Morgan & Co banking on Barkley to stay put
SPARKY: I CAN’T GET IT ARTER MY HEAD
MORGAN SCHNEIDERLIN admits the players want Ross Barkley to stay at Everton and he hopes his fellow midfielder makes a good decision about his future.
Barkley has been given until next weekend to agree to the contract extension offered by the Toffees or be sold in the summer as boss Ronald Koeman believes it is not good business to keep a player entering the final year of his deal.
The England international responded by firing the only goal at home to Watford on Friday before performing a knee slide celebration.
Neither side seems to want to meet the other halfway but Schneiderlin, 27, said: “He is still working hard, has a good attitude and is very happy in the dressing room.
“We want him to sign but it is his decision. Hopefully he will make a good one by signing the contract.”
Schneiderlin has only played with Barkley for four months having arrived from Manchester United in January but he has no doubts about his potential.
“I am very happy to play with him. He is a very good player with a good attitude, he works very hard every day to be a better player and he has great quality,” added the France midfielder.
“He is still young and he progresses week in, week out – and he can continue progressing.”
The future of Barkley (below) is not the only one in doubt before the Toffees’ final game of the season at Arsenal a week today, with leading scorer Romelu Lukaku already attracting interest from a host of clubs.
The Belgium striker, 24, has told Everton he will not sign the lucrative deal they have offered him to extend his contract beyond its remaining two years.
Schneiderlin said: “I think the team and the players like Rom and Ross very much.
“We know they are doing very well and the club loves them but after that it is between them and the club.
“I am sure the club has a plan A, B and C.” STOKE boss Mark Hughes is still seething about the “horror” lunge by Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter on Joe Allen in last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Dean Court.
Allen survived the challenge unscathed and started against Arsenal yesterday but the fact he was able to play did not calm Hughes, who blasted the Cherries star in his programme notes.
Sparky believes Arter should have been shown a red card and also heavily criticised referee Paul Tierney for not reducing Eddie Howe’s side to 10 men.
He said: “Bournemouth were fortunate to finish the game with 11 men despite Arter’s awful challenge on Joe with the game scoreless.
“Seven days on I still don’t know what the referee saw that saved Arter from a red card.
“I just can’t fathom out how he reached the conclusion that the challenge only warranted a yellow card.
“I’m not a manager who tries to get opposition players sent off but Arter’s tackle was horrific and could well have left Joe nursing a serious injury.”
Immediately after the game, Hughes said Arter was “out of control”. STEVE MILLAR
The Gunners had suffered four defeats in eight previous trips to Stoke and had never been alive and kicking in what had been a regular graveyard.
But Arsene Wenger’s weary travellers finally found their hearts and minds – and shooting boots – to power four past stunned Stoke with Olivier Giroud at the double and deadly goals from Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez.
Now the gloves are truly off in their fight for a Champions League place.
Stoke could only reply with a goal from substitute Peter Crouch – his ninth in the Premier League against the Gunners – even though TV replays confirmed he had netted with his hand.
So this was it. Time to stand up and be counted and for Arsenal to make the transition from easy pickings to a strong, determined force who would not lie down and wither at this intimidating venue. Time to sweat blood and tears for the boss who was again the subject of a protest fly-past with a plane trailing the no-nonsense banner, “Wenger – Out Means Out.”
But he must have been impressed with his side’s start as the Gunners almost took the lead after nine minutes.
Shkodran Mustafi managed to get a head to Ozil’s corner and keeper Jack Butland had to be at his best to glove the ball over the bar at full stretch.
Seconds later, Arsenal cranked up the pressure when Hector Bellerin crossed only for Ryan Shawcross to inadvertently flick on and Nacho Monreal headed on to the post. Stoke finally found their feet in the 29th minute when Marko Arnautovic curled a free-kick agonisingly into the Arsenal fans behind Petr Cech’s goal.
Then Sanchez happily cashed in on a lack of concentration from Glen Johnson but he rushed his shot and was way off target much to the Chilean’s disgust.
However, the Gunners stormed into the lead three minutes before the break after a move of extreme precision.
Francis Coquelin threaded through to Bellerin and he whipped over a cross for Giroud to slide home.
It was no surprise when Arsenal went two-up in the 55th minute when Sanchez ended a fine passing move by finding Ozil with an exquisite defence-splitting through ball and the German ran clear to clip over Butland.
Stoke came oh so close to pulling a goal back when Arnautovic worked wonders on the left and crossed for Mame Diouf.
The ball flew behind him but the striker arched his back and bulleted a header inches wide.
Minutes later, defender Bruno Martins Indi saw his header pushed over the woodwork by Cech as Stoke finally found feet which had been like lead.
Crouch made an instant impact in the 67th minute when Arnautovic pumped a ball into the packed area and the hitman bundled the ball home.
Arsenal, for the first time, found themselves on the back foot.
Not for long, though, as Bellerin fed Sanchez who found the back of the net to break Stoke hearts in the 76th minute.
And Giroud hammered the fourth from sub Aaron Ramsey’s pinpoint centre 10 minutes from the end to boost Wenger’s top-four hopes.