Antonio Conte Reveals Ross Barkley Concern Following January Transfer

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said it may take Ross Barkley a long time to find his feet at Stamford Bridge.

The midfielder joined the west London club from Everton in the January transfer window, signing a five-and-a-half year contract with the Blues.

In his initial appearances for the club, Barkley has unsurprisingly struggled after missing the first half of the season with a hamstring problem. Despite that, Conte has said the England international's condition is not an issue, it's his awareness on the field.

"My worry is not about his physical condition, but only to go into our idea of football, to understand the movement without the ball and with the ball," the Italian said, per Thomas Bristow of the Daily Mirror. "For this, he needs a bit of period to go into our idea of football."

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As noted in the report, Conte has already shown some frustration with Barkley when he wasn't ready to enter the field as a substitute during the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg with Arsenal. 

Per Paul Brown, not only did the Italian give the midfielder a dressing down, he made some rather scathing comments about the former Everton man after the 2-1 defeat:

Overall, it's not been the smoothest beginning to life at a new club for the 24-year-old, and criticism has already come despite his recent inactivity.

The game against Arsenal was his first appearance of the season, and given the high-pace nature of that encounter, it was little surprise to see him look rusty. He dallied in possession, gave the ball away frequently and hit the first man with a corner as Chelsea chased a late equaliser.

As noted by Adam Jones of the Liverpool Echo, the latter is an issue that blighted him during his time on Merseyside:

Still, it would have been a big shock had Barkley immediately hit the ground running at Stamford Bridge, especially after his injury woes recently.

There's no doubt he's a talented footballer who can create chances, dribble past opponents and score goals. It's the tactical side of the game Conte mentions where he needs to improve to become a more rounded player, but the Chelsea head coach can help with that development, though.

Per WhoScored.com, when he is on the pitch and in form, the midfielder can change a game:

The worry in the long term for Barkley is whether he'll get enough minutes on the pitch to become attuned to Conte's system of play. After all, he's competing with classy footballers for a spot in the side, with Eden Hazard, Willian, Pedro and Cesc Fabregas all vying for similar roles.

Even so, Conte appears to have already recognised areas in which the midfielder can improve, and that will be one of the reasons why Barkley opted to join the Blues in January. The onus will now be on him to show he can take those steps forward.