Everton's Ross Barkley can learn from struggles of second-season syndromeTalking Point: Tweet from Alan Ball's son underlines esteem in which Ross Barkley is held
Everton's Ross Barkley celebrates scoring his side's third goal
Jimmy Ball knows a thing or two about Goodison greats.
As the son of one of the finest midfielders ever to pull on a royal blue shirt, it’s literally in his blood.
The venerable Alan Ball was only 21 when he signed for Everton and went on to write his name in club folklore.
Ball never looked back after strutting into L4 back in 1966; a little footballer with the big, wide world at his feet, and a generation of Blues still turn misty-eyed at the very mention of his name.
Ross Barkley too is just 21, and has at times been gilded with similar acclaim to the mini-marvel who would go on to make 208 appearances for Everton before breaking many a scouse schoolboy’s heart by joining Arsenal in 1971.
They are, of course, vastly different in terms of style – and, it would seem, sensibility.
Where Ball never lacked a split second of consummate self-belief, local-lad Barkley seems more vulnerable to the highs and lows of confidence when you’re trying to live up to some very lavish praise at your boyhood club.
That’s why it was heartening to see Jimmy tweet about Wavertree-born midfielder following his goal-scoring cameo against Newcastle yesterday.
Barkley has certainly struggled for the sort of exhilarating form he produced during his breakthrough campaign last season. But then he’s not the only one.
This is a young man who cares deeply about playing for Everton, and will have found it hard to ignore the occasional jeer or frustrated barracking from the stands when he has failed to sparkle this season.
But, in line with Everton’s fortunes as a whole, his campaign may finally be looking up.
Barkley was only denied his first goal against the Magpies by the reflexes of fellow scouser Ryan Taylor , who cleared off the line.
He made sure in added time though, confidently firing home from Christian Atsu’s pass.
It is only Barkley’s second goal this term – not the sort of return anyone who watched him last season would have anticipated.
Ross Barkley slides in Everton's third goal
But three points against QPR in seven days will further ease the pressure on the Toffees, and as they move away from the stifling environs of a potential relegation scrap, the shackles may start to fall from Barkley’s ankles.
Struggles are indeed part of the journey for most athletes on the road to greatness. Even the swaggering Ball had the odd up and down during his star-studded career.
But if Barkley can produce a resurgent conclusion to this year of second-season syndrome he will be all the better for it.
And next time around, when the Premier League of 2014/15 has been chalked off as one to forget and learn from, Barkley can be an even better player for the hard lessons he’s learned along the way.
By Greg O'Keeffe / Echo
