This season, Ross Barkley is rewriting the narrative of his career. That is no small task, for it seemed he would forever be remembered as a player of false promise, the future of England’s midfield who quickly became a forgotten member of its past.
His unceremonious exit from Everton, the scandals of his nightlife at Chelsea, and his generally underwhelming performances for the Three Lions combined to form an almost comically cliched image of a “failed wonderkid.”
Yet the truth of Barkley is that he has always been a serviceable Premier League midfielder. Before this season he had amassed 231 appearances in the division, the kind of career that would be respected had it not been attached to a player with such immense hype as a youngster.
His success at Luton, then, is not exactly a renaissance, but both a sign of his growth over time and the result of benefitting from being in a stable environment without the weight of a nation’s expectations on his shoulders. He may not be fulfilling his illusory potential as the second coming of Paul Gascoigne, but he is at the heart of one of the most unlikely bids for top-division survival in the league’s history.
At first glance, Luton’s style seems at odds with a player of Barkley’s skillset. Compared to the rest of the league, they average the third lowest possession, attempt the fewest passes but the fourth most long passes, the second most long goal kicks (more than 40 yards), and attempt the second highest number of crosses. For a player who broke through as a creative playmaker, the directness and intensity of Rob Edwards’ football seems like a poor match. But again, the reality of Barkley is different than the image, and Edwards has cultivated a role that suits his true abilities.
The @RBarkley8 turn which led to our fourth goal ???? pic.twitter.com/j47Pp7Z2zx
— Luton Town FC (@LutonTown) February 1, 2024
The direct approach Luton take in possession leads to lots of chasing loose balls from aerial and ground duels. It’s not uncommon to see the ball careening from one side to the other during their games. Barkley is often the player Luton turn to to convert these hectic, pinball-like sequences of the game into possession for Luton.
The constant throughout his career has been his sublime ball control. But where early in his career, Barkley would indulge in long, slaloming runs that either overstayed their welcome and invited opposition challenges or led to little tangible end product, he now uses this trait far more economically.
When Luton are contesting for second balls, he’s often able to control the ball, evade opposition tackles, and make simple passes to open teammates in space. Or, he can continue the chaos but turn it to Luton’s favour by initiating one of his trademark runs, but choosing the right option once he’s in space. This duality of Barkley, where he can either launch quick transitions or help Luton keep the ball from the second balls they constantly create has been central to the team’s recent success.
Early in the season, their direct balls often resulted in turnovers and consequently, wave after wave of opposition attack. In Barkley, they have a reliable outlet, someone who can keep the ball under pressure and then decide whether to settle into measured possession or accelerate into attack.
Barkley adds to Luton’s attacking approach in other ways as well, giving them an alternative to long balls from goal-kicks through his press resistance. The quickness of his feet, his ability to receive at multiple angles, and his upright body positioning when carrying means that Barkley can often replicate the carrying he performs from the middle of the pitch after collecting a loose ball in his own half.
Again, these are perhaps more controlled and less prolonged spells of ball-carrying than he made early in his career, but they are far more efficient. They allow Luton to get away with not having a highly orchestrated build-up to create a free man because, through his gravity on the ball and evasion, Barkley can either become that free player or find them.
His passing has also shown improvement from his earlier Premier League days. He retains his immense range, often finding one of the Luton wing-backs in space to launch counter-attacks with a sweeping switch of play.
However, Barkley is also more considered in the final third. He’s far from perfect: he remains prone to reckless passes and can sometimes leave Luton caught out. But he’s able to give Luton a different kind of attacking weaponry beyond crosses. A deft through-ball, a delicate chip, or a smart switch of play pass that few other Luton players have the vision or technical excellence of Barkley to execute consistently.
Barkley is certainly not an entirely reinvented player under Edwards. He still shows the same bravery in taking players on, but simply does so in different contexts and usually at better times. He plays more of a tempo-setting role with his passing and can break up Luton’s otherwise frantic play, but at his core, remains someone who wants to contribute to the chaos with ambitious through-balls and long passes. Defensively, he remains deeply imperfect, often isolating his partner Albert Sambi Lokonga in the midfield pivot and doing most of his defensive work ahead of him rather than being aware of space in behind.
Ross Barkley for Luton vs. Newcastle:
◉ Most touches (79)
◉ Most accurate passes (51/55)
◉ Most passes in final third (23)
◉ Most final third entries (9)
◉ Most chances created (4)
◎ 8 duels won
◎ 6x possession won
◎ 4 tackles
◎ 3 interceptions
◎ 2 successful… pic.twitter.com/XM3LQnElep— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) February 3, 2024
Nevertheless, he has unique qualities in that Luton side, qualities that are spurring them above the category of relegation favourites. He helps Rob Edwards strike the right balance between their intense, direct approach while also enjoying the controlled possession and variety any Premier League side needs to survive.
At Luton, Ross Barkley has perhaps finally escaped the shadow of his expectation and has become truly appreciated for who he is as a player rather than who he could be.
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