Paul Merson told Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports (27/02/21 at 12:30 pm) that Aston Villa should buy Ross Barkley on a permanent basis.
The TV pundit labelled the Chelsea loanee as an ‘unbelievable talent’ and backed him to get out of his current slump.
Barkley started the season at Villa in a strong fashion, but after suffering an injury, his form has gone the other way.
Merson shared his thoughts on Barkley prior to Villa’s win at Leeds, where Dean Smith dropped him to the bench.
“I watched him a lot at Chelsea and I felt he played safe at Chelsea,” said Merson. “I think he has got into a situation where the older he is getting and the more he is thinking about his game.
“He should just try and get back to his Everton days. When he was off-the-cuff and he was taking players on. I think that’s what you have to do. I think he’s an unbelievable talent.”
“He needs to get back (to his best). This is a hard league. You have eight weeks out, it’s a long time.
On whether Villa should buy Barkley given that he is currently on-loan: “All day long, in my opinion. All day long.”
Even if Villa didn’t pick up three points at Elland Road, it was the right call from Smith to bench the on-loan player.
The very basics of Barkley’s game, from playing a five-yard pass, had gone out of the window, so he needed a rest.
Plus, the guy that did replace him in midfield – Jacob Ramsey – put on another strong showing for the Villa faithful once again and now deserves to keep his place in the starting XI.
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