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Transfer speculation

Did you seee the cross he did the other day vs Leicester ? That was a playmaker cross IMO

I agree with the Dele comments but for me Barkley is definitely a playmaker just not as good as erisken for example

Under Poch though he could be come a real player

Did you see Dele's pass for Eriksen's goal v Swansea? That was a playmaker pass too

:)
 
Barclay is a playmaker. To compare him to Dembele is simply wrong. He doesn't play deep at all. He is the heartbeat of the Everton team. He isn't that consistent at the moment and that is where Poch would come in. His passing range is excellent as is his dead ball striking ( much much better than Eriksen's current efforts!). I have no doubt that the reason Poch wants him is as cover/competition for Eriksen.

If Dembele is out , we have cover in Winks and Dier
If Ali is out, we have cover in Son and Lamela
If Eriksen is out - we have no cover. This is our urgent need.

Poch obviously doesn't rate/ trust Sissoko or Wimmer. So we need upgrades here too. Hence Zaha and maybe Keane.

We also need a 5th CM - if Winks was out long-term, we'd have a problem as Dembele struggles to play two games per week and Dele and Eriksen aren't proper CMs
 
That Harry Hotspur [insert insult] is claiming that we've agreed terms with Naby Keita, attacking midfielder on loan at Leeds from Leipzig. Never seen him play but at 22 and half-proven, he fits the profile of the sort of player we go for at the moment. Very decent scoring record in his career so far for a midfielder.

On loan at Leeds? I think he must have his players mixed up.

Naby Keita is an outstanding player but he'll have suitors willing to throw far more money at him than we could.
 
Barclay is a playmaker. To compare him to Dembele is simply wrong. He doesn't play deep at all. He is the heartbeat of the Everton team. He isn't that consistent at the moment and that is where Poch would come in. His passing range is excellent as is his dead ball striking ( much much better than Eriksen's current efforts!). I have no doubt that the reason Poch wants him is as cover/competition for Eriksen.

If Dembele is out , we have cover in Winks and Dier
If Ali is out, we have cover in Son and Lamela
If Eriksen is out - we have no cover. This is our urgent need.

Poch obviously doesn't rate/ trust Sissoko or Wimmer. So we need upgrades here too. Hence Zaha and maybe Keane.

Seems like you're confusing playing position with playing style, particularly as you put Winks and Dier as cover for Dembele when neither play the role he plays and Barkley has many of the same attributes and displays them quite regularly certainly more so than either of Winks/Dier. Barkley does play deep too, quite often, though admittedly not as often as he has played further forward this season.

I feel you'd be as disappointed with Barkley as a playmaker as much as you seem aghast at the idea with replacing him with Lamela - in that whilst both create a similar level of chances for team mates neither occupies the same positions or plays with the same style as him.
 
Barclay is a playmaker. To compare him to Dembele is simply wrong. He doesn't play deep at all. He is the heartbeat of the Everton team. He isn't that consistent at the moment and that is where Poch would come in. His passing range is excellent as is his dead ball striking ( much much better than Eriksen's current efforts!). I have no doubt that the reason Poch wants him is as cover/competition for Eriksen.

If Dembele is out , we have cover in Winks and Dier
If Ali is out, we have cover in Son and Lamela
If Eriksen is out - we have no cover. This is our urgent need.

Poch obviously doesn't rate/ trust Sissoko or Wimmer. So we need upgrades here too. Hence Zaha and maybe Keane.

I don't think that he has anything like Eriksen's range of passing or vision. That for me makes it seem unlikely that he is being eyed up as an understudy for Eriksen.

He's a decent passer, carries the ball well and is strong. I think that would be an asset to the squad and means that he could cover a couple of positions. I just don't see him being able to run our game like Eriksen does.
 
Seems like you're confusing playing position with playing style, particularly as you put Winks and Dier as cover for Dembele when neither play the role he plays and Barkley has many of the same attributes and displays them quite regularly. Barkley does play deep too, quite often, though admittedly not as often as he has played further forward this season.

Not at all. Barclay doesn't have Dembele's defensive ball winning characteristics. Poch has already shown that he is prepared to play Dier or Winks in Dembeles position when he is out. No-one is an exact like for like. What is evident is when Eriksen isn't playing, we lack creativity. While Barclay isn't as good or consistent as Eriksen, he has that ability to unlock defences that is closest to Eriksen's role in the team.
 
Not at all. Barclay doesn't have Dembele's defensive ball winning characteristics. Poch has already shown that he is prepared to play Dier or Winks in Dembeles position when he is out. No-one is an exact like for like. What is evident is when Eriksen isn't playing, we lack creativity. While Barclay isn't as good or consistent as Eriksen, he has that ability to unlock defences that is closest to Eriksen's role in the team.

Again, position v playing style with Winks and Dier there - they occupy the same position but don't bring the same qualities that Dembele has, much the same way that we can play Lamela/Son/Sissoko/Dembele etc in the same position as Eriksen but none of them play the same way

We currently lack creativity when Eriksen is out yes, because our creative cover is out with a long term injury
 
I don't think that he has anything like Eriksen's range of passing or vision. That for me makes it seem unlikely that he is being eyed up as an understudy for Eriksen.

He's a decent passer, carries the ball well and is strong. I think that would be an asset to the squad and means that he could cover a couple of positions. I just don't see him being able to run our game like Eriksen does.

Who does run games like Eriksen does, who would be prepared to come and be his understudy at a figure and salary we could afford?

Milo, Billy and Bullet - Name names please. Barclay is likely to be the best we could get for this role.
 
