It’s safe to say that Ross Barkley has certainly divided opinion since his move to Chelsea in January 2018.
Some greeted his £15million move from Everton with positivity and hope that the midfielder could kick on with Chelsea and become the player many believe he has the ability to be.
On the other hand, some saw the move as Chelsea bringing him in merely as a squad player and believed his development would stall at Stamford Bridge.
And up until Frank Lampard’s appointment as Blues boss, it was unclear as to which direction the midfielder was heading in.
While his attitude has been superb, some are still not convinced by his performances in a Chelsea shirt despite him making 48 appearances in all competitions under Maurizio Sarri last term.
However, if pre-season is anything to go by, this season could be the campaign in which Barkley proves his doubters wrong.
Playing in a more advanced role as the number 10, the midfielder has arguably been the Blues’ best player, scoring a fine goal in the 2-1 victory over Barcelona and a brilliant free-kick in Sunday’s entertaining 4-3 win over Reading.
Though Chelsea are still in the early days of Lampard’s, hopefully lengthy, reign in charge, Barkley’s performances could be a sign of things to come for the midfielder under his stewardship.
Lampard’s goalscoring record is second to none at Chelsea, and if anyone can help Barkley kick on and become a real attacking threat for the Blues, it is the club’s all time record goalscorer.
Furthermore, not only was Lampard renowned for his goals, many professionals who have played alongside him have been full of praise for his mentality and work ethic; something that had appeared to hold Barkley back during his time with Everton.
The 25-year-old appears to have changed his mentality somewhat since his move to Chelsea, however, emphasised by his desire to study and learn former manager Sarri’s style of play prior to his arrival last summer.
I wanted to know who the manager was when he was coming in. I had an interest in the style of play that the managed used at Napoli. So, during pre-season I would watch clips to see the patterns of play the manager would like and even the movement.
I have done everything I could perfectly. I felt strong towards the end of the season and then, in the off-season, worked hard with the strength and conditioning coach. I got myself really fit just to give myself a head start. I am really prepared and I feel at home with the team now.
Lampard, it seems, is therefore the perfect manager for Barkley to thrive under, with the Chelsea legend able to improve his attacking output and challenge the midfielder to strive for perfection at Stamford Bridge.
Super Frank knows what it takes to succeed at Chelsea and for England, and that can only benefit Chelsea’s current number eight.
