Raising the Bar: Barnsley (A), Tue 5 Mar 7.45pm

[HMX]

Sheehan - just give him the ball and things happen - like playing a one-two off the keeper on a 98th