Stanley Bark! Ross will be key figure in Merseyside derby whether he plays or not
24 Jan 2014 08:03
Neil Jones looks ahead to Liverpool v Everton and assesses the role of Ross Barkley
It is testament to the meteoric rise of Ross Barkley that the Everton midfielder is likely to be a key figure in Tuesday’s 222nd Merseyside derby – regardless of whether he plays or not.
The 20-year-old is battling to be fit for his side’s trip to Anfield, having sustained a fractured toe in the Blues’ recent FA Cup win over Queens Park Rangers. The player himself believes he has a chance, his manager is less sure.
If fit, Barkley will be central to Roberto Martinez’s plans, as he looks to mastermind Everton’s first Anfield victory since 1999.
And if not, if he doesn’t recover in time, then how the Catalan sets up his side in his absence will be vital.
He may only have 39 Blues appearances under his belt, but Barkley, more than perhaps any other player, is key to what Martinez is striving to achieve at Goodison Park. He is the hub around which Everton’s attacking play revolves.
On Monday, at West Bromwich Albion, the Blues lacked spark, they lacked invention, they lacked a change of pace and tempo in their play. The absence of others – Steven Pienaar and Gerard Deulofeu, for example – played a part, but it was Barkley whom they missed more than anyone.
His appreciation of space, his ability to collect the ball and travel with it, and his burgeoning goal threat make him a player opponents fear, a player that has to be stopped.
Against Liverpool at Goodison back in November, he was outstanding. It was his first derby appearance, but it hardly showed. Fearless and assured with the ball, determined and conscientious without it, he was the stand-out midfielder on the day, upstaging even the likes of Gareth Barry and Steven Gerrard.
Martinez says he will give Barkley every chance to be fit for Tuesday’s return fixture, though is rightly reluctant to take too many risks with such a precocious talent.
In any case, contingency plans will already have been drawn up.
The obvious move would be to ask Leon Osman, again, to play as the link-man between midfield and attack. Whether that would be a popular move with Evertonians, though, is debatable.
Osman, at 32, is one of the senior members of Martinez’s squad, and has substantial derby experience, but there has been a noticeable dip in his performance levels this season. He looks a shadow of the player who forced his way into the England squad little more than a year ago.
At West Brom, Osman was ineffective, lacking in energy and unable to influence proceedings throughout. His anonymity meant a discord between Romelu Lukaku, who was off-colour anyway, and his support cast.
It is not the first time Osman has struggled when asked to start a game this season. Everton experienced similar problems at Crystal Palace earlier in the campaign, when the introduction of Barkley as a second-half substitute helped liven proceedings up, albeit belatedly and without turning one point into three.
It would be unfair to simply write Osman off at this stage, of course, but the feeling is that perhaps Martinez may need to look elsewhere if and when he seeks to replace Barkley’s influence. Liverpool’s defence has shown itself susceptible to pace, physicality and clever movement, things that Osman does not necessarily bring to the table.
At least Martinez has other options at his disposal. He has talked up the idea of moving Kevin Mirallas infield, and the Belgian’s recent form is good. His goal at West Brom showcased both his pace and composure, as well as his ability to read, and link up with, Lukaku, his international colleague.
With Aiden McGeady on board, Martinez has the chance to use Mirallas in support of Lukaku, with Pienaar (if fit) or Bryan Oviedo down the left flank. Not ideal, perhaps, but still dangerous.
Either way, Barkley could hold the key to Everton’s derby chances.
Whether that is how to use him, or how to replace him, remains to be seen.
Source: Echo
