Southgate insists Barkley will get his chance

"It's the first time I've actually had the chance to work with him." – As the ex-manager of Boro surely this happens a lot? Would it be wrong to say that Southgate sounds a bit U21 cliquey?

"I was going to be bringing on another player that plays in front of the defence if I put Ross into it, so that's why I didn't put him into the game."

Can anyone tell me what this sentence means? I'm at a loss...

Is this the actual quote?

Makes no sense whatsoever. Maybe Southgate is completely insane?

What that means is: "I wanted to bring on a player that plays behind the defence. I was worried about Joe Hart so I wanted to bring on a second goalkeeper to protect our lead.

This story means nothing to me as long as Barkley's exclusion doesn't become a factor in his decision as to whether he signs or doesn't sign a new contract. Let's face it, if he played for one of the media darlings, he'd have probably played.

72% say YES, which kind of shows how out of touch Southgate is with what and who the public want to see representing England.

Listen to the people, Southgate. It is THEIR team after all. You are simply another cog in the wheel who will be long gone after Russia if this is the best you can serve up for the nation to cheer on.

Moreover, if Lineker, Keown, Jeffers, Ball, Barmby & Rooney are anything to go by, then playing for England prompts players to leave Everton rather than vice versa.

Additionally, post Coleman, I'm in no rush to see any of our players play any games outside of the club.

Totally agree. I never like our players playing in virtually meaningless international matches... so I was pleased Barkley wasn't selected.

But, maybe Gareth Southgate doesn't watch MotD, cos he can't see through the paper bag over his head.

* Remember the TV ads after his World Cup penalty miss!

Southgate was an average player, a less--than-average manager and will be known as an even worse England Manager than Roy Hodgson, who incidentally managed the impossible by further disappointing England fans who had no expectations whatsoever.

It's a fairly straightforward and commonly used piece of terminology, I'm a bit flabbergasted as to how so many of you have misunderstood it so spectacularly. It's a perfectly reasonable thing to say, and I prefer when a manager does try to explain his choices. Reactions like those above provide evidence that they might as well keep quiet and keep us guessing.

Happy for no Everton players to be playing internationally given what happenend to poor Seamus.

I think the reason we don't understand it us, that he doesn't articulate it very well.

But hey, who said the England manager needs to have good grammar.

Different Emperor... same clothes. I hope Ross tears Liverpool to shreds, I have a feeling he is boiling for one that may take his placid nature away forever.

He's basically saying that Barkley sucks at defence, his focus is on attack, so he'd need to make up for Barkley's sucky defence, by putting a CDM behind him and in front of the CBS, but then he'd lose a player elsewhere. He's being polite in trying to politely say Barkley sucks at defence, without saying it, despite meaning it anyway.

I feel the same way Mike Berry (#18).

As an England manager, you need to be able to assess them on their club form from the stands. I would assume that, before his first England game in charge, he'd never coached Hart, Cahill, Vardy and several others. Didn't stop him playing them.

There is no excuse for Ward-Prowse, Livermore, or Redmond getting on ahead of Ross. Shouldn't matter that Southgate knows them, they wouldn't get in any top 10 international side.

Sounds like another England manager that doesn't trust Ross.

Agree with the U21 clique – it was very clear from the friendly selection.

And if he didn't know much about Barkley, then why not play him in the friendlies?

U21 manager still.

I couldn't give a crap as long as Barkley signs up – England will struggle again.

They appoint a new one, to presumably improve the results, and they play the same faces, as the the one they have replaced!

The likes of Lallana, Smalling, Henderson (when fit), to name but a few, all shoe-ins seemingly, who play the same boring game with no inventiveness or intuition, or off-script manoeuvres.

Ross is well out of it, as far as being picked, but at least he can't be blamed, when the brown stuff hits the whirly thing!

"Managed the impossible by further disappointing England fans who had no expectations whatsoever."

Too true!

I can remember when the England manager's job was coveted and if you hadn't won things as a manager (not the League Cup!), then you didn't need to apply.

Was he suggesting that, to accommodate Barkley, he would need to shore up the defence? Surely Dele Alli is no more defensive than Ross?

Anyway... at least he didn't get crocked.

If Ross was playing for one of the Sky darlings, he would have played. Stones is a prime example. He hasn't pulled up any trees at Man City, but gets picked.

Also whether Southgate as a grudge, as I remember, Martinez didn't want Ross to be picked for the Under-23s as Ross at the time was already a regular pick for the full England side. It was for some tournament, Harry Kane as I remember did go and play.

Thanks Gareth, keep up the good work. I'd rather you didn't pick our lads for your squad but, if you must, please keep them on the bench wrapped in a duvet.

Interesting that there is media pressure for Ross to play. That could go either way – play him because the journalists say so or refuse to play Ross to make a point that 'I'm in charge'! More likely the latter as easier to get away with it if it's someone who doesn't play for the Sky 6!

Like many people, I'm more concerned about how he plays on Saturday. I just hope the England debacle hasn't knocked his confidence.

England are only good enough to qualify against lesser teams; they struggle to get out of groups in tourneys and if they can manage that, it's a first round knock-out in the last 16. Why risk another Coleman incident?

All it does is allow other clubs to use their players to shit talk to transfer targets. Stones got it from Joe Hart and Sterling; no doubt Alli, Dier and Kane are sweet talking Spurs to Ross.

Fucking guts full...

Makes as much sense as not buying a fish, because it cannot dance the tango

Dele Alli, though a bit of a twat, is a very good player, but Barkley should be in ahead of other options such as Oxlade-Chamberlain and certainly should get a chance from the bench.

I am reminded of Groucho Marx. Pointing to Harpo, he tells someone that, "he's the brains of our organisation." He then adds, "and that tells you everything you need to know about our organisation."

For those still in doubt, we've just learned everything we need to know about the managerial capabilities of Gareth Southgate.

How could they be meaningless?

On one of the many "Coleman" threads, I read that they were trying to qualify for a tournament that nobody wanted to play in anyway.

Seamus's main career is with Everton, and frustratingly it's now being hampered by what seem ridiculous international fixtures.

I don't think the likes of Coleman would be too impressed if his club were to hinder his international aspirations, relative to any other club.

Nor does his banal manager-speak explain the preferred selection of an out-of-form Oxlade-Chamberlain who was appalling. Finally, why were Ward-Prowse and Livermore used ahead of him against Germany?

It's all nonsense, of course. I don't particularly care from an Everton point of view either, but this sort of crap should be called out when uttered by someone who is in charge of the national team. If he didn't trust Ross then he should say so, and should not have selected him in the first place.

When would you play the Home Championship? Every second summer?

As a child, I remember being just as passionate about the England team as I was about Everton, but no more. Why? The team is massively over represented by London club players – take Oxlade-Chamberlain on Sunday. I've no issue with the player personally, but he is woefully out of form in an out-of-form team, but because it's Arsenal, who the England manager must watch half a dozen times a season, mostly at home, then he's in the team.

It is a rarity that the England manager visits Goodison, and I was encouraged that Southgate was there for the Hull game. Most England managers seem to rotate between Highbury, Stamford Bridge, White Hart Lane, Anfield, Old Trafford and now the Etihad. Players of the so called 'lesser teams' get watched when their club is playing away at one of the grounds above, so more often than not have less possession.

For me, England are an irrelevance. My main concern is what this fucking about does with Barkley's head. He is a fragile and unconfident individual at the best of times, and if this messing about creeps through into affecting his form adversely for us, then I for one will hold that prick Southgate responsible.

If Ross signed for Man City, Man Utd or Spurs tomorrow, he would start next game for England. That's how it works and it's bollocks. Yes-man in charge once again – good luck to him.

Too be honest, Barkley has been useless for us until late recently so let him do his thing here and let England stumble on like they always do. Who cares?? Keep our lads away from playing dentists and plumbers.

Lallana, whilst he is quite impotent in front of goal, keeps the ball, links play and runs around a lot 'closing down' players. He has also been very consistant over the last few seasons doing this. If he wasn't a Liverpool player I think a lot of us would like him in our team, as he is a lot like Leon Osman.

Alli is the current wonderkid as far as all of the media are concerned. I don't quite get it. Yes a good player, but no world beater; however he plays for Spurs who are up in the limelight at the moment playing good football and trying to breakup the Sky 5.

That is why Ross didn't get a look in over the weekend. He needs to dislodge one of those two and it is unlikely to see him in the team alongside them both.

As for playing Livermore, he is average but defensive and that is what Southgate wanted. The fact we played 2 defensive midfielders says everything you need to know about the frailties of our defence. Ross can't defend...

Regarding International teams, I agree with many here that I don't really get too worked up watching England any more. I don't think I have since the 2002 World Cup! However, I like seeing our players represent the home nations. It means they are talented. What happened with Seamus is terrible, but I bet walking out with the captain's armband on for Ireland meant the world to him.

Now, I believe Ross can show those attributes, but he's been too inconsistent, and perhaps too fragile mentally. If Koeman is toughening him up mentally, and he's getting more consistency, then he could become an England regular, even still playing for Everton. Trouble is, like Rooney, he'd be surrounded by 'useful' (often mediocre) players, which probably wouldn't do much to help him sparkle given England's generally dull style.

So, overall, that's why I think England is a waste of time these days for someone 'mercurial' like Ross. That said, if England changed their approach to a more creative and flair-based one (obviously unlikely), then players with Ross' talents might prosper. But it's never going to happen unfortunately.

We need the equivalent of an Eddie Jones as manager as the 'winning is all that matters above everything else' approach is the only thing that would shake up the current England set-up.

Picking favourites, out of form, square pegs in round holes and even injured players, top 4 bias etc is what has put me off England. Southgate being an FA man will just follow the shambolic approach and the disappointment will go on.

Everton have won silver a number of times since England's one and only. Belo Horizonte?

Get some trophies for us to carry to Bramley-Moore. Christen the new Royal Blue Home with silver.

Get well, Shay. Come back and captain us, then lead us out when we all begin our new epoch at Bramley-Moore!

Sixty thousand capacity, has to be. Tribute to William Ralph and our lad from Donegal... Sixty, our lucky number!

What this actually means is, "I'm so staggered to be offered the England job after making such a hash of my penalty duties for England against the Huns back in Euro 96, that I can't actually remember what question you asked me."

Once a fuckwit, always a fuckwit!

Everything else is "la la la la la". Play well for Everton Ross. Just do that. You will make a world of difference for lads and girls like me with bugger all talent, but an adoration for our club and a never-ending hope that "One Of Us" will see his boyhood dream come true.

Do that for people like me!
Do that for William Ralph!
Do that for "The Royal Blue Jersey"!
But above all, Ross, do it for Ross Barkley, Evertonian.

Good news: I see Lallana is out of the derby. He's a key man for the RedShite.

Now, I'm not normally wrong. I'm mostly found sitting on top of Billinge Lump. If you cycle to the top without getting off, you get your first question free.

"Wilfried Zaha turned his back on England because the Football Association is failing to nurture young talents who emerge from outside the country's biggest clubs", according to his chairman at Crystal Palace.

Klopp furious Lallana used in both England matches. Evertonians made up Barkley wasn't.