Why The Ross Barkley Project Shouldn’t Be Pursued

No manager should take on more than two or three player projects at any one time. A player project is the manager focusing his attention on a particular player and showing a real interest in their future. Some managers are willing to engage in quite a few projects as they feel that youth is essential to the modern game. Some can handle that, but others really can’t. For me, Jose Mourinho is good enough to take on plenty of projects, but his problem is that he’s not interested. 

A new, potential, player project has emerged in today’s papers which have linked Chelsea to Everton’s Ross Barkley. However, as the Mirror have reported, Roberto Martinez isn’t willing to sell his star player just yet. 

I think he’s right not to and I also think that Barkley is a player that Mourinho should avoid. Many would disagree with me after seeing his performances this season, but hear me out.

Oscar should be Jose’s main project. He showed how influential he can be, however, only in the early stages of the season just gone by. He experienced a real dip in form after the Christmas period. However, what he showed in the first half was proof to me that he should be Mourinho’s main project. 

He was as effective in attack as he was in defending. He often bossed the midfield and rather shocked everyone with his aggressive approach despite having a small frame, Brazilian heritage and being a creative midfielder. He got stuck in and was fully committed to any tackle he attempted to make. 

The Brazilian is at the start of his career at Chelsea and is already very well adapted to the English game. I don’t see why Mourinho should abandon that project for someone with less experience and is only a few years younger. 

Marco van Ginkel is also on the list of future projects which makes the move for Barkley even more pointless