There's a Tavern in the Town - Arthur Scargill is a clown... Barnsley (H) 15/10/22

[irie Cee Bee]

We are looking solid at the back which is good. We look however like if we play another 500 mins of football we will never score. We just dont have the pace up front to pose any problem. The Defenders in League 1 seem to have more pace in their legs than our forwards. I saw today good balls being played forward to our strikers who were a step ahead of the defender, but inevitable lose out because the defender gets there ahead of them with the tackle. Its the margins. Our strikers work hard but lack pace to trouble anyone. Dapo had a good game today so glad to see him returning to form. Santos and Johnston I also thought were very solid.

[BWFC_Insane]

Last throes of the game and lo and behold we play it all the way back to the goalkeeper. Attack FFS.

Unbelievably frustrating. They get a throw in on 90 minutes and try the launch into the box to win the game. We get a throw in the same position in their half in the last minute of injury time and go back to the feckin keeper. Arrghh!

We have to go backwards because somehow we have to engineer another situation where Santos can aimlessly pump a ball into the sky for absolutely no reason and with zero purpose. That’s seems to be the plan. Pass it sideways and backwards till Santos can hoof it.

[Worthy4England]

Last throes of the game and lo and behold we play it all the way back to the goalkeeper. Attack FFS.

Unbelievably frustrating. They get a throw in on 90 minutes and try the launch into the box to win the game. We get a throw in the same position in their half in the last minute of injury time and go back to the feckin keeper. Arrghh!

I get the frustration, but the problem was surely to 90 minutes which preceded the throw in?

[BWFC_Insane]

Just seen Evatts post match. The problem is not that we are missing chances but not really creating any. The problem with Evatts comments is I don’t think the final ball will suddenly just improve. The players we are playing in this system have limitations that won’t be fixed this season.

The players who can unlock teams or score a goal from nothing are being played out of position. And our forwards are all hopelessly off form.

[Harry Genshaw]

Last throes of the game and lo and behold we play it all the way back to the goalkeeper. Attack FFS.

Unbelievably frustrating. They get a throw in on 90 minutes and try the launch into the box to win the game. We get a throw in the same position in their half in the last minute of injury time and go back to the feckin keeper. Arrghh!

I get the frustration, but the problem was surely to 90 minutes which preceded the throw in?

Oh aye. Just that late throw in seemed to sum up our approach. Safety first. Backwards and sideways everywhere we go!

I don't think we're miles away but something needs to click.

[officer_dibble]

Charles needs dropping. In couldn’t score in a brothel territory big time.

[TANGODANCER]

Charles needs dropping. In couldn’t score in a brothel territory big time.

A slight exaggeration Dibs. Both he and Jon Bod are off the mark right now, but they'll be back. Need some shooting practise and to watch a Richard Sneekes video.

[knobpolisher]

Got saturated walking from the car to the ground, then watching that dross. The two players who had most touches were Santos and Trafford and the latter didn't have a save to make. Not good enough.

[truewhite15]

We didn't create enough. Too often we were forced into playing the way Barnsley wanted us to play - aimless diagonals that, in truth, never looked likely to pay off.

However, it has to be said that we did create two gilt-edged chances - one in each half, similar opportunities, the ball squared across the six-yard box - which were both spurned by Dion Charles. No, we weren't brilliant. But on another day, both of those go in, and we're talking about a professional 2-0 win over a decent side and a double from our #10. Fine margins. We're not a million miles away, even if the last three games have been concerning.

[BWFC_Insane]

We didn't create enough. Too often we were forced into playing the way Barnsley wanted us to play - aimless diagonals that, in truth, never looked likely to pay off.

However, it has to be said that we did create two gilt-edged chances - one in each half, similar opportunities, the ball squared across the six-yard box - which were both spurned by Dion Charles. No, we weren't brilliant. But on another day, both of those go in, and we're talking about a professional 2-0 win over a decent side and a double from our #10. Fine margins. We're not a million miles away, even if the last three games have been concerning.

We created two chances where we dominated the game. That’s the problem. The strikers being off form is something we can’t do a whole lot about.

But we absolutely should be creating way more than we do.

[dave the minion]

We dominated the game against an ex-Championship team who came to play for a draw.

Frustrating, yes. But not too concerning yet.

Next 4 games are against teams 17th and below. Lets judge where we are after those...

[Worthy4England]

We dominated the game against an ex-Championship team who came to play for a draw.

Frustrating, yes. But not too concerning yet.

Next 4 games are against teams 17th and below. Lets judge where we are after those...

In isolation, not the biggest let down. Our previous two games weren't v Ex-Champo teams, and we managed two? shots in 180 minutes and got beat by a team that was ex-L2. We need to be not easy to score against, but you have to capitalise on that by converting at least 1. Whether they're playing the low block or not.

[officer_dibble]

He’s got the ideal game to try something different this week. And Bradley is now suspended for our annual disappointment at Accrington.

[Tails07]

He’s got the ideal game to try something different this week. And Bradley is now suspended for our annual disappointment at Accrington.

Definitely, an opportunity for the strikers to get a goal and confidence against Leeds kids and with Bradley out and John out of favour, no point persisting with wing backs perhaps it's time to go 4 at the back and Dapo & Sadlier on the wings instead.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

He’s got the ideal game to try something different this week. And Bradley is now suspended for our annual disappointment at Accrington.

Interesting because he's giving it the "Don't Panic". And there's still plenty we're doing right. But as Worthy notes, it's not just one game.

In fact, despite Evatt's assertion that "it's only been a week", you could say the struggle goes back a month. Peterborough was a hard-fought but fortuitous win by a huge deflection. Lincoln was alright but only a pengy and a late confirmer. I know that's being picky but we haven't looked fluent and frequently threatening.

I know xG isn't everyone's cup of tea but the figures have dropped off notably. And remember that xG is whether a chance should be scored; the recent narrative that we're makin' 'em but not takin' 'em seems to be undermined by the stats.

If you don't get an xG above 1, you've been lucky to score. I don't have xG for cup games, but in the 13 league games so far we've had an xG of 1 or above only 7 times, and only once (Lincoln) in the five over the last month.

And with Bradley suspended next week, it's a tough tough choice. Does he go with Jones, who with Iredale on the other wing effectively means a back five when we don't need any more defensive solidity and we aren't creating chances? Or does he bring in Sadlier, who is defensively suspect (understandably, he's not really a wingback)? Or the relatively untried by energetic and diligent Isgrove – in a move which might really p!ss Sadlier off?

As I said after last week's disappointment, for away games against low blocks or tight pitches I'd be investigating 4-2-3-1 anyway. And that was when I was reasonably confident we'd be OK at home. Barnsley suggests that teams are finding ways to nullify us there, too, which only increases the urgency.

EDIT some numbers.

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[officer_dibble]

Dec John - supposedly our best outlet at FGR - was just dropped this weekend for the more Defensively minded Iredale. Wrong IMO.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Dec John - supposedly our best outlet at FGR - was just dropped this weekend for the more Defensively minded Iredale. Wrong IMO.

Yeah, I suspect Evatt was expecting Barnsley (top-six team, recently Chaampo) to have a bit more about them than some tw@t with a towel for long throws.

Note that John wasn't on the bench, to add an option if Evatt wanted to change it (as he did at FGR by replacing Johnston with Iredale to double up with John). So maybe he was injured. Or maybe Evatt thought he shouldn't be in the 18: Dixon, Aimson, Toal, Isgrove and Beck were also in the stands. Difficult decisions to be made but on reflection, perhaps using the 7 subs for 3 forwards, 3 central midfielders and just one wide man (Sadlier) wasn't the greatest spread of options.

On another note about subs: Sheehan has been on the bench for the last three games and not played a minute. You have to ask, if those aren't the games we need a lock-picker in, which are?

[officer_dibble]

He’s said post match Dec John was fit but unlucky.

If we did t need a goal on Saturday after two blanks, playing at home, when do we go a bit more gung ho? It does point to an issue between manager and player, which has been alluded to on here.

[BWFC_Insane]

Watching Man City who have gone to a back three today are having all the exact issues we have with the system.

Liverpool not exactly a low block but they just lack penetration and aren’t getting the best out of their number 10 De Bruyne. Neither Cancelo nor Foden are ideal wing backs and frankly the same issues exist even though they are stacked with world class footballers.

[Prufrock]

Yeah he's Pepped it again there. You're flying, they're struggling. Why change?