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The Ross Barkley Renaissance

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Ross Barkley’s renaissance at Luton Town has been one of the most unexpected subplots of the Premier League season and the story has been made sweeter by the backdrop of what was a steep fall for the Englishman.

By Kaustubh Pandey

Hindsight makes football weirder than it already is. As Ross Barkley continues to come across as a Rolls Royce press-resistant midfielder every week for Luton, it becomes important to look back on how things were in 2017. Tottenham Hotspur were faced with the need to sign a midfielder to not just add depth to Mauricio Pochettino’s free scoring side, but to also make up for Mousa Dembélé’s absences.

The Belgian was then at his press resistant-best, evading opposition markers effortlessly, using his ability to turn, shimmy, and play others in. But injuries were holding him back from being even better and Spurs felt the need to sign someone just like him. Barkley’s time at Everton was of the essence and it seemed as if he couldn’t do much more. He seemed like a key target for Spurs, who later failed to land him and the Everton youth graduate ended up joining Chelsea some months later.

Therein, rather discreetly, lies the beauty of hindsight. Dembélé has been heralded as one of the greatest press-resistant midfielders of the modern era and while Barkley’s current version at Luton may not be as good as how great Dembélé’s was, there are some signs of similarity.

At 30, Barkley seems to be flourishing in a deeper midfield role under Rob Edwards, even though he was seen as a flair-filled attacking midfielder until fairly recently. Him operating deeper allows Luton to progress through midfield quickly, making sure that they attempt to create chances as soon as possible. He acts as a magnet for receiving the ball in midfield.

His stint at Nice last season saw the 30-year-old operate generally around the final third, as the Ligue 1 outfit also used him out wide. They too used a midfield three more often than not and when that happened, Barkley played furthest forward in the heart of the park. But things are different at Luton and despite playing deeper, he is contributing to goals more often.

Luton usually operate using a double pivot in midfield (with a back three)and often use two number tens and one centre-forward, while sometimes also operating with one number ten and two strikers. Barkley is the more left sided of the two deeper midfielders, but he is the one who is tasked with making in-roads into advanced areas as well. Arsenal loanee Albert Sambi Lokonga has been a regular beside Barkley in midfield in recent games, allowing the Englishman a defensively reliable partner.

The Hatters have the fourth-lowest possession percentage in the league, which suggests that they have a heavy reliance on playing through opposition lines quickly or entering the final third as quickly as possible. They use a lot of crosses to reach the box and they are even better at it than teams like Arsenal and Manchester City.

While Barkley may not be a crosser, he certainly keeps play ticking along to make sure that the ball reaches those who are.

He has played 2.78 long balls per 90 minutes, which puts him in the 87th percentile. But more than that, he succeeds at creating for his teammates. He has 1.89 chances per 90 minutes, which is an impressive 89th percentile in the Premier League. He has created six big chances in the season, which is the highest in the league for Luton, as he is tied with the impressive Alfie Doughty.

But one area where Barkley ousts Doughty is his ball-carrying and ability to make in-roads into the final third. He has completed 2.3 dribbles per 90 minutes, only behind the mercurial Chiedozie Ogbene, who is arguably the fastest player in the league

It isn’t just the attacking output that has been impressive from Barkley, who has also flourished defensively in winning the ball back and quickly playing it forward. It is noticeable that the ex-Everton man is using his body very well, breaking up the opposition play and often also winning it back higher up the pitch.

He has won possession back in the final third 0.9 times per 90 minutes in the league, ranking him in the 80th percentile. But he has also made over seven recoveries per 90 minutes, which is very impressive and ranks him in the 91st in the Premier League.

He isn’t just using his lower body well, though. Aerially, he has dominated in midfield, winning duels regularly and thereby becoming a vital cog even in the defensive department for a side that is one of the most physical outfits in the division.

He has won 1.96 aerial duels per 90 and in general, he has won 7.51 duels per 90 minutes, which is suggestive of how Barkley has made a rather complete impact on the pitch.

It is very clear that his workrate has been high, with the demand for sprinting and covering ground having stepped up from how things were for him in Ligue 1. A problem for Barkley has always been injuries and while his renaissance has been excellent, staying away from any fitness issues has to be key for the Englishman, and for Luton, who are currently sit just one point above the relegation zone.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every Premier League game on FotMob – with deep stats, xG, and players ratings. Download the free app here.

