HomeWorld Cup 2014EnglandWhy Ross Barkley Should Start For England

Why Ross Barkley Should Start For England

Ross Barkley had a breakthrough season last year after the faith being put in him by manager Roberto Martinez. Barkley has had some dazzling performances and scored some fantastic goals, especially this one against Manchester City:

His wonderful season was summarised by a much deserved call-up to the England World Cup squad for the biggest footballing tournament in the world in Brazil this summer. He has received praise from many different figures in the footballing world, most recently England vice-captain Frank Lampard said that Barkley reminds him of Wayne Rooney, and he’s only getting better.

As from the stats above, it says a lot about the youngster’s season. Despite not managing any assists, his direct running and dribbling caused havoc for many a defence and created space for teammates. His passing stats are brilliant too, with 85% of his Open Play Passes finding a teammate. Out of 128 dribbles, he has completed 80, which is a sign of his pace and extraordinary strength when on the ball. Although he’s only young, surely Roy would find it hard to overlook him for the England 11? Here’s 3 reasons why I think he should start for England.

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1) His physicality

One look at Barkley and you know that he is definitely physical enough to play against any team. He’s very strong, very few players are able to actually knock him off the ball when he gets running at full pace. This strength could be vital against teams like Italy, who may not be able to match Barkley’s physicality in their midfield.

2) Mentality and Attitude

At 20 years old, maybe you could argue he’s inexperienced. However, for a 20 year old, his intelligence on the pitch is absolutely fantastic. His attitude is fantastic too, having had a lot of injuries in the early stages of his career, including breaking his leg in three places in October 2010. Whenever he plays it’s obvious he has the attitude and drive to win.

3) His Ability

When you look at the tactics Roy Hodgson uses and the players in that England squad, it’s hard to argue both sides of Barkley starting or not, but I believe Barkley would be a better option for England if played in a free role behind the striker. He showed some lovely touches against Honduras on Saturday night, although it would be hard for Roy to drop Wayne Rooney from that role, he may choose to if he thinks it will benefit the team in the best way. There are very few players in the England squad that possess the power, pace and dribbling that he has, not to mention he is fully capable of shooting and passing with both feet. His creativity is good, creating 24 chances for his team mates last season, although not picking up any assists he is better at creating chances with his dribbling, as shown by completing 80 out of 120 dribbles last season. His general all round play was also good, with 38% shooting accuracy and a pass completion of 85%.

To summarise, Ross Barkley could play a very important part at this World Cup and without a doubt will go on to be a huge star at International and Club level.

Here are some of his stats from this season:

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