LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 03: Ross Barkley of Everton celebates after scoring his team's third goal from the penalty spot during the Barclays Premier League match between Everton and Newcastle United at Goodison Park on February 3, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
Everton boss Ronald Koeman will either make or break Ross Barkley
New Everton manager Ronald Koeman is ready to challenge midfielder Ross Barkley to meet his full potential
Everton boss Ronald Koeman isn’t exactly known for being warm and friendly with his players. He expects a lot out of his squad and demands much of his stars. That philosophy will either lead to star Ross Barkley elevating his game to become a true Premier League star, or seeing the talented midfielder leave Goodison Park in a cloud of disappointment.
Koeman’s latest comments make it pretty clear that he isn’t going to take it easy on the talented English international. He specifically cited the need for a manager to be critical in the dressing room, and singled out Barkley as a player that needs to up his game if Everton are going to move up the Premier League table.
Everton fans might well be excited to hear that their new manager intends to challenge Barkley to reach his full potential. One of the biggest complaints about former Everton manager Roberto Martinez is that he failed to develop the club’s stars. Most of that attention was focused on the failure of John Stones to improve, but Barkley’s career has been in neutral as of late too.
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Don’t let the fact that Roy Hodgson selected him to the England squad fool you. Barkley has considerably more talent than he’s displayed as of late. He has the physical size to be a dominant player in the middle of the park, and his skill on the ball means he has the potential to be a special player. He should be a dominating presence for Everton on a regular basis.
Instead, during the past season, Barkley frequently went missing for the Toffees. Sure, he would pop up with an outstanding goal every now and again, but he failed to assert himself consistently. Roberto Martinez needed him to be the team’s engine, and all too often he went missing in action.
Koeman won’t tolerate that sort of inconsistency. He has as well-deserved reputation as being hard on his star players. Just ask Sadio Mane or Victor Wanyama how they feel about their former manager. Don’t think for a moment that Koeman will change his managerial style based on the move from Southampton to Everton.
His success, and the resources that Everton had to spend to garner his services, will only embolden his way of thinking. It’s quite likely that Koeman will be even more confrontational than he has in the past. If that happens, Barkley is only going to have two choices: he can either become a true Premier League star or he can find another club.
The outcome for Barkley will either be stardom or anonymity. Everton fans will dearly hope he chooses the former. If he does, Ronald Koeman should be a rousing success at Everton and Ross Barkley will become one of the faces of English football.
