No nonsense, Ronseal type of deal. Barnsley Away. 3rd May 2024 19.30pm

[TANGODANCER]

Keep thinking negative thoughts and talking about the past is non-productive. Clean sheet, fresh start and Barnsley are just another team in our league. None of the past matters, only the future. Lately, I read of a man who said, "Our best defence is offence. No matter how well you defend, unless you attack you will always lose". He wasn't talking about football, but he's absolutely right. Those are words that need posting on the dressing room walls. We need to go out there and make our mark. A cruder version would be "Do unto others before they do unto you!" This must be our banner.

[irie Cee Bee]

Keep thinking negative thoughts and talking about the past is non-productive. Clean sheet, fresh start and Barnsley are just another team in our league. None of the past matters, only the future. Lately, I read of a man who said, "Our best defence is offence. No matter how well you defend, unless you attack you will always lose". He wasn't talking about football, but he's absolutely right. Those are words that need posting on the dressing room walls. We need to go out there and make our mark. A cruder version would be "Do unto others before they do unto you!" This must be our banner.

Must be talking about basketball Tango. Keep a clean sheet in football and you certainly wont lose during full and extra time. Your strikers can win it with one chance. If we were razor tight in defense, given the amount of goals we have scored this season, our players would be on holiday now.

[Mar]

There's a lot of we've got to go and win it flying around, but this is another game where we don't have to win it to still be in contention. I'd like to think that it would be lessons learned by missing out on 2nd but it's still time to play after the final whistle on Friday.

Given this is a two legged affair it's probably better that we play to our strengths, get a goal or two early on and hold onto the result. We saw what happened last season when we concede in the second leg. They managed to dictate the game and nullify us. We need to return the favour.

Hopefully their managerial situation won't favour them and we'll see uncertainty from the opposition. Irie Cee Bee is correct, the clean sheets should carry us over the line. I always fancy us for a goal or two but the lack of clean sheets has cost us.

As long as we've got a decent chance come the game at home we should be able to edge it.

[officer_dibble]

Why is the KO 730pm?

[Worthy4England]

Keep thinking negative thoughts and talking about the past is non-productive. Clean sheet, fresh start and Barnsley are just another team in our league. None of the past matters, only the future. Lately, I read of a man who said, "Our best defence is offence. No matter how well you defend, unless you attack you will always lose". He wasn't talking about football, but he's absolutely right. Those are words that need posting on the dressing room walls. We need to go out there and make our mark. A cruder version would be "Do unto others before they do unto you!" This must be our banner.

Aye - none of the past matters - other than everything you can learn on it to improve what comes next...And actually your man that said "our best defence" etc. isn't making a pick between an either/or so it isn't one thing or the other. The statement isn't even true. There is enough to show us that sometimes attackers gave up on sieges. Anyone recall Steaua Bucharest beating Barca in the European Cup? Greece winning the Euros? What I think we've shown on occasion, is that we sometimes struggle to strike the balance between attack and defence (which all winning teams manage to get right). To that end, I think you're right that we might need to head out and play our game on Friday...because I don't rate us at "cagey" currently...

[BWFC_Insane]

^^Yes to the above. It’s not too complex. We need Peterborough first half hour or Barnsley away last half hour but across the full 180 minutes of the tie. If we do that we win. No issues.

Was thinking what this side reminds me of and closest I can get to is Todd’s lot that lost the play off final to Watford. A team of outstanding talent, as emphasised by the numbers who went on to play top flight football for long periods, but one that sometimes turned up and sometimes didn’t. Could look world class one minute then the next switch off.

Thats what this one reminds me of. The fortunate thing is there is no Graham Taylor Watford in the play offs and the best side bar us is also inconsistent. But I think most of the frustration in the fan base stems from this side is at its best unstoppable at this level but the drop off is way too large when it’s not there.

[Worthy4England]

I have me doubts, that we can keep that intensity for 180 minutes (or even 90). There will be ebbs and flows and we need to understand when they're happening and how to counter them...

[boltonboris]

I have me doubts, that we can keep that intensity for 180 minutes (or even 90). There will be ebbs and flows and we need to understand when they're happening and how to counter them...

Yep. If anybody thinks we're going to bang on it for every minute of both games, they're mistaken. In the first leg, we're going to need to be sensible. Silence their crowd, then build our way into the game. Keep the ball away from them as long as possible and if that means playing it round the back, into midfield, wide, back again etc, then so be it.

[boltonboris]

My starting team would be

--------------------Baxter
------------Jones, Santos, Toal
--------------------Sheehan
Cogley--Maghoma--Thomason--Williams
-----------Charles------Collins

[BWFC_Insane]

I have me doubts, that we can keep that intensity for 180 minutes (or even 90). There will be ebbs and flows and we need to understand when they're happening and how to counter them...

Yep. If anybody thinks we're going to bang on it for every minute of both games, they're mistaken. In the first leg, we're going to need to be sensible. Silence their crowd, then build our way into the game. Keep the ball away from them as long as possible and if that means playing it round the back, into midfield, wide, back again etc, then so be it.

When we do that is when we struggle. I don’t know why we can’t play the games with intensity we do when we play well. This team lacks the game management capabilities of sides we had previously and when we have that slow possession and try and kill games it usually results in us losing.

[boltonboris]

I have me doubts, that we can keep that intensity for 180 minutes (or even 90). There will be ebbs and flows and we need to understand when they're happening and how to counter them...

