Everton have endured a rough start to the 2014-15 season, with results, air miles and late-game lapses all contributing to a current 17th-placed standing in the Premier League table.
After fending off interest for any of their players during the summer, then retaining loan quality in the form of Gareth Barry and Romelu Lukaku, fans were expecting the polar opposite to a disappointing, one-win start to the campaign.
The UEFA Europa League has drained a squad who’ve suffered from key injuries, while there are legitimate concerns that Roberto Martinez’s defence is regressing to the depths his Wigan Athletic squad floated at for several years.
That said, they’ve botched at least three games late on. Against Leicester City they were dominant and should have won, the Arsenal comeback was a monumental error and they should have nicked a point at Old Trafford.
With plenty of first-team stars tiring themselves on international duty—Aiden McGeady and Steven Naismith spring to mind—and injuries still haunting the squad, this weekend’s matchup looks like a potential banana skin. Despite Villa’s position seven places ahead of the Toffees, the squads are on different levels when it comes to quality.
That’s why Ross Barkley’s return to the fold, be it on the pitch Saturday or a week later, is huge for Everton in the build-up to Christmas. He’s not played a minute of football this season as yet, and his presence will lift the squad as they fight their way back to the top half of the table.
Barkley’s lay-off was one thing, but the Toffees have also been dealing with ailments in the midfield area apart from his. Steven Pienaar has played less than 10 games in 2014, while Kevin Mirallas has also ducked in and out of the XI.
With Samuel Eto’o a rotational striker at best, Martinez has been juggling Naismith up front and Lukaku off the right at times to try and keep the squad ticking over. A trip to Krasnodar and injuries to Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy and John Stones have been real stingers.
Few things can lift a team when dealing with myriad body blows of this nature, but Barkley—already a mini-talisman for the club and first love of the fans—can provide fresh impetus.
He can take on some of the goalscoring load, firing in a pearler from 25 yards or dribbling past three in order to open up the pitch for others. He can play wide, alleviating the wing issues, and although it’s not his best position, he’ll do a better job than Pienaar did at Old Trafford that’s for sure.
His return could also lessen the rotational load on Muhamed Besic, as despite the Bosnian possessing raw talent in spades, it’s clear he’s not responsible or mature enough to shoulder a role in the Toffees’ engine room right now.
Everton can revert to a true 4-2-3-1 with Barkley in the hole, rather than playing three across the middle and incorporating Besic too early. He could also join that three in a 4-3-3, giving it fresh spark and dynamic dribbling ability.
Lukaku has struggled under pressure, but Barkley has never shied away. Be it against Aston Villa this weekend, Lille midweek or Burnley next weekend, the young Englishman can transform the attitude and fortunes of Martinez’s men.
