It’s a big, fat shame if Barkley is left out
The last few days must have been torturous for england midfielder Ross Barkley. Branded ‘ overweight, lethargic and apprehensive’ by Terry Butcher after Friday’s win over Australia, the everton man would have spent an anxious weekend wondering if his place in the squad for this summer’s european Championship is indeed in jeopardy.
Barkley’s form, he would probably admit, suffered a dip towards the end of the season but he may well object to any suggestion that he is out of shape and his colleagues would argue that few footballers train harder. A body fat test, were he to have one, would almost certainly reveal he is extremely lean.
Barkley is fiercely ambitious to the point of being obsessive about his job. he knows he has a gift and at 22 his focus is on becoming one of the finest players in the world. Committed as he is to everton, he would not be immune to the lure of a club like Manchester United or Barcelona in the future.
But Barkley did struggle towards the end of a campaign that ended up costing manager Roberto Martinez his job. he was hooked at half-time in that 3-0 defeat at Sunderland, and was similarly unimpressive when everton were beaten a few days earlier at Leicester. To make matters worse, england manager Roy hodgson was there to see Barkley deliver both displays.
What hodgson perhaps did not realise was that Barkley was exhausted at the end of a season that saw him play in all 38 Premier League games for his club and 10 cup matches.
he may not have been helping himself here. his reaction to a poor performance is to train even harder, and it is those extra hours in the gym that could explain why he does look a little heavier than normal.
There is a suspicion that he has overdone it, bulking up too much in what has been a sincere bid to be in the best possible shape for what he hopes, after the last World Cup, will be his second major tournament.
But what does hodgson want when it comes to choosing two more players to join the injured Fabian Delph in missing out on a place in the 23man squad?
Does he want a preciously talented young player he has already compared to Paul Gascoigne? Or does he ignore someone who reminds Frank Lampard of a young Wayne Rooney and is considered by Xavi to be good enough for Barcelona? A player with the further appeal of having scored 12 goals in 48 everton games this season.
even Barkley can see that hodgson has alternatives. he can see how the possible selection of five strikers — amid talk of both Marcus Rashford and Daniel Sturridge being taken to France — would have a knock- on effect that could prove costly for him.
If Wayne Rooney is then seen more as a No 10 and Dele Alli an attractive alternative in that slot, is the selection of another such player a luxury hodgson cannot afford? HOW depressing if that is the case. Butcher might feel his comments are justified but it was only in November that the same former england captain was urging hodgson to ‘virtually build the team around him’. hodgson is an admirer, along with his coaching staff. It is why Barkley has been selected in every squad since the World Cup in Brazil. And if there is an issue with fatigue, then hodgson should be fully aware of the situation, given the access he now has to the performance and medical data Premier League clubs collate on their players. If Barkley needs a short break before the serious business of international tournament football begins, then give him one. And make sure he takes it and does not sneak off for some secret training. At a time when there are lingering doubts about the commitment of some members of this england squad, such an accusation could never be levelled at Barkley. On that basis, not to mention that raw, thrilling ability, it will be a huge shame if he does not make the cut today.