Again, position v playing style with Winks and Dier there - they occupy the same position but don't bring the same qualities that Dembele has, much the same way that we can play Lamela/Son/Sissoko/Dembele etc in the same position as Eriksen but none of them play the same way

We currently lack creativity when Eriksen is out yes, because our creative cover is out with a long term injury

Lamela is not a playmaker. He can't cover Eriksen's role in the team.
 
Who does run games like Eriksen does, who would be prepared to come and be his understudy at a figure and salary we could afford?

Milo, Billy and Bullet - Name names please. Barclay is likely to be the best we could get for this role.

I'd give Winks a shot. I don't think that the through ball is the problem, it is the one before that which Eriksen is so good at providing and i am not convinced Barkley has in his locker.
 
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I consider him one, just because you don't, doesn't make me wrong.

Same to you vice versa...

What attributes make you think Barkley is a playmaker and more importantly how do you think Everton use him as a playmaker?

And with that in mind what makes you think he is any more suited to that role than Lamela is? Lamela has a better eye for a pass for my money and has shown in the absence of Eriksen, albeit v weaker opposition in Europe, that he can dictate our attacking play much the same way that Eriksen does sitting in the middle - we have just been fortunate enough that Eriksen hasn't had any long layoffs and with regards to this particular debate unfortunate that Lamela has either been first choice alongside Eriksen (so given a different role) or injured whilst we have switched to 3421 (so not yet played in his place)
 
Exactly. We still don't have a player like Eriksen in the squad. Currently he can't be rotated or rested. If he got injured, we lose our principal central playmaker and dead ball taker. Barclay would fill that gap. We definitely need him or someone like him.

Isn't Lamela the closest we have to Eriksen?

Of course, not a carbon copy, but in terms of ability to pick a pass, work rate and covering ground, versatility in being to play anywhere across the attacking 3, set pieces.

That assumes he'll get fit and stay with us and I think he shares many of the same qualities as Eriksen.
 
Who does run games like Eriksen does, who would be prepared to come and be his understudy at a figure and salary we could afford?

Milo, Billy and Bullet - Name names please. Barclay is likely to be the best we could get for this role.

In honour of the Roland Buerre pedants' thread, I feel it my duty to respectfully point out that's it's Barkley, not Barclay, good sir.

(A hangover I'm sure from the many commentators that pronounce it incorrectly).
 
Same to you vice versa...

What attributes make you think Barkley is a playmaker and more importantly how do you think Everton use him as a playmaker?

And with that in mind what makes you think he is any more suited to that role than Lamela is? Lamela has a better eye for a pass for my money and has shown in the absence of Eriksen, albeit v weaker opposition in Europe, that he can dictate our attacking play much the same way that Eriksen does sitting in the middle - we have just been fortunate enough that Eriksen hasn't had any long layoffs and with regards to this particular debate unfortunate that Lamela has either been first choice alongside Eriksen (so given a different role) or injured whilst we have switched to 3421 (so not yet played in his place)

Then why do you think Poch apparently wants him if he already has Lamela ? Every time Eriksen has been missing, our creativity has dropped off a cliff, - even with Lamela there. In my opinion, Lamela can not dictate a game from the middle. He has other characteristics but not a playmaker for me. As for our performances against weaker European opposition, we have largely been brick when Lamela has played there in Eriksen's absence. Doesn't exactly provide you with a killer argument and only goes to further underline my point.
 
Who does run games like Eriksen does, who would be prepared to come and be his understudy at a figure and salary we could afford?

Milo, Billy and Bullet - Name names please. Barclay is likely to be the best we could get for this role.

I think it's the understudy aspect that needs to be most considered. Fair doos he has responded well to Koeman leaving him out of he team earlier in the season and I could be wrong, but I get the impression, Barkley needs to be a starter and will sulk being named a sub.

For the above doubt, I'd instead go for Nathan Redmond, probably £10m cheaper too.
 
Then why do you think Poch apparently wants him if he already has Lamela ? Every time Eriksen has been missing, our creativity has dropped off a cliff, - even with Lamela there. In my opinion, Lamela can not dictate a game from the middle. He has other characteristics but not a playmaker for me. As for our performances against weaker European opposition, we have largely been brick when Lamela has played there in Eriksen's absence. Doesn't exactly provide you with a killer argument and only goes to further underline my point.

I think that he wants a variety of options. Barkley is strong and can run with the ball. That provides a different option to others who behind the striker.
 
Then why do you think Poch apparently wants him if he already has Lamela ? Every time Eriksen has been missing, our creativity has dropped off a cliff, - even with Lamela there. In my opinion, Lamela can not dictate a game from the middle. He has other characteristics but not a playmaker for me. As for our performances against weaker European opposition, we have largely been brick when Lamela has played there in Eriksen's absence. Doesn't exactly provide you with a killer argument and only goes to further underline my point.

When has Eriksen been missing and Lamela been in the side instead for league games/big cup games? Very rarely if that has happened at all and I can only imagine that your memory is a little hazy as our poor performances in the Europa usually came with Eriksen In the team and playing below par than with Lamela in the team instead - in fact wasn't there a big argument from people at the time that the Europa was his level because that's only when he 'turned up', that was until last season when that was answered too.

It's a weak argument tbf because it was against weaker opposition and a very small sample size but it's the only time when we have really seen the team with Lamela in it and without Eriksen in the side too (and we done well)


Re the first part of your post I don't think Poch wants Barkley as an Eriksen understudy (if he even wants him at all)
 
I think it's the understudy aspect that needs to be most considered. Fair doos he has responded well to Koeman leaving him out of he team earlier in the season and I could be wrong, but I get the impression, Barkley needs to be a starter and will sulk being named a sub.

For the above doubt, I'd instead go for Nathan Redmond, probably £10m cheaper too.

Should have gone for him over sissoko in the summer

I said it at the time that his transfer was the best business IMO
 
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