Harvey Barnes

If there is a role for any number 10 right now he’d be behind Maddison, Nacho and probably Perez (as much as I do t rate him).

Why?

Because the key attribute of a number 10 is to get your head up, pick a pass or be comfortable in front of goal. All of the above Barnes needs to improve on.

Where he’s really thriving is interplay with the fullbacks and creating overlaps through overloads. He is also great driving forward with the ball.

So, all things considered he’s perfect for his current job.

For me, like Sterling, he’ll never be a natural finisher. I don’t think you can coach it in to players, but he can improve certain aspects of his decision making for his final ball and shooting. As much as I hate Jenas, I did agree with his views that for Barnes it needs to be repetition. Just stay out for an hour on the training pitch and shoot, shoot and shoot in different scenarios. Create muscle memory for the match.

His shooting looks like mine at times currently 😳

Yeah, I don't think he'll ever be a natural finisher either. Whether repetition is the answer, I don't know. No harm in considering it as an option, but also I'd always fear that boring drills can stifle progress rather than liberate it. Depends on the player in part and what they respond to. I'm pretty sure they mostly let Vardy do whatever he wants these days.

Could I just say that I’ve been watching Barnes for a while now and it was always clear that he had natural ability, but needed to consistently influence games more in an attacking sense. Otherwise he would just end up another nearly man or ‘make do’ man.

It’s now evident that he’s improving game by game and is so far ahead of where he was last year. It’s just so refreshing to see after the experience with Gray.

I hope it continues - wherever he plays 😀

I’d like to temper a bit of the Barnes praise (not that I’m saying that he doesn’t deserve praise) but I think Barnes has always looked good when the team is functioning, and poor when it’s not.

What I want to see next is an influential performance or moment when we’re not so much on top during a game. I find that when the going gets tough, Barnes gets lost. We’ve had two games on the front foot and with brilliant support from Justin (defensive challenges aside I thought he was unbelievable last night).

I want to see him influence tight games more too as part of his development.

For me, like Sterling, he’ll never be a natural finisher. I don’t think you can coach it in to players, but he can improve certain aspects of his decision making for his final ball and shooting. As much as I hate Jenas, I did agree with his views that for Barnes it needs to be repetition. Just stay out for an hour on the training pitch and shoot, shoot and shoot in different scenarios. Create muscle memory for the match.
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Really? I think Sterling has undergone a coaching transformation under Pep and has developed into a great finisher. Vardy has also improved his finishing from the early days where he blasted every ball into the net to nowadays where he can finish with all kinds of clever shots.

I think Barnes can learn a great deal from watching Vardy and even Nacho who is a pretty natural finisher.

Never too late to learn.

I thought Barnes was one of the Players of the Season last Season, if he improves on that it will be excellent progression.

Looked really good so far. Also scored. What's not to like?

Nobody is questioning Barnes’ ability here, just his ability to thrive as a 10 which was the original question

comment by Merseysidefox (U4842)
posted 6 hours, 24 minutes ago
Nobody is questioning Barnes’ ability here, just his ability to thrive as a 10 which was the original question
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As an answer to the original question I would say: "No".

At least not in the short term.

He's beginning to show some promise in his current role and I'd like to see some consistency from him before moving him around. Long term - possibly. It's often the case that you want players who can change games to be central so that they influence them more often. Barnes could develop into that type of player, but needs to continue on his current trajectory first.

If we were going to try somebody centrally behind Vardy (other than Maddison) I'd be tempted to try Perez in the short term. He's not entirely comfortable out wide and may be able to take the goal scoring onus of responsibility off Vardy a little bit.

Glad we agree Joby 🙃