England reject Ross Barkley now facing fight to save his Everton place after being hauled off at half-time
Midfielder taken off and Toffees slam three goals without player boss Ronald Koeman says 'didn’t show level I expect'
ROSS BARKLEY is not just battling to be recalled by his country - he now also faces a fight at his club.
The Everton playmaker suffered the embarrassment of being hauled off at half-time at Sunderland on Monday night when the game was still goalless.
And Barkley, 22, was then forced to watch his Toffees team-mates set up three second half goals for hat-trick hero Romelu Lukaku as the visitors cruised to a 3-0 win.
It was the latest humiliation for the Scouse startlet, who was left out of Sam Allardyce’s first Three Lions squad for the World Cup qualifier in Slovakia.
And his bid to get back into the England reckoning now looks like an almighty struggle, especially with his place in Ronald Koeman’s Everton XI now under severe threat.
Indeed, Barkley could - and arguably should - be dropped for Saturday’s visit of Middlesbrough.
His replacement at the Stadium of Light was Gerard Deulofeu and he produced much more in his second half outing than the error-strewn Englishman did in the previous 45 minutes.
And Yannick Bolasie and Kevin Mirallas, the other two attackers in the three behind striker Lukaku, both weighed in with assists on Wearside.
After Monday’s win, Koeman insisted he would have a private word with Barkley at Tuesday’s training.
But that will have been an awkward conversation after the public explanation the Dutchman gave for making the half-time change.
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Speaking in his post-match press conference at Sunderland, Koeman rapped: “He didn’t show the level I expect.“I know it's always difficult for the manager because he was not selected for the national team, and you take the player off after 45 minutes.
“But I had to do something. He lost too many balls.
The stats show Barkley lost possession 11 times - although Bolasie actually gave the ball way 20 times over the 76 minutes he played, while Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne lost it on 19 occasions in his stand-out display in Saturday’s derby win.
But this is perhaps another example of the tough love Koeman is showing his unquestionably talented Toffee.
The Everton chief, for example, made his feelings known after Barkley criticised the way he was treated by Roy Hodgson at Euro 2016, when he did not play a single minute.
Barkley had said: “Roy could have shown more faith in me.“I was working my hardest doing double sessions - but wasn't playing.
“I felt I wasn't important to the squad and that's not a nice feeling.
But last week Koeman snapped back: “You can't point your finger at somebody else.
“You have to ask yourself what you can do better, what you need to improve to be selected.
"I don't like it when a player blames others.
Quite, because a quick look at Barkley’s recent form - he has just one goal and two assists from his last 16 Premier League games - shows he only has himself to blame.
And right now, before he even thinks about his international future, he needs to prove he should have one at Goodison Park.