The Ross Barkley Renaissance

Ross Barkley’s renaissance at Luton Town has been one of the most unexpected subplots of the Premier League season and the story has been made sweeter by the backdrop of what was a steep fall for the Englishman.

By Kaustubh Pandey

Hindsight makes football weirder than it already is. As Ross Barkley continues to come across as a Rolls Royce press-resistant midfielder every week for Luton, it becomes important to look back on how things were in 2017. Tottenham Hotspur were faced with the need to sign a midfielder to not just add depth to Mauricio Pochettino’s free scoring side, but to also make up for Mousa Dembélé’s absences.

The Belgian was then at his press resistant-best, evading opposition markers effortlessly, using his ability to turn, shimmy, and play others in. But injuries were holding him back from being even better and Spurs felt the need to sign someone just like him. Barkley’s time at Everton was of the essence and it seemed as if he couldn’t do much more. He seemed like a key target for Spurs, who later failed to land him and the Everton youth graduate ended up joining Chelsea some months later.

Therein, rather discreetly, lies the beauty of hindsight. Dembélé has been heralded as one of the greatest press-resistant midfielders of the modern era and while Barkley’s current version at Luton may not be as good as how great Dembélé’s was, there are some signs of similarity.

At 30, Barkley seems to be flourishing in a deeper midfield role under Rob Edwards, even though he was seen as a flair-filled attacking midfielder until fairly recently. Him operating deeper allows Luton to progress through midfield quickly, making sure that they attempt to create chances as soon as possible. He acts as a magnet for receiving the ball in midfield.

His stint at Nice last season saw the 30-year-old operate generally around the final third, as the Ligue 1 outfit also used him out wide. They too used a midfield three more often than not and when that happened, Barkley played furthest forward in the heart of the park. But things are different at Luton and despite playing deeper, he is contributing to goals more often.

Luton usually operate using a double pivot in midfield (with a back three)and often use two number tens and one centre-forward, while sometimes also operating with one number ten and two strikers. Barkley is the more left sided of the two deeper midfielders, but he is the one who is tasked with making in-roads into advanced areas as well. Arsenal loanee Albert Sambi Lokonga has been a regular beside Barkley in midfield in recent games, allowing the Englishman a defensively reliable partner.

The Hatters have the fourth-lowest possession percentage in the league, which suggests that they have a heavy reliance on playing through opposition lines quickly or entering the final third as quickly as possible. They use a lot of crosses to reach the box and they are even better at it than teams like Arsenal and Manchester City.

While Barkley may not be a crosser, he certainly keeps play ticking along to make sure that the ball reaches those who are.

He has played 2.78 long balls per 90 minutes, which puts him in the 87th percentile. But more than that, he succeeds at creating for his teammates. He has 1.89 chances per 90 minutes, which is an impressive 89th percentile in the Premier League. He has created six big chances in the season, which is the highest in the league for Luton, as he is tied with the impressive Alfie Doughty.

But one area where Barkley ousts Doughty is his ball-carrying and ability to make in-roads into the final third. He has completed 2.3 dribbles per 90 minutes, only behind the mercurial Chiedozie Ogbene, who is arguably the fastest player in the league

It isn’t just the attacking output that has been impressive from Barkley, who has also flourished defensively in winning the ball back and quickly playing it forward. It is noticeable that the ex-Everton man is using his body very well, breaking up the opposition play and often also winning it back higher up the pitch.

He has won possession back in the final third 0.9 times per 90 minutes in the league, ranking him in the 80th percentile. But he has also made over seven recoveries per 90 minutes, which is very impressive and ranks him in the 91st in the Premier League.

He isn’t just using his lower body well, though. Aerially, he has dominated in midfield, winning duels regularly and thereby becoming a vital cog even in the defensive department for a side that is one of the most physical outfits in the division.

He has won 1.96 aerial duels per 90 and in general, he has won 7.51 duels per 90 minutes, which is suggestive of how Barkley has made a rather complete impact on the pitch.

It is very clear that his workrate has been high, with the demand for sprinting and covering ground having stepped up from how things were for him in Ligue 1. A problem for Barkley has always been injuries and while his renaissance has been excellent, staying away from any fitness issues has to be key for the Englishman, and for Luton, who are currently sit just one point above the relegation zone.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every Premier League game on FotMob – with deep stats, xG, and players ratings. Download the free app here.