Still only 24.. Could this be the guy to step up and be England's attacking midfielder? If he could get his act together and produce consistent form, he'll be in his prime at 26 at the next euros.

Japebe43 wrote:Still only 24.. Could this be the guy to step up and be England's attacking midfielder? If he could get his act together and produce consistent form, he'll be in his prime at 26 at the next euros.

Here`s hoping. Barkley fits the bill. Phil Foden just popped into my head. Thinking now, Oxlade-Chaberlain was a BIG miss..

He needs to leave Chelsea first, either on loan or permanently.

Until then he won't be anything other than a bench warmer.

I think that when he turns 30 Barkley will be wishing he had a career as good as Jack Rodwell’s.

HiroshimaClaret wrote:Thinking now, Oxlade-Chaberlain was a BIG miss..

Well I didn't miss him.

HiroshimaClaret wrote:Here`s hoping. Barkley fits the bill. Phil Foden just popped into my head. Thinking now, Oxlade-Chaberlain was a BIG miss..

If we're being silly about it, when does Adam Johnson get out of nick?

If we 'missed' anyone then it was Adam Lallana.

Diesel wrote:Well I didn't miss him.

Happy for you but I`m pretty sure he would have been a shoe-in for a midfield role slightly in advance of Henderson in place of either Alli or Lingard. Oxlade-Chamberlain had been in tremendous form for Liverpool, has more aggression, is happier centrally and has far more positional sense (since being coached by Klopp) than either of the aforementioned players.

Let`s see how it all evolves once the Euro qualifiers begin.

Diesel wrote:If we 'missed' anyone then it was Adam Lallana.

Possibly so but I would suggest he is too similar to Alli and Lingard in regards to wanting to be advanced up the pitch. Our problem was not enough bodies with positional sense and an actual physical presence in the midfield. From the 60th minute onwards against Croatia, we pretty much had no midfield. Neither Alli nor Lingard are midfielders - Lallana at a push.

On Talent alonr Barkley would walk into most sides.

Unfortunately on fitness, attitude and the rest he doesnt.

Believed his own hype too soon and has gone backwards.

Ross Barkley ? whose that ?
I remember a chubby chav haircut scouser who used to think he was half decent a few years ago - is it him ?

Lalana has not looked fit since he returned from injury - doubt very much he could have improved England in the condition he was.

The one player I think could have was Ox -Chamberlain. He was playing great before his injury and would have given England something they did not have in this World Cup.

I suspect we have already seen the best of Barkley. Super talented but doesn’t always show the determination and application required to succeed. A shame.

We missed Tottenham's Eric Dier.

What we had in place was his **** identical brother.

Always thought he had a weight problem.

Japebe43 wrote:Still only 24.. Could this be the guy to step up and be England's attacking midfielder? If he could get his act together and produce consistent form, he'll be in his prime at 26 at the next euros.

Nope. Not Ox-Chamberlain either.

The only person I can think of at the moment who could be the player we need to help create chances is Phil Foden, if he can get himself more regularly minutes in the Man City first team. If he does, then I'd expect him to be in the England side in the next 6-12 months.

Hi Diesel,

"If we 'missed' anyone then it was Adam Lallana."

Fully agree. IMHO he is the most technical English midfielder today. Unfortunately, he's injury-prone.

cricketfieldclarets wrote: Believed his own hype too soon and has gone backwards.

The trouble is we people buy into the press encouraged hype too. So when a player does just fine but not set the woldd on fire like we were told they would they look like a failure.
Press cycle all too happy to build a player up one season then tear them down the next.

I'd wager that in two years time England's midfield will be boosted by Ryan Sessegnon and Lewis Cook, two excellent technical players who get on the ball, seemingly with the right work ethic and attitude, working under good managers who are likely to play them every week.

Barkley is an enigma, couldn't be a worse club in terms of development.

For me, there was always a dangerous imbalance in this England squad in terms of the lack of REAL midfielders - when you look at the fact that Dier plays centre half a lot and Delph has played wing back all year - there was only Henderson who is a genuine midfield player paying in that position for his club. Having picked Loftus-Cheek, I think he should have figured more. He looked good on the ball.

Harry Winks, also.

Barkley was lazy and uninterested by the end at Everton but was rewarded with a move to Chelsea

Everyone talking about Foden off hype.. Bet most have never even seen him play.