Well I find it bizarre that people use Barker as some personal example of a travesty, my point was not that Barker isn't working hard, but that everyone pointing fingers does nothing and it's down to him to break through. Barker went to Oz and didn't show anything to me in the minutes he played, to be honest, and I would find it staggering that he "couldn't" find a loan, so some party somewhere has obviously prevented it. He can't "expect" to get into our current first team, but who knows, maybe tonight he might get a shot. I don't know why Barker isn't playing in the EDS, I can only assume the club think he's above that level and if so, then he must be on the verge of some game time, unlike the likes of Evans and Byrne who have been allowed out on loan.
With Silva/Nasri/Sterling/De Bruyne/Navas ahead of you, it was always going to be very difficult to get a look in, but with some injuries, tonight and Saturday are probably the first opportunity since the international break to give somebody new a go. Nasri needed minutes against Bournemouth and it backfired, but tonight I expect to see Roberts start, with Barker getting an appearance from the bench, but these guys have to step up and have the game won like the first-team would do. No point in them playing and getting knocked out like that Villa game, because that puts Manuel under unnecessary pressure and also will give him a cold shoulder to using them again. You have to hit the ground running in the first team. EDS fans can moan all they like, but it's up to the lads themselves to make it happen. Their life, their career, their opportunity. Put it this way, Pelle got swooned by Isco as a kid at Malaga, so he's open to youngsters, but they have to shine and really impress, and that's the way it should be.
