Gareth in big boost for Barks
GARETH SOUTHGATE has visited Everton to talk with Ross Barkley after the midfielder found himself embroiled in controversy.
The England boss attended training at the club’s Finch Farm facility this week.
Barkley, recently the innocent party in a nightclub bust-up, was not used last month after being recalled to the Three Lions squad.
Southgate’s mission was to let Barkley know he is still in the England picture and Everton chief Ronald Koeman said: “He (Southgate) saw some players, but I am not the right man to talk about his visit.
Amends
“He saw a training session and spoke to several players. I spoke to him about football.
“It’s really good to have the national coach in and I have a good relationship with him.”
Everton host Chelsea tomorrow with Koeman keen to make amends for his team’s low point of the season – a 5-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge in November.
That might spell good news for Tottenham, second behind leaders Chelsea in the title race.
Koeman added: “That game was maybe one of the strongest performances of Chelsea and Everton were poor in all aspects.
“That’s football. Of course that will be different this Sunday.
“We’d like to win for our fans and ourselves. If that means the title race is more open, that’s nice for the Premier League but not the reason we’d like to beat them.
‘‘We’d like to beat them to show we’re strong at home and maybe, with three points, we have chances for sixth or fifth position.”