to be based around his pace, he knocks the ball past a defender and then races past them: and fair play to him it does work quite often as he does have pace and very good surge of acceleration. What he doesn't have is the close control that Gazza did, where he would take multiple touches and keep the ball with him while he went round people. So Gazza could get out of a tight situation from a standing start with two men on him and then take it round the oncoming defender. Barkley can't - Barkley can beat one defender when there is open space ahead of him but because he relies on knocking the ball ahead and chasing it, if there's a man in front it will get picked off. Also he tends to run down blind alleys and run in to traffic where Gazza wouldn't, he'd beat his man, get space then put in a killer pass. I don't see Barkley having that eye for a pass, he tries a lot of quick one twos and stuff but the radar is a bit erratic.

I'm not knocking Barkley here, and perhaps it's unfair to hold him up in comparison to a young Gascoigne because Gazza in his Spurs days was not a million miles off Maradona he was a genuine world class player, probably the last that England has produced, very few are of that calibre. The reason I'm bringing up the Gazza thing here is because that's the source of the overhype: this stupid Gazza comparison.

I fear that Barkley won't actually improve: like a lot of young English players he will burst on the scene with a lot of hype and then just play to the gallery, enjoy getting the roar of the crowd when he beats a man and then an "ooooh" and applause when the move fizzles out. He will get a big transfer and a big wage and then will just sit on his laurels and not progress, like Walcott did, like Wilshere did.

He'll have a similar career to Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair I.e move to a top club (probably City) and completely disappear off the radar.

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All season I never saw what the fuss was about... He could become great, but he's certainly not great right now. Looks like he's permanently confused and he plays like it too, only has one thought at all times - run at the goal and shoot. If he wasn't English he'd be a complete nobody.

And a year later my opinion hasn't changed one iota

Jam can you make this same thread about Harry Kane please? Can bump it in a year after he's scored 6 league goals.

I was thinking of that but I haven't looked enough at his game. He seems to be very good at finding space and is a great poacher. The only way I see him having a poor season is if Eriksen leaves, because from there Spurs will be devoid of creativity as they're so reliant on him.

Also my next thread will be Eriksen vs Ozil.