Barkley no lost cause – but fans must play crucial role
LOVE the bloke. Pay Chelsea what they want. Let’s make that permanent. Sign the contract. Join and become a legend. Can’t wait to see you back.
All of the above were comments plucked off Twitter when Ross Barkley uploaded a photo showing he was on the comeback trail after his hamstring injury.
The loanee had just missed his sixth match on the spin as he looked ahead to a big new year after what was a scintillating start at Villa with two goals and an assist in his first five matches.
Barkley’s debut was a special one against Liverpool while, the following week, he whacked home the winner in stoppage time to down Leicester City. His best performance came at Arsenal, though, where he tormented the Gunners as he and Jack Grealish played as if they were in the school playground.
Fast-forward just four months and his confidence is on the floor with the 27-year-old a target for fierce – and harsh – criticism among Villa supporters on social media.
Barkley’s frustrations were caught on camera at Anfield on Saturday as he threw his arms aloft at a total loss with himself having fluffed a good opportunity.
His speed of thought, kid-on-aplayground playing style is his biggest asset yet he’s at sixes and sevens at present and desperate to turn his misfortune around.
“I have been impressed with Ross’ attitude since he has come in,” his head coach, Dean Smith, said. “His professionalism. He is a top player and what he has to do now is just to maintain that, week in, week out.”
Smith has continued to back Barkley. The boss has also made a point of
the player’s work ethic at Bodymoor Heath knowing he’s one of the first in and last out as he continues to try everything possible to rediscover a little bit of form. With the criticism relentless, it’s time to stop. Okay, so booting the bottle bag wasn’t a good look after coming off against Arsenal but that was pure frustration at his own performance knowing he’s nowhere near what he can be.
We shouldn’t be kicking a guy when he’s down, either. It’s time for support. Barkley can come on strong for these final eight matches. Just look at what Jesse Lingard has done in his nine games for West Ham. At one stage it was Lingard who couldn’t lace Barkley’s boots.
Barkley has since taken a break from social media, possibly as a result of the grief that’s been fired his way.
He did, though, retweet a message which perhaps indicated how he was feeling. It read: “Instead of criticising and trying to bring people down constantly, focus on yourself.’’
The Scouser just needs to find something, anything, in the remaining games; it could be starting a good move, getting back on the ball, an assist, anything.
It takes just a second to conjure up a bit of magic and Barkley is more than capable of that as Villa look to finish strongly to hopefully surpass their ninth-placed finish from 2011.
Football is a game of opinions and the majority of criticism has been fair towards Barkley but it’s also been abhorrent. What’s been clear, though, is this: he’s been struggling, and now’s the time to get behind him and the team with just six weeks left.
The Villa fans love a battler and they will always support one. If they see Barkley chasing down every ball, he’s one of them.
This mini 10-day break should do Barkley and others shot of form the world of good, with Villa hopeful of finishing with a flourish.