How Roberto Martinez Should Use Ross Barkley When He Makes His Everton Return
Everton's 1-1 draw with Liverpool will leave fans counting down the days until Ross Barkley returns.
Though the Toffees secured a memorable point through Phil Jagielka's unlikely injury-time piledriver, Roberto Martinez's side struggled to find any fluency in the final third, masked by their dramatic equaliser.
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The club's current status as the Premier League's second top scorers is also slightly misleading, exaggerated by some clinical finishing and the odd slice of good fortune.
Despite their goal tally, Everton are currently only 11th in the Premier League for total shots and have struggled with their creativity—something Barkley's return will improve.
The England international has predominantly played as a No. 10 under Martinez, linking up well with Romelu Lukaku in the space behind the striker, yet this might not be the role he instantly assumes.
Everton's system has been far more varied this season. In Martinez's inaugural campaign, 4-2-3-1 was very much the dominant formula, used at every turn—aside for the odd 4-3-3 or one experiment at a three-man defence.
In the Catalan's second season, 4-3-3 has been used just as much as 4-2-3-1—especially during the bigger games. In that approach, the Toffees play with an extra midfielder instead of a No. 10, though the striker will often drop back to effectively create a diamond system with two wide attackers.
In this formation, Barkley would have an opportunity to start in a deeper position and play more of a box-to-box role, as follows:
This makes a lot of sense for the youngster, especially considering his current level of production.
Though his exceptional dribbling, his acceleration and his ability to turn a man are ideal traits for a No. 10, in the long run, his more natural position may be a little deeper.
This is something previously argued in this column. While Barkley is as good as it gets at running at and beating defenders—dribbling past more opponents than any Premier League player last season, aside from Raheem Sterling, Luis Suarez and Eden Hazard—that doesn't currently result in enough end product.
The 20-year-old is yet to register a Premier League assist, and his statistical return is far below that of other leading Premier League No. 10s. He currently averages fewer chances than most and is caught in possession far too often.
Barkley spent a small amount of time in a deeper role last season and generally played well.
He's equipped with exceptional vision, which is far more effective when given extra time to look up and pass. At the moment, it's often lost as he dribbles forward with his head down, unable to spot a team-mate, which generally leaves him shooting from distance.
In more of a box-to-box role, Barkley can still burst forward and complete eye-catching dribbles while playing far more of an influential part. Supported by two other team-mates, he would still keep a certain amount of freedom to find pockets of space and trouble defenders.
The role would then allow Barkley to become more prominent in possession and make a sustained impression, rather than contributing short flashes of brilliance.
His future in this position is a sentiment shared by Martinez in quotes taken via the Daily Mail's Neil Ashton: "We have to allow him room to develop and let’s not put too much pressure on him. At the moment he is perfectly suited to playing in the No 10 role, but in time he will develop into the complete midfielder."
Barkley's return will provide the Toffees with a major boost. He will instantly augment his side's overall quality and will improve what's been a sporadic effectiveness in attack this season.
Going forward, Barkley's attributes demand a major role. Playing in a deeper role will provide him with more time, more of the ball and more of a platform to dictate from.
In a 4-3-3, playing as one of the three central midfielders, Barkley can make an even bigger contribution in his second full season.
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