Ross Barkley

I'd rather watch someone like Alisson come on and try and figure out the Premier League and make mistakes off the back of it than watch...

No offence, but... you know, I'd rather see Manzambi kind of come on and try and figure out the Premier League than watch Ross Barkley be sloppy.

I can take Manzambi putting a pass out of play or being pushed off the ball too easily.

Like when it's someone as experienced as Ross Barkley, it's a little bit harder to stomach.

And I think Alisson is kind of like that.

Like you can see that there's, there's genuine effort.

have any answers to these big existential questions.

No, but one thing we do know is that whenever you bring off Bubakar Kamara and replace him with Ross Barkley, you're going to get a bit of...

You're going to get a bit of online backlash, whether you want it or not, against Bruges.

Are

And it felt like in that first half, I think Forrest maybe had one big chance that Nico Williams had right at the end.

um but we were pretty much the more dominant team it felt like we were always on the brink of working chances but it'd be like i don't know like the ball would come to hemming's in a position and he instead of bombing on then into the space that he could just whip on across instead he turns back the chance is gone or there's a under hit pass or there's an or the wrong choice of pass from like a Ross Barkley or Buendia.

And as the game progressively wore on, Barkley and Buendia were really poor.

There's just no getting away from it.

First half, whatever.

Second half, Forrest went higher, went more for it.

But we created our own problem with an absolutely terrible pass from Ross Barkley in about minute 45, 46.

You just start the second half and you start with that pass.

What's concerning is...

It's hard, isn't it? Because you can say you're concerned, and then you go, well, Shao Gomez comes in the middle for Ross Barkley, so that solution is there.

I just feel like we're lacking zip and cohesion.

But maybe Emery's learnt a lesson today because he's brought on a boy and he looked lively.

Going half-time, nil-nil, you're thinking, OK, we're all right.

But second half, that's where we've had our problems today.

Yeah, I think Ross Barkley was slow as well.

And I just think overall, every ball in the second half, it didn't go the way that we expected it and we've seen and we know that we can do.

Yeah.

And Ross Barkley right-

We watch Buendia off the left

... sort of midfield.

So we'll see whether any of those players will be unleashed at some point in the game.

Do you think Barkley comes in for, for Joao? Do you think he keeps it simple and just does what he's been doing in the Premier League or Bogard perhaps? I, I think...

I thought Bogard did all right when he came on actually at, at right back.

I thought he, bizarrely, looked more secure than the actual right back, Aaron Wan-Bissaka in, in, in that game.

I thought he had a difficult day but obviously it's his, his first game.

There'll be an adaptation period.

Is it as simple as just Barkley comes back in for, for Joao Gomez as well?

Yeah, I think so.

Tyrone, Pau, but both clearly important for us.

Ross Barkley, sharing with Joao.

And Joao's performance on Tuesday was really fantastic.

Again, tomorrow he can't play.

But Ross Barkley, he knows everything we want, offensively, defensively.

And tomorrow, the next step forward, hopefully, we will achieve, we can show, is our improves in Premier League, but as well with the results.

And then...

We've lost points.

strengths and weaknesses look we know um exactly what they bring to villa especially in that front three these are what i think are their biggest threats and opportunities to exploit them um based on recent evidences from this season um Forward runners, Gibbs White and Doy, in and around the nine, we have to make sure we keep a tight eye on them.

So that is Kamara and whoever plays next to him, which I expect for probably the last time starting Ross Barkley.

I definitely think Nico Williams is a huge threat.

He has done very well against us, especially last season at the City Grand.

Channel running, he's very, very physical as well.

And we have to make sure that if he does win the balls, then second balls are going to be huge for us again.

So midfield, whoever's in the pivot, If we do win or lose that first ball into the lap, then we need to make sure, because Gibbs and Doherty will be floating around in those areas, we need to make sure that both Kamara and Barkley, if it is going to be Barkley, are sharp and alert and can pick up those second balls if they are there.

And then the key is a quick transition, because if their full-backs have pushed far forward, then there will be space on either flank to exploit Barkley.