ROY HODGSON
England boss reveals his Roberto Baggio
THERE has been growing evidence in the early weeks of the season that Ross Barkley is turning from a player of promise into one of substance.
That’s certainly the feeling Roy Hodgson has been having, too.
Barkley has been involved in every club and country game possible in August and September and has made a positive contribution in all of them.
The 21-year-old has already scored more goals for Everton than in the whole of last season, and his strike against San Marino was his first for England.
That came on his first start and showed the England manager he is ready to challenge for a permanent slot ahead of next summer’s European Championships.
However, Hodgson is demanding more. To play in that spot behind the strikers, Barkley must continue to deliver.
And the England boss has stated that the Everton midfielder should try to emulate Italian star, Roberto Baggio, the man dubbed The Divine Ponytail by Italy fans.
He was a stellar performer at three World Cups, and worked alongside Hodgson at Inter Milan.
“Ross has been pushing for a starting place for a while now,” says Hodgson.
“Of course, his chance increases when he’s playing for Everton and they are winning and he’s doing well.
“That hasn’t always been the case when I have picked him because often I have picked him from the reserve bench, where he’s only just been making the odd appearance.
“But this season he really seems to have made a place in the Everton starting line-up his own. I know Roberto Martinez is pleased with him and so are we.
“Once again it’s up to him. There is competition for places, but we think he’s good enough and he’ll get his chances.
“But one thing Ross has to accept is that if you want to be the midfielder who is really a forward and plays just behind, then you have to score goals.
“If I was a player in that position, I would be looking at the classic players in that position from the past.
“In particular, I would be looking at Roberto Baggio, who I had the pleasure of working with very briefly, and Francesco Totti.
“One of the things I’d be looking at, and thinking about, in their careers is that they scored an awful lot of goals.
“You can’t have the luxury of someone who can play there unless he is going to chip in with a few goals.
“We have talked to Ross about this, and I’m sure Roberto does too. So he’s more than aware of it,
“I don’t how many goals Baggio was scoring at the age of 19 or 20, or Totti.
“But that would be my template – ‘Right, this is the position I want; this is the position I’m good at; I’m going to provide some goals but I’m also going to score a few’.
“We have always been pleased with Ross whenever he has come with us. We’ve been happy with what we’ve seen in training, what he offers, and in particular his potential.
“It’s great to see at the start of this season that he is starting to realise that potential more and more.
“We’ll hope for the best because if we are going to be any good, we need a lot of players of whom journalists are saying to me: ‘Why’s he not in the team?’
“Teams that have won World Cups and European Championships have had plenty of those players.
“And we’re working to build a squad of players where no-one is safe and can take their place for granted because that competition will drive everybody forward.”
Barkley is in the squad for England’s final two qualifying games against Estonia on Friday, and away to Lithuania on Monday, where he’ll have a further chance to state his case.
But before that, he has the small matter of the Merseyside derby this lunchtime as he looks to inspire Everton to a win over rivals Liverpool. While
We’re working to build a squad of players where noone’s place is safe
Barkley has been in fine form, things have been a bit harder in the opening weeks for Harry Kane.
Last season he could do no wrong on his way to 30 goals in his breakthrough year, but last Saturday’s goal against Manchester City was his first in nine games for Tottenham this season.
However, Kane did manage two in two substitute appearances in England’s qualifiers last month, and Hodgson has laughed off any talk of a player suffering a crisis of confidence.
“Forwards having a spell of games where they do not score is a very obvious part of football,” states Hodgson.
“In my time in the game, I have never known a player who has just scored and scored and scored. Or a goalkeeper who did not let simple goals in. It happens.
“It’s about the quality of the player. Sometimes you have to believe that your choice of player is right – even when he is missing a chance he should not miss.
“What worries me is that players hear from myself and their manager: ‘Don’t worry, keep doing what you are doing’.
“But then they read they are no good and that is the problem. That is where you talk about mentality.
“In an ideal world, the player mentality would be strong and block out outside comments and influences, and listen to the people in football who believe in him.
“One thing for sure is that I do not think Harry is playing badly at all this season, and I was very pleased to see him score against Manchester City.
“I was so pleased for the lad. Even I couldn’t resist smiling at that one.