Build ‘em up and knock ‘em down. It’s a perverse mob mentality. You’re great, until you’re not, then you’re just shit. Ross Barkley now fits within this paradigm of some Evertonians. Struggling performances by the 23 year-old see him singled out for strong vocal criticism by sections of the Goodison crowd. But is it really deserved?

In the fog of football it’s easy for the, let’s say, less cultured football spectators to grab on to the most clear events in front of them. In the case of the Barkley boo boys it’s usually this: Ross runs with the ball. Ross loses the ball. Ross deserves 10 days in solitary at the back of Oumar Niasse’s locker.

The Barkley boo boys only see the world in black or white shades. Ruud Gullit doesn’t. One of the game’s most cultured Ballon d’Or award winners sees the game in all the shades of grey. He also sees Ross Barkley lose the ball but he doesn’t see it like the boo boys do. The following excerpt is lifted from the Dutch legend’s new book How To Watch Football:

Cause and effect For the wider public, cause and effect are not always obvious, so that is what I focus on as an analyst. In fact that’s how most footballers and managers watch a game. Whether it’s at home in front of the television, at the stadium, or in the TV or radio studio, what I ask is: ‘Why did it go wrong?’ A good example is Ross Barkley, who the press and the public talked up as one of England’s most talented footballers. I analysed an Everton game in which the midfielder was running with the ball far too often and constantly losing possession. The longer you run with the ball, the more likely you are to lose it. It’s simple probability. But was it the lad’s fault that he kept running? Why didn’t other players offer to take the ball? Why weren’t they making runs? Everything Barkley did showed he was trying to live up to expectations. In his desire to prove himself he kept calling for the ball, but often lost it too. I show examples, but I wouldn’t lay the blame on a young guy like that. On the contrary. Alongside Barkley there was the experienced Gareth Barry, who could have solved Barkley’s problem by telling him: ‘Don’t run, Ross, pass the ball, look for an easy option.’ That’s the kind of coaching young players need, not a roasting for losing the ball. Without support from a player like Barry he’ll carry on making the same mistakes time and again. You have to put the blame where the responsibility lies. First point out what Barkley is doing wrong, then discuss why it happens. In effect you’re giving viewers a manual and, if they’re smart, Barkley and especially Barry will also benefit. That’s how I analyse football: identifying cause and effect. The player who loses the ball in a tackle may seem to be the one to blame, but in reality the real error was often not his. As a manager I tried to make sure the less experienced players were never made scapegoats; I put responsibility on the better players. It was up to them to lead the way. Often I had to use tough language. Later I’d take the player aside and explain. If you’re as good as you’re supposed to be, and you’re so confident and classy, then you should be helping the others and warning them about what’s going to happen and the mistakes they’re making. You’re the one who’s responsible and you should feel that responsibility. It’s easy to abuse inexperienced players. When experienced players make mistakes then it’s only fair they take the blame.

When we have a player as revered in the game as Ruud Gullit coming to the defence of the Everton midfielder - not to mention Steven Gerrard putting up a vociferous defence of Everton’s local star on BT Sport - surely it’s time for a re-evaluation of the expectations placed on the stuttering-form prone midfielder from some within Goodison Park.

Confidence needs to be rebuilt as well as the team around him. Schniederlen looks like a great midfielder with the legs to compliment and augment the central midfield set up which can only help Barkley.

Next time our diamond isn’t shining so brightly it might be worth taking a look around him. Where was his midfield support? Where was the run ahead of him? Maybe even some encourgement for the lad to keep his head up? Offer a little something called support.