ROSS BARKLEY looked lost on Monday night.
The Merseyside derby, always a feisty affair with that lot over the road, is made for a local boy to take charge.
Instead, Barkley’s brain has been scrambled by the “do’s” and “don’ts” list given him to him by Ronald Koeman. This is one confused kid.
He faded so quickly at Goodison Park, finally taking out his frustration with a vicious two-footed challenge on Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson in the second half.
It is not the kind of thing he wants to be remembered for.
There is a feeling around the camp Koeman is making his talented midfielder a scapegoat for Everton’s failings.
Barkley is beginning to look like a bargaining chip with the fans, the fall-guy for Everton’s alarming dip in form.
It is easy to take it out on the young players.
Everton were second in the Premier League after five games, with Koeman claiming the credit for transforming the club.
What followed next — six defeats in 17 games — has taken the sheen off his arrival.
Barkley, 23, has borne the brunt of that.
He has been in and out of the side, struggling to nail down a guaranteed place under their new coach.
Everton fans, desperate for some success, are sympathetic to Koeman.
The “oohs” and “aahs” every time Everton lost possession or carelessly misplaced a pass on Monday night sounded so much louder when it was Barkley.
This is a tough time for him, with those close to the midfielder suggesting his confidence has been shot to pieces under Everton’s new manager.
He has lost his place in the England squad, barely in the thoughts of the new head coach Gareth Southgate.
That is difficult to accept.
England were supposed to be building a side around the likes of Barkley when they bombed at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
He was going to be the main man, with everything spinning off him in the centre of the park.
Barkley should be coming of age under Koeman, bossing it in midfield under a coach with such a big reputation in the game.
It was only a year or so ago Manchester United and Chelsea were both sniffing around him.
He was the big talent in English football at the time, the great hope after years of mediocrity at Goodison Park.
Roberto Martinez gave him freedom, licence to come and go in midfield during his first 100 appearance in Everton colours.
Tying him down, making Barkley do the leg work of others has never been his game.
Working with Koeman’s instruction manual, given a raft of defensive duties out of possession, is affecting his game.
He is a forward-thinking player, but he has been caught up in the demands of the modern-day midfielder. That is Koeman’s call.
On Martinez’s watch Barkley was always told what he could be, with the former Everton manager constantly shining a torch into the future.
There were times, especially in his early days in the Everton side, when he needed reassurance.
He would turn to the bench, looking at Martinez and wonder whether he was doing the right thing.
There were times when he thought a mistake, a careless pass or an error would lead to a substitution.
Nobody has quite cracked the Barkley code, but Martinez came as close to anybody.
Martinez earmarked him for the No 6 role in the long-term, using his driving runs from deep-lying positions to spring Everton’s attacks.
On Monday he was back in the No 10 shirt, the supporting act for Romelu Lukaku.
They barely exchanged a pass all night, struggling to make the breakthrough against Liverpool’s defence.
This should be Barkley’s time, with a team being built around his talented feet.
Instead, he needs to find the magic again.
Leave a comment