Baines believes Barkley has a big future

However, I think Moyes is shrewdly bringing him on and at 19 he is now stating to show a bit more maturity and hence getting the trust of the Manager and his team mates as Baines says.

A few have commented on how he takes too much time or gives it away to easy. I don't disagree. No longer waltzing thru teenagers or lower-level players.

He'll make that adjustment. And was it just me? Every time he was on the ball tuesday, I felt something exciting might happen. Happened a couple times and when he adjusts to the pace, I feel it will be happening sometime every game.

I think he should stay here and play. We'll see, but I think Moyes is going to feature him more.

Fellani needs to play in his proper position alongside Gibson with either Osman or Barkley behind the striker. Fellani is the best in the premier league in that position. Amazing how playing players in their best position seems to work.

Ross needs to speed his play up a bit but this is down to two factors: He's been schooled by both Everton and England to take the ball from the defenders and make the play, which means playing at a slower pace; and it's been a bit too easy for him playing against his peer group, so he stroll through games - it's a bit quicker in the mens game which is why he has to play behind the striker until he gets more experience.

I think he should stay here and play. We'll see, but I think Moyes is going to feature him more.

Not that I'm comparing myself to Baines. I was more two footed than him.

Moyes is to be commended because Barkley had a good game... he had three good games at the start of the season too.

Unbelievable.

Hey, enough of the derisive snorting and guffawing and chortling!

He's big and powerful and almost lumbering, but he's... how can I put it? Well, he's dainty. That's the only word for it. Dainty. Like Zidane.

Wrapping him up in cotton wool is no good; Moyes did that with Rooney, he was sub for us yet started for England! Get him out there every week!

Very good point about Jelavic, and the runs he makes, being fed by Barkley.

Barkley played a very nice through ball after a nice half turn the other night, something we just don't do.

Jelavic makes great, sly little runs off the backs of centre halves. But he doesnt get fed. Part of the problem is Fellaini, in the "10" role, doesnt really do combination play with his fellow striker.

Fellaini is a great option for, amongst other things, being a target. Getting up the pitch, making it stick, keeping the ball and spreading the play. We can play in the oppositions half then, play from there.

Fellaini has superb control, his first tough is generally immaculate. But, possibly due to being brought through as a holding player and generally seeing the play from deeper, he doesnt tend to do the defense splitting pass/threading type balls that Jelavic could feed on.

I thought Fellaini was quietly superb at the Emirates.

So yeah, Jelavic may prosper from a different kind of service, the kind provided by the type of player Barkley is.

However on a separate point regarding Jelavic, having watched him closely its my opinion that I don't think he can start more than 20-25 games a season as lone striker and keep his sharpness. I don't think he can handle the demands, which are enormous, of being lone striker for a full season. Physically, its too much for him.

To be fair though its too much for most. He was screaming "rest me" before being dropped. Although I think Moyes was playing him in the hope he would click, net and that would perk him up.

He would be a tremendous 2nd striker to have but unfortunately the kind of fella we need costs.

If we had Demba Ba, for example, a player we supposedly tried for once upon a time, we would be in the Champions League places, all day.

A throughball and a counter attack. The two things we do very badly at Everton. You are right about Barkley rectifying the former, he certainly possesses that quality. The latter has been enabled by Mirallas but repeatedly hindered by Osman, Pienaar and Fellaini's inability to play incisive passes for players to advance onto. Hopefully Mirallas' ability to run with a ball and Gibson's ability to pick the right pass will see more sweeping counters for us in the future.

Bobby – comparing Barkley to is Zidane is a big one – and premature by your own admission. However...I totally agree with you. Instead of 'dainty' I would say 'grace'. I would imagine I have seen more of Barkley live than most due to my hours of free time and fondness for ploughing my new car over the M62. I've also had a kickabout with Zidane when France trained in my home village at Euro 96 – so, as you can see, my credentials are impeccable.

Barkley may well dwell on the ball too long at times – he is used to being afforded that time. He is 19 and with experience he will overcome that. He is certainly not slow at covering ground. For his build he is has good acceleration and goes at a fair canter.

Another refreshing quality if Barkley's is his ability to hit a great shot with either foot. An advanced fivesome of Pienaar, Fellaini, Osman, Mirallas and Anichebe has its qualities but not one of them has a consistently good shot from outside the box – and certainly not with both feet.

Anyway, enough of lauding the lad. We all knew he could do it and we all knew he needed games in his favoured position. He's received that now and shown what he can do. How anyone can turn that into a 'Moyes knows best' tale is surely wrong in the head.

Well done Ross, keep at it lad.

As for Barkley, whilst he did look extremely promising against Arsenal I will try to reserve the higher praises till he can play like that for a few games in a row. Good to see he has it in his locker but worth remembering he looked a little lost against Spurs. Hopefully he builds on his excellent tues night and delivers on his promise where a lot of talented youngsters have not.

Yeah, basically completely agree, I don't think he has the vision to play the 10 position in that fashion. He isn't a "head up" player moving towards goal. His best play off the striker is mainly back to goal and us subsequently utilising our attacking full backs & getting crosses in.

An over reliance on this has at times made us predictable, a bit one dimensional, functional and mechanical almost. But theres been a lack of options without the full strength side, when Mirallas and Coleman have been out for example. Teams can load up on our left side & try and neutralise Fellaini.

Fellaini plays the 10, try and go with this, slightly like a bizarre version of Mark Hughes, but nowhere near as good.

And for those that don't know or are under 30, thats a compliment by the way as he was an outstanding footballer & completely underrated in this country. European class footballer Mark Hughes and gets v little credit for how good he was.

Anyway, I digress. I thought we struggled with essentially being sussed around the turn of the year.

Moyes has known we needed extra, tried for the market & has shuffled his small pack nicely for me. Vic has improved, Emirates aside, Mirallas has been managed nicely back to full sharpness.

And as for Barkley......if you cant see a premeier league footballer there.....my advice is either watch more football and learn or shut up.

Just needs to learn to decide before he gets the ball and he'll only get that playing first team footy.

As for Moyes astutely bringing him on .... ho ho ho! ... isn't it the usual no option time with injuries and Neville jacking it?

Seamus was the same.

Train was pulling into my stop... another day in Costa del Warrington.... it's all too much.

Enjoy him while he is still here and before BK sees dollar signs again.

I think the football brain is there, the pass to Mirallas in the first half was perfect. Anyone like Stevie Me, Lampard or any other the Chelsea boys do that and the media would be all over it. I think we need to just give him the game time now and let him develop. Personally I wanted him to get game time over the past 12 months, 15 mins here and there to get him used to playing in the first team but now he is getting a shot, I think we should get behind him.

He is a young lad, who strikes me as knowing what he wants to do before he receives the ball. I don't know about any other fan but I would much rather him give the ball away every game but develop as a top midfielder rather than play Neville, Naismith, Hitzlsperger who offer nothing extra to the team.

You are surely joking.

People have been calling for Barkley to play more games for months on end. Moyes finally relents, he plays well and now you laud the gaffer.

Dan

Nobody is saying he is as good as Zidane, or even that he will be. We are merely drawing similarities in style - just as your pal, Jack Wilshere, has been doing with Leon Osman and Iniesta. The only difference being that Barkley is a 19-year-old with the world at his feet whereas Leon Osman's career has probably peaked by now.

Note to Phil Sammon: it was me who made the "Barkely is Zidane" comment, not Bobby. I want all the credit. However, as you had a kickabout with "Zizou" in 96 I'll let you off. Yes, "graceful" is a good word for it. He looks as though he'd be clumsy, but he is oddly elegant.

He does need to learn concentration, for sure. Also, his decision making must improve - he has a cracking shot on him but has to learn when is the best time to unleash it - and he has to do something about his haircut, which is currently well bad. On the plus side, well, loads of things.

As for Moyes deserving credit for playing RB now, words fail me...

And the bad haircut is another astute observation.

I noticed many moons ago that on Football Manager Barkley is listed as eligible to play for Nigeria. Anyone know anything about that one?

First off the bench and first in for injury or loss of form.

I'd like to see Fellaini and Osman swapping positions in the way that Pienaar and Mirallas often do. However, I think that when Barkley plays he should mainly play furthermost and central.

It's good to see that he's getting a game as there is no substitute for experience but I would keep playing him further up the field as it will give him confidence to be creative and mistakes generally carry less impact up there.

Yes your right a lot were calling for Barkley to have started months ago, but for me the lad wasnt ready as his performance earlier in the season against Chelsea was poor. But being the good manager Moyes is he knew it was time to pull him out and re-introduce him last week. The secret is to know when and when not to introduce kids. Also nursed Coleman into the team by playing him wide right as he knew at that point his defensive work wasn't good enough. Now having worked him on the training ground you now see he is a much better defender and can now start at fullback without any worries defensively.

Gavin Ramejkis

You're right to acknowledge his patience with Anichebe when many fans wanted him sold. As for out of form crocked players, well when you are asked to compete at the top end of the league with very little money you have to make do and mend.

When you say injuries forced his hand do you mean in playing Barkley because Osman was injured because he could have gone safety first against Spurs and Arsenal and used Heitinga or Hitz or Naismith or Neville. So that argument doesn't hold up.

Barkley has shown ( to me at least ) that he is on a par effectiveness-wise with Osman, yes I know they both are different and have different pluses and minuses.

But, Barkley is bigger, stronger and has more stamina ( not to be sneezed at in the EPL ) Osman is not going to get any better, given a run in the team to ' learn by doing ' Barkley might.

He may only have Ossies place on loan.

But this may be the ultimate make or break ' loan period ' for Barkley

I think we all agree that Barkley has the potential to outshine Osman in the long-term. But in addition to the lovely touches and turns from Barkley, we've already seen some poor mistakes and naivety that suggests he has a bit to learn.

Personally, I'm glad we have both players. Both have rare intelligence that really makes a difference.

I'm not an Anichebe fan and happy to admit it, he hasn't won me over as the finished article but it would be ignorant to acknowledge his application this season.

Unfortunately, DM has too often extended that philosophy to ALL of the team. He is not sure what to do with attacking players and, rather than improve their creativity and goal threat, his default coaching method is to try and make them better defenders. That's why his adoration of Neville as a role model is so worrying. I mean, as a professional, yes. But as a player? No. Just no.

I will agree that being an ex defender his coaching of defenders is top class, but I cant agree that he tries to make attackers more defensive minded. I know some critisize Moyes for making forwards track back but that is all part of the modern game now. I see Ronaldo and Robben and Ribery tracking back so if its good enough for them then it certainly shouldnt be beyond our forwards.

I will agree that at times David Moyes has a defensive default position especially away when leading games and the clock running down. That his just his way, having said that most teams when leading away from home tend to limit the amount of players they throw forward to add to their advantage as most fans would want.

Just for the record, Anichebe is 25 years old - i.e. he is not a youngster and he is most definitely NOT the finished article and is at best a big striker with very average footballing skills. Granted he has put in some better performances this season but given the law of averages, it had to happen at some point! Even the Straq put in some decent performaces when he was with us, and he was cack footballing wise but at least always gave it 110% when he was here.

For me, the main position where we urgently need reinforcement is up front (assuminng Fellaini stays CM then we have potentially 4 players who can play in the middle at a decent standard, so not urgency to sign a holding CM, although another decent one would be nice given Gibbo/sick note).

I'll always support a player in the blue shirt, after all they don't pick themselves, we even have to get behind the likes of Naismith. However, let's stop pretending that big vic will ever be a good striker - if we had the cash and played more attacking football we'd immediately sign another striker.

'Yes your right a lot were calling for Barkley to have started months ago, but for me the lad wasnt ready as his performance earlier in the season against Chelsea was poor.'

You've got to be kidding. Thrown on with 10 minutes to go, 2-1 down against the European Champions.

Where was the run out when we were 4-0 up at home to Cheltenham. I like Moyes and I appreciate him biding his time with youngsters...but there is a difference between nurturing a player and forcing him into exile. What the fuck did he bring him back from Wednesday for? If he wasn't gonna play here then why not leave him on loan? Same with Duffy. He's asked the manager to go on loan - we have Heitinga as cover - but no, stay in the reserves lad, that's how you nurture a player.

The last few weeks have been something of a milestone for me. Up until February/March, no way would Moyes have started Barkley against Arsenal. He seems to have finally gathered that we are a better team when we pose an offensive threat.

Give it another few months and you might see him finally realise that Naismith is shite and Oviedo is worthy of more than 10 minutes.

Of course, in my humble opinion. If he wins world player of the year in his career, I will take you for a month around Thailand! Saying Barkleys 'style' is that of Zidane, is like saying Neville's style is like that of Franco Baresi.

The reason Barkley is being lauded so much is that it suits those critical of the manager. There is no surprise with the names of the people using Barkley to again try and prove how inept our manager is. In pure footballing terms, I was more excited with Coleman's impact the time he came off the bench and ripped the spurs left side to pieces. I will wait a few more games before deciding he is the answer to our prayers.

Hey, try this on for size: Moyes is good at some things (developing defenders) and not so good at other things (developing creative midfielders). Sounds pretty reasonable and well balanced to me! There is no secret society of people trying to prove the manager's ineptness, just knowledgeable EFC fans trying to sort out the wheat from the chaff.

Feel free to wait a few more games, or even years, before realising that some of us on this site were right all along about Barkely. He is class. If he doesn't play for England in a World Cup quarter final then I'll eat my Everton bowler hat. See? I'm a realist: I didn't say "World Cup Final"!

As we don't have financial luxury to buy top players, I prefer our youngsters with promise are properly managed. Not just thrown into the first team as they show potential. We simply can't afford our youngsters not fulfilling their potential due to bad management and burn out.

If anyone disagrees with David in your, and others, eyes they have a hidden agenda. Have you ever considered it may be their honest opinion?

But, I'm not campaigning for Barkley to play EVERY game, just a number of games. We don't want him burnt out like Sterling.

If Barkley plays well then keep giving him time on the pitch but if his form drops then put him back in the reserves for a bit. With all the hype surrounding the lad there will be times when we all expect a bit much from him but my guess is he won't start another game all season if Ossie is fit. Moyes is soo predictable but baffling at the same time, doesn't bring Barkley on against QPR when we have a 2 goal lead and looking comfortable but then starts him away to Arsenal.

No-one, repeat no-one, has said that RB should have been a regular for the past two seasons. What I and others are saying is that by now he should have been given more game time to (a) further his development and (b) help the team.

One thing I think DM might have got right was playing him away from home. There's less fan pressure then, especially as he's a local lad. Mind you, playing him away at Spurs and Arsenal at the business end of the season is not exactly easing him in, is it?

(Yep, there I go again, seeing both sides of the argument. Sue me, someone!)

The counter-argument often purported by those in the so-called MOB is that anything bad that happens is Moyes fault but anything good that happens is despite him being the manager and never because he is? Example, Moyes buy a young lad from the Irish league for £60,000, brings him on an an impact sub a few times and then sends him out on loan to develop as a player. He brings him back plays him right midfield, works with him on his defensive duties and turns him into an attacking full back with improved defensive qualities. on the pages fo ToffeeWeb we are treated to a diatribe that Coleman should have been the first choice right back all along and that, him actually now being so, is proof that Moyes was wrong all along.

But hey, I suppose this was just " just knowledgeable EFC fans trying to sort out the wheat from the chaff" all along whilst having to cope with a glorified PE teacher ruining it for them?

If not on this thread then at least over the past 2 years many on this site have criticised Moyes over his handling of Coleman.

It's the same with Barkley, it's just an entrenched viewpoint held by some people and whatever happens in the long run will be used by them to 'prove' they were right.

Kev has taken great delight in telling us all (more than once) that he's always known 'Barkely' was destined for greatness. If he does develop into a great then he, and others like him, will say that it was obvious to them and would have happened sooner if only Moyes hadn't held him back.

If his career never gets better than a decent performance at Arsenal, culminating in a shot which went a yard wide, then they will say that Moyes ruined someone who was clearly brilliant. They will use the plethora of hugely talented creative midfielders who he has released at 19 only to see them go on to win the ballon d'or as further evidence of this.

Similarly, others will say that Barkley's emergence is proof that Moyes was correct in not picking him while any lack of progress will again be used to show Moyes' great judgement.

Thirdly, there will be others, like me, who will just let the lad's career take the path that it takes. Fingers crossed that it's a good one.

As for going to the continent to do this, I think that is ridiculous. After all, Osman didn't have to go abroad and he is one-paced and weak in the tackle and yet he has made it... or should I say ''Moyesed'' it in the Prem!

Do you really not give a shit about how our manager develops our younger players, and just hope that everything will turn out ok? Or because Moyes decision to refuse to play him for 2 seasons looks so retarded, can you not think of anything to support him?

Given we're skint, have a small squad that Moyes himself says is tiring, and given that we have had to watch Neville, Naismith and Heitinga all played in midfield ahead of Barkley the last 2 years, I personally think it's well overdue that the lad has had some playing time.

He's not perfect, but you don't perform like that away at Arsenal at 19 unless you've got some serious talent. And he's not going to develop and learn from his mistakes sat on the bench.

Only time will tell whether he'll realise his potential, but given the groans that go up every time Naismith is subbed, I'm not the only one who thinks there are far less capable footballers at the club getting an unfair amount of playing time.

My opinion is that Moyes has given chance after chance to Naismith, but has only used Barkley as a last resort until the recent Spurs and Arsenal away matches. He has less than 200 minutes of playing time for us this season.

I hear that Moyes has said he will keep Ross' feet on the ground - I fully expect him to be dropped as soon as Ossie (or even Neville) is fully fit.

Nobody can say whether he will make it or not - Moyes refusal to play him (even in the cup matches v lesser opposition like Oldham) means we can't judge. His performance against Arsenal suggests to me that with a run of games, where he will be able to suss out the pace of the prem, he should be called on well before the likes of Neville, Heitinger and Naismith are given a chance in midfield again.

Would you not say that Barkley has more to offer in midfield than Heitinga or Neville?

Everybody who has worked with Barkley has said that he is a very special talent. Stubbs, Irvine, Cahill, even Moyes himself. I've seen enough of him in the U21's and bits in the first team to know he is exceptionally talented. So, aged 19, do you not think it might be appropriate to give the lad an odd bit of game time throughout the season? You know, 4-0 up versus Cheltenham, or 2-0 up against QPR.....not 2-1 down with 10 minutes to go against the European Champions.

How can anyone possibly defend that policy? I like Moyes, but his handling of this situation has been absolutely baffling.

You never though (and perish the thought) but, perhaps, Moyes is handling Barkley exactly right........

'I seem to recall that Barkley couldn't get a start a league down when on loan to Leeds.'

You recall that do you? Do recall anything else about that loan? Do you recall the reaction of Leeds fans when he was left out and replaced by Michael Brown? I shouldn't imagine you will recall that, not do I think you watched a single Leeds match with Ross in the team.

He was without doubt their best player and, living in Leeds, I haven't heard anything but praise for his abilities.