Koeman call for Barkley to ‘wake up’

RONALD KOEMAN says his decision to drop Ross Barkley is a ‘wake-up call’ for the Everton midfielder, who he has urged to learn from it. The midfielder did not feature in either of this season’s England squads and last weekend Koeman ended a run of 55 consecutive appearances by leaving Barkley on the bench in the 1-1 draw with Manchester City. Koeman did not state whether Barkley will return for the trip to Burnley tomorrow but is pleased with how the 22-year-old has responded to the jolt. ‘It was the best line-up to have the best chance to get a result,’ said Koeman. ‘His reaction was positive. He was OK but disappointed. I did not start with him but it can be different this weekend. That is possible. ‘It is a difficult game, Burnley are strong at home. We will have more possession and need more attacking threat, so that is a reason to start with one or two more attacking players.’ With questions about Barkley’s form becoming a recurring theme, Koeman added: ‘If I get questions about him it’s like if (Wayne) Rooney is not playing, then (Jose Mourinho) gets questions about Rooney. They are quality players. You can’t compare them though. ‘Barkley is young but he has been playing four years in the first team. ‘It means you are not a talent anymore and need to show what you can do. ‘If I am not totally happy or it is tactical, then he does not start. Maybe last weekend was a wake-up call for him.’ Leighton Baines has suffered a setback in his recovery from a hamstring problem. He has not started for Everton since the 3-1 victory against Middlesbrough last month. ‘It is difficult,’ said Koeman. ‘We tried to have everyone available but OK, he had his hamstring. He did the normal programme. ‘He played 45 minutes against Wigan that we organised behind closed doors. The day after he was a bit stiff, he took the MRI and it was not good enough to continue. ‘It is tricky. Maybe we need to wait longer for him to be 100 per cent.’