Everton recorded a fine 3-2 victory over West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns, a great result with city rivals Liverpool up next for the Toffees.

Roberto Martinez will have been extremely pleased with his teams great fightback, coming from two goals down to seal the win over WBA and sending them up to fifth in the league.

Seeing Romelu Lukaku back amongst the goals and wing wizard Gerard Deulofeu shining in the second half would have been big positives for the Everton gaffer.

The Spaniard was also boosted by the performance of his young full-back; Brendan Galloway. The nineteen year old has had to step up since a recurring ankle injury has sidelined Leighton Baines for the foreseeable future.

Midfield maestro Ross Barkley had a bit of a subdued performance. That has been unlike the England international this season. He didn’t do much wrong, but struggled to have a real influence on the game.

Barkley has blossomed into a fine number ten this season and has been pretty consistent this term too.

So far Ross has played every minute of Everton’s Barclay’s Premier League campaign and he’s contributed with two goals and three assists.

The Toffees need Barkley at his dazzling best when they host Liverpool for Sunday’s Merseyside derby.

When the twenty-one year old has the ball at his feet, he runs at defenders and he glides past them he reminds me a lot of Paul Gascoigne. Dribbling is a fine art and it has been fading away a bit in the British game but Barkley’s fine ball control has meant that it has returned at Goodison. Defenders are often too scared to put a foot in as they know chances are that he can skip past them and draw in a foul in a dangerous position.

He’s also a player who doesn’t go hiding away from the ball. He will always look to receive it and then look for the right pass. Having two midfield generals like James McCarthy and the evergreen Gareth Barry in behind him gives Barkley more of a free role and license to attack!

The fact that Everton’s first-team trust Ross with a lot of their set-pieces shows that his talents and ability to spot a pass are well respected and appreciated by his peers. The Toffees support already idolise him and he seems to relish playing with that responsibility and love for his talents.

Against Chelsea, Barkley gave a highly accomplished display in a big game. His precise passing and ability to drive forward had Chelsea’s defence spinning. Against Liverpool and then Manchester United the attacking midfielder needs to show that the Chelsea game wasn’t a one off! Visit betfreebets.uk to claim a free bet for Chelsea’s next Premier League game.

The difference between good creative players and great ones is all about consistency. You need to show that you can dictate things in important games more often than not. Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes managed that, and thats the level Ross Barkley has to be aiming for.

I said at the start of this season that the young magician had to look at reaching double figures both in terms of goals and assists. He’s started off extremely well, now he needs to continue to influence the bigger games too.

Barkley certainly has the ability and now is the perfect time to show that he really can reach his full potential and down local adversaries Liverpool and keep his club ahead of their biggest rivals!

Posted on September 29th, 2015 by scott
Filed under: Article