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Chelsea news: Ross Barkley makes sly dig at Antonio Conte and past Everton bosses
CHELSEA midfielder Ross Barkley has taken an indirect swipe at Antonio Conte and his time at Everton, saying he didn’t receive the best coaching.
Barkley, 24, was once hailed as the new Paul Gascoigne when he burst onto the scene at boyhood club Everton.
The attacking midfielder won over the Goodison Park faithful with his mazy dribbles and pugnacious attitude.
Barkley made only two Premier League appearances last season, however, as he struggled with a recurring hamstring injury for eight months of the campaign.
The Englishman’s relationship at Goodison Park waned at the start of the season, when his desired move to Chelsea fell through on deadline day.
Over the years I haven't been coached much
He got his switch in January, and was only injured for February and March in the new year, but was sporadically given a first-team shot under Conte.
With Maurizio Sarri now installed as Chelsea boss, Barkley has made six league appearances so far and feels more positive about his future.
Speaking ahead of The Blues’ Europa League tie against MolVidi on Thursday, Barkley said: “Right now I would say Sarri's philosophy has helped me a lot because over the years I haven't been coached much.
“I am at an age now where I understand football a lot more and I know how important it is to take the different tactics from different managers on board.
“I feel like right now I am ready to understand every aspect of the game.
“You only need to be around the gaffer for around half an hour to understand how intelligent he is. He prepares for each game really well and you can understand how much he loves the game.”
In the first team at Everton, Barkley went under the tutelage of six different managers, and feels the chop-change, results-focused nature of the first team didn’t help his development.
“I’ve thought about it and I believe that if I did have that type of approach from a coach when I was younger, then maybe I would have improved a lot more,” Barkley added.
“But these things happen in football. Where I am right now is where I believe I should be, so I’m in the right place to show what I’m capable of.
“When you go through the youth system you’re always going in to do analysis work, looking at every way of improving and your coaches are always on top of you.
“Then when you get to the first team it can change, because managers are focusing on weekly results and not player development, because a lot of the players are older and more experienced and they know the game.
“That’s just the way it can go. Some players are more fortunate than others to have coaches who are more focused on improvement.”