Alas poor Yor(i)k, I knew it well. Home v Barnsley, Sat Feb 3rd, 3-0' clock.

[dave the minion]

Trouble is, you don't think Vic is very good at all. Or Santos. Or most of the rest of the team at one point or another

Yet somehow we're in pole position for the league and have just come out of a record-breaking year.....

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Not the result I was after, but enjoyed that overall.

I missed the first hour, which maybe helps

We were progressing to final 1/3rd well first half, but with best chances probably from corners, they were countering. Lucky not to be 2 down at HT, but it didn't sorta feel like that. As someone who's been somewhat disengaged this season, it wasn't disengaging. They harried, they bent the rules, we usually found our way out when we had possession. They were all over us after HT, we fought back. At the end, bit disappointed we didn't snatch it. But entertained? Aye.

Thank you - interesting. Some interesting views all round….

[DJBlu]

Ashworth is taking his opportunity. That header was the 1st from 5 attempts that was on target.

People saying we could've been x down at half time. We had opportunities throughout the first half, however most fell to Dion and a few 50p heads.

Also, Barnsley came to defend. Let that sink in.

We're not the team from last year and players are having a couple of poor performances, that said form is temporary...

[officer_dibble]

I like Ashworth. I hope we sign him in the summer, assuming he’s over the injuries.

[officer_dibble]

Ashworth is taking his opportunity. That header was the 1st from 5 attempts that was on target.

People saying we could've been x down at half time. We had opportunities throughout the first half, however most fell to Dion and a few 50p heads.

Also, Barnsley came to defend. Let that sink in.

We're not the team from last year and players are having a couple of poor performances, that said form is temporary...

I think they came to attack as well…they didn’t stick ten men behind - they pressed us and knew it would create opportunities. Good team…wouldn’t fancy them in the play offs…

[dave the minion]

I like Ashworth. I hope we sign him in the summer, assuming he’s over the injuries.

100%. Reckon there's a cracking player in there.

He took a bit of a kicking today, but good to see him standing up for himself too.

Also big shout out to Iredale - in the 2nd half there was a bit of handbags between aashworth and (I think) their #45, and big Jack came over and shoved a couple of their players in a "don't you mess with my mate" show of solidarity....

[BWFC_Insane]

I wasn’t keen on Ashworth initially but boy he’s starting to look good. Lovely left foot and he was brilliant for the equaliser.

Still not convinced he’s really a wing back or at least naturally one but you can see the improvement.

At times we don’t use him enough - went to JDC and Demps a bit too often.

[truewhite15]

Thought Sheehan had a good game, certainly first half. Though was part of a group in the mad twenty minutes at the start of the second half who did their damndest to gift Barnsley a second, which rather took the shine off his performance - said group also included the entirety of the back six at various points.

Dempsey was a positive runner throughout. Maghoma - one of the more frustrating players I've seen in a Bolton shirt. Certainly got talent, but so frequently makes the wrong decisions - it was a common theme that he'd break from midfield then utterly ignore the wide attacker in favour of trying to beat just one more man... then promptly losing it.

Charles is clearly trying to hard. His first half left footed slice is testament to that. It just isn't breaking for him at all - not sure whether he needs a rest, or just a scabby deflected goal off his left bollock to set him right. He and Vic tried to combine on numerous occasions, but Vic clearly put on his spring-loaded boots today - really poor first touch.

Taylor looked good, I thought. Don't think Santos was a particularly big miss, which is about as high praise as you can get on your debut. Wing backs were sadly limited in effectiveness.

For all the talk (from the usual suspects) that we could have been two or four down by the break, I actually think we had the better of it. More possession, more corners, more territory - just no clear cut chances. The disappointing thing was the number of balls flashed across the face of goal or dinked to the back post without any striker gambling on it being there. On another day, we could have been out of sight ourselves. It's just a good job that our offside trap was working so effectively.

[Worthy4England]

WRT social media, life works the way you choose to let it. Social media is not compulsory.

Try telling that to professional footballers whose kids get beaten up at school because of stuff written about their dad online.

Sorry, but you're well out of it here.

Yes, because I don't have any kids of my own. I didn't suggest for one minute, social media wasn't impactful, just that as a football player, I'd probably not read much of it. If you think social media is a negative. Stop using it. You have that choice whilst your kids are growing up. Your point was Geth was getting stick, you've now widened it to whether social media can have unintended consequences? Do you want to talk about football or social media in general before suggesting I'm a bit clueless?

[The_Gun]

@truewhite15, whilst I fully respect your opinion, I very much disagree that Santos wasn’t a big miss. I thought both on and off the ball our back three looked far less convincing without Rico there.

With Taylor having only been in the building two days, I’m confident things will pick up in this regard over the coming games, but I think we’d have won today with Santos in the side.

[truewhite15]

@truewhite15, whilst I fully respect your opinion, I very much disagree that Santos wasn’t a big miss. I thought both on and off the ball our back three looked far less convincing without Rico there.

With Taylor having only been in the building two days, I’m confident things will pick up in this regard over the coming games, but I think we’d have won today with Santos in the side.

No problem with that. I can see both sides. I was impressed with Taylor today and, while I can see a world in which we don't suffer that mad 20 minutes in the 2nd half with Rico in the middle, I don't think Taylor could have done much about the goal, and I don't think he acquitted himself badly in the 1-2-1s he faced either.

I can certainly agree that the sooner Rico is back, the better - but I'm no longer having palpitations about him being out of the side.

[BWFC_Insane]

I think it’s also odd to think the wingbacks didn’t play well. I’d have them as our better outfield players today.

As for missing santos. I think it’s a bit both ways. First half Taylor looked good. Second half he tired and it became problematic. If he’s fully fit and up to speed how much would we miss Santos? Time will tell I guess.

[Worthy4England]

I think it’s also odd to think the wingbacks didn’t play well. I’d have them as our better outfield players today.

As for missing santos. I think it’s a bit both ways. First half Taylor looked good. Second half he tired and it became problematic. If he’s fully fit and up to speed how much would we miss Santos? Time will tell I guess.

I thought we all played well, generally. Not to say no one made a mistake nor some were better than others. I wanted us to be competitive - we were. I wanted us to give what we had - we did. It was (for me) a pretty well balanced game. Could've dropped either way, enjoyed it. So much better than last year's semi at theirs.

[truewhite15]

I think it’s also odd to think the wingbacks didn’t play well. I’d have them as our better outfield players today.

As for missing santos. I think it’s a bit both ways. First half Taylor looked good. Second half he tired and it became problematic. If he’s fully fit and up to speed how much would we miss Santos? Time will tell I guess.

I actually said that they were "limited in effectiveness". First half Ashworth was underutilised - we seemed to have difficulty getting the ball to him. 2nd half Ashworth was more involved, but JDC and then Ramsay less so. It wasn't that they were poor. It was that it felt to me that they should have been used more, and when they did get the ball they weren't in positions best suited to get attacks moving.

[BWFC_Insane]

I think it’s also odd to think the wingbacks didn’t play well. I’d have them as our better outfield players today.

As for missing santos. I think it’s a bit both ways. First half Taylor looked good. Second half he tired and it became problematic. If he’s fully fit and up to speed how much would we miss Santos? Time will tell I guess.

I thought we all played well, generally. Not to say no one made a mistake nor some were better than others. I wanted us to be competitive - we were. I wanted us to give what we had - we did. It was (for me) a pretty well balanced game. Could've dropped either way, enjoyed it. So much better than last year's semi at theirs.

I dunno I’m mixed on it. I thought it was an ok first half but we created basically nowt and they had a pretty clear chance for 2-0. Second half for fifteen minutes was a total mess and easily could have conceded 2 or 3 in that period and I’m not sure it would rank as one of the worst fifteen we’ve put in this season.

After that it improved a lot with the two strikers on and I think in a way Taylor going off helped as he was clearly physically struggling and that gave the back three some more solidity. I do like the look of Taylor though. We could have won it at the end but that would be very harsh on Barnsley.

As for compared to the play off game I dunno. We had more control in that but less threat. Today we had much less control but more threat - though that threat was only post substitutes.

[BWFC_Insane]

I think it’s also odd to think the wingbacks didn’t play well. I’d have them as our better outfield players today.

As for missing santos. I think it’s a bit both ways. First half Taylor looked good. Second half he tired and it became problematic. If he’s fully fit and up to speed how much would we miss Santos? Time will tell I guess.

I actually said that they were "limited in effectiveness". First half Ashworth was underutilised - we seemed to have difficulty getting the ball to him. 2nd half Ashworth was more involved, but JDC and then Ramsay less so. It wasn't that they were poor. It was that it felt to me that they should have been used more, and when they did get the ball they weren't in positions best suited to get attacks moving.

On that I agree. Ashworth had space and wasn’t used. JDC I thought got a lot of the ball and made things happen. But yeah we went into the strikers too often today and there was more space down the sides I thought.

[officer_dibble]

I thought Cogley defended well and covered his side well. He always shows for it, never hides. What I do think is Ramsay looks like he has a better end product - really want him to start next match - we need to improve in that final third to get in front. JDC may well be the man to start against the top 5 or 6 teams but want to use this lad from Liverpool now he’s here!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I thought Cogley defended well and covered his side well. He always shows for it, never hides. What I do think is Ramsay looks like he has a better end product - really want him to start next match - we need to improve in that final third to get in front. JDC may well be the man to start against the top 5 or 6 teams but want to use this lad from Liverpool now he’s here!

I suspect we'll see both new wingbacks plus Collins start at Cambridge. Possibly Taylor too for the clean sweep of newbies. Got a good squad now and the rotation should keep everyone not just fit but on their toes - literally: making things happen rather than being reactive.

[BWFC_Insane]

I thought Cogley defended well and covered his side well. He always shows for it, never hides. What I do think is Ramsay looks like he has a better end product - really want him to start next match - we need to improve in that final third to get in front. JDC may well be the man to start against the top 5 or 6 teams but want to use this lad from Liverpool now he’s here!

Too early to say on Ramsey. Few times he’s crossed it, it hasn’t been great but it’s a small sample.

[Worthy4England]

I think it’s also odd to think the wingbacks didn’t play well. I’d have them as our better outfield players today.

As for missing santos. I think it’s a bit both ways. First half Taylor looked good. Second half he tired and it became problematic. If he’s fully fit and up to speed how much would we miss Santos? Time will tell I guess.

I thought we all played well, generally. Not to say no one made a mistake nor some were better than others. I wanted us to be competitive - we were. I wanted us to give what we had - we did. It was (for me) a pretty well balanced game. Could've dropped either way, enjoyed it. So much better than last year's semi at theirs.

I dunno I’m mixed on it. I thought it was an ok first half but we created basically nowt and they had a pretty clear chance for 2-0. Second half for fifteen minutes was a total mess and easily could have conceded 2 or 3 in that period and I’m not sure it would rank as one of the worst fifteen we’ve put in this season.

After that it improved a lot with the two strikers on and I think in a way Taylor going off helped as he was clearly physically struggling and that gave the back three some more solidity. I do like the look of Taylor though. We could have won it at the end but that would be very harsh on Barnsley.

As for compared to the play off game I dunno. We had more control in that but less threat. Today we had much less control but more threat - though that threat was only post substitutes.

We didn't create a shit load from open play first half, but I was thinking our radar from some well delivered corners wasn't too far off. With you on H2, first fifteen - twenty was probably our worst part. I don't remember us accusing ourselves of much threat in the play-offs. But really, I think we're hoping to avoid the lottery.