Yep. If anybody thinks we're going to bang on it for every minute of both games, they're mistaken. In the first leg, we're going to need to be sensible. Silence their crowd, then build our way into the game. Keep the ball away from them as long as possible and if that means playing it round the back, into midfield, wide, back again etc, then so be it.

When we do that is when we struggle. I don’t know why we can’t play the games with intensity we do when we play well. This team lacks the game management capabilities of sides we had previously and when we have that slow possession and try and kill games it usually results in us losing.

If we turn the ball over, we give Barnsley impetus. If they want to do a high press, then we may have to re-evaluate that, but keeping the ball in possession and building our way in, would be the best way of tiring them out, keeping the crowd quiet and then creating our own moments. In my opinion.

I'd love for us to burst out of the traps and go in front early doors, of course, but I don't see that happening

[Prufrock]

Barnsley will be bang up for it, they want to play end to end, especially at their place. We don't want to be 2-0 after 20 mins. I don't think Boris is talking about parking the bus for 90. But you start solid, frustrate them in a game where they want the initiative and then take advantage of the gaps.

Friday would be a good day to start being clinical mind.

I think we're favourites but the range of realistic results is pretty wide.

[boltonboris]

What we do not want, is Thomason being the one who gets the ball deep. he was their trigger last time we played them in that first half and they hurt us.

Get the ball into Sheehan and get around the ref every time they try and saw him in half

[boltonboris]

Barnsley will be bang up for it, they want to play end to end, especially at their place. We don't want to be 2-0 after 20 mins. I don't think Boris is talking about parking the bus for 90. But you start solid, frustrate them in a game where they want the initiative and then take advantage of the gaps.

Friday would be a good day to start being clinical mind.

I think we're favourites but the range of realistic results is pretty wide.

Exactly. As ever, somebody else articulates it far better than I can. I'm talking 20 minutes here, rather than 90

[BWFC_Insane]

I have me doubts, that we can keep that intensity for 180 minutes (or even 90). There will be ebbs and flows and we need to understand when they're happening and how to counter them...

Yep. If anybody thinks we're going to bang on it for every minute of both games, they're mistaken. In the first leg, we're going to need to be sensible. Silence their crowd, then build our way into the game. Keep the ball away from them as long as possible and if that means playing it round the back, into midfield, wide, back again etc, then so be it.

When we do that is when we struggle. I don’t know why we can’t play the games with intensity we do when we play well. This team lacks the game management capabilities of sides we had previously and when we have that slow possession and try and kill games it usually results in us losing.

If we turn the ball over, we give Barnsley impetus. If they want to do a high press, then we may have to re-evaluate that, but keeping the ball in possession and building our way in, would be the best way of tiring them out, keeping the crowd quiet and then creating our own moments. In my opinion.

I'd love for us to burst out of the traps and go in front early doors, of course, but I don't see that happening

My view on this game is how we win it is we go and sit on them from the off. Don’t let them out. Right at it. We don’t go and be worried about them we make them worried about us.

I mean I think your view works for a team that I have confidence in managing the game and scoring when chances present themselves. I just don’t have that confidence in us, we do well when we are very proactive and when we are not we simply do not imo do well.

I simply don’t buy the whole ‘we tire teams out’ argument that in fairness Evatt has stopped using. Teams want us playing in front of them. I reckon Barnsley will fancy a game like that where they try and nick one off a set piece. If they come out flying at us we have the spaces to exploit in behind. Obviously we have to stand up to their play but I think we can exploit the gaps as we did there second half.


But my bet is they sit in and invite us to pass it sideways not unlike Wigan did and say break us down and they know psychologically as we get deeper into the game the more likely they are to pinch it. And they will feel then that they can come and do exactly the same at our place.

[boltonboris]

I think you offer fair points there BWFCI - But just feel you/we may need to remain calm if it's not going our way - Barnsley do have pace on the counter attack though. Cole and McAtee are sharp, direct and busy. If we get the wing-backs too high and Thomason and Maghoma are caught ahead of the ball, it could be nasty

[Worthy4England]

We concede most of our goals in the first half - 56% so pretty marginal, but 24% in the 5 minutes leading into half-time. Whether that's because we're shagged before the break, or people start thinking about the oranges early, I dunno. Our second largest concession period is the last 10 minutes at 16%. Barnsley concede 32% in the first 20. I think I'd go at them early. Not Owen 4-2-4, champ man, gung-ho, but try and get on the board - they tighten up, significantly between 21 and 80 minutes...

Get into them, but controlled

[Prufrock]

What we do not want, is Thomason being the one who gets the ball deep. he was their trigger last time we played them in that first half and they hurt us.

Get the ball into Sheehan and get around the ref every time they try and saw him in half

Yeesh aye I've been having day-nightmares about this since Saturday. Will be interesting to see what they do with the manager change, but all of their midfield get about and are physical. Josh will need his ankle guards, we'll need a good ref, and George coming deep should be a decoy!

[officer_dibble]

Get into them, but controlled

Enjoy it lads by being disciplined

[The_Gun]

What we do not want, is Thomason being the one who gets the ball deep. he was their trigger last time we played them in that first half and they hurt us.

Get the ball into Sheehan and get around the ref every time they try and saw him in half

Yeesh aye I've been having day-nightmares about this since Saturday. Will be interesting to see what they do with the manager change but all of their midfield get about and are physical. Josh will need his ankle guards, we'll need a good ref, and George coming deep should be a decoy!

If they do manage to bring in a new manager before Friday, whoever it is surely won't have enough time to have any meaningful impact.