Ross Barkley - Will he finally take his Chelsea chance under Thomas Tuchel?

For Ross Barkley, it looked like his time at Chelsea would be over when a loan deal was agreed with Aston Villa last season. With a promise of first-team football, it was a chance for Barkley to get back to somewhere he was at Everton and in doing so, would be given a chance to make the move to Villa permanent. 

A year later, and now a part of Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea squad this season, Ross Barkley has been given another chance to succeed at Stamford Bridge. The question is, with this being yet another chance to impress, if he can finally deliver on Chelsea’s £30m investment?

I know it sounds harsh, but we must be when it comes to Chelsea’s first team. With every transfer window, if players come in, you want to see competition for places to keep the existing players in those positions on their toes. 

It’s the same with the loan players returning to the club with Ruben Loftus-Cheek a prime example. He has played his way into contention for the remainder of the season in the deeper-lying midfield role, and not just someone filling in the gaps as a backup while others are out injured or rested. 

Ross Barkley has had numerous opportunities at Chelsea and has never really excelled with any of them. He has failed to hold down a regular first-team spot under different managers and being honest it’s hard to see him do anything different under Tuchel. At this moment in time would we be better off on hedging our bets at online casino australia or on Barkley?

I say that because the modern game demands energy and all-around quality. Look at Mason Mount and his work rate to lead our press. Look at N’Golo Kante’s energy, Mateo Kovacic’s willingness to work hard without the ball in defensive areas, and the improvement that Jorginho has made to the defensive side of his game (still nowhere near good enough, but much better than it was). 

Ross Barkley is seriously lacking when it comes to the defensive side of his game and simply does not work hard enough in defensive areas without the ball. His game is about the impact he can make with the ball at this feet in the opposition half and that’s holding him back at Chelsea. 

It will be interesting to see if Thomas Tuchel can accommodate the player Ross Barkley is with his qualities going forward now, or if Ross Barkley can develop the other side of his game to play a pivotal role for the remainder of the season and beyond.