Maligned Southgate favourite Ross Barkley making timely return to form

 

Common sense would suggest that the upcoming international break at the end of March will be scrapped altogether amid the Coronavirus crisis. However, common sense is yet to prevail.

 

As things stand England have fixtures against Italy and Denmark to fulfil, and as such Gareth Southgate will be finalising his plans in what is a last chance to look at his squad ahead of the summer. There are a number of players hoping to win over the Three Lions boss, with attacking midfielders in abundant supply right now.

 

The likes of Jack Grealish, James Maddison and Mason Mount are believed to be battling for Southgate's affections, but one player that does not need to convince the England boss of his ability is Ross Barkley. The Chelsea midfielder, while lambasted by some, was somewhat of a favourite of his international coach in qualifying for Euro 2020, and will be desperate to ensure his place in Southgate's squad remains intact.

 

Many have suggested that Barkley's most recent return to form - earning a Premier League player of the week rating of 9.78 for his role in the dismantling of boyhood club Everton - will have forced him back into the England reckoning. In truth he was never out of it.

 

Barkley has his doubters by the bucket load but the main thing that has held him back - above an inaccurately perceived lack of ability to some - is a lack of playing time. Even then, the 26-year-old has been named in England's squads over the past year or so on a consistent basis. 

 

The midfielder featured in six of eight Euro qualifying matches, having a direct hand in seven goals - scoring four and assisting three - and earning a superb WhoScored rating of 7.99; enough to rank third in the campaign to Raheem Sterling (8.93) and Harry Kane (8.82).

 

The concern for Barkley was that, having starred in England's 6-0 demolition of Bulgaria in October, he would go on to play just once for Chelsea before the end of the year thereafter. Injuries in that time were an issue but more pertinently, the midfielder had fallen down the pecking order at Chelsea.

 

The fact is, however, that when Ross Barkley has started - for both club and country - he has generally impressed. The public opinion of him, particularly as far as England fans is concerned, is skewed by the fact that he hasn't lived up to the immense hype that surrounded him as a teenager. More pertinently, many feel he simply doesn't play enough at club level to warrant a place.

 

The latter opinion is justifiable enough given that since signing for Chelsea in January of 2018 he has started just 23 of 83 Premier League matches for the Blues. He's made a further 19 substitute appearances but when excluding those cameos a WhoScored rating of 7.07 from starts alone is respectable. That figure is up to 7.33 from eight league starts this season.

 

 

Barkley may not be the wonderkid come good that many had hoped but nor is he a poor player by any means. Quite the opposite. On his day the Chelsea man can be truly decisive in games, just as he was at the weekend, leading the way in the Premier League in assists (2), dribbles (7) and key passes (6).

 

Whether he's a better player than the likes of those mentioned beforehand in this piece is a debate for another article, but while said hopefuls are knocking on Southgate's door, Barkley has one foot in it already. He has experience at international level and the trust of his international manager, which is utterly invaluable.

 

It may not be a popular decision with the masses, but provided Barkley can make more than a handful of appearances between now and the end of the season, the in-form Chelsea midfielder is more than likely to get the nod for Euro 2020.

Maligned Southgate favourite Ross Barkley making timely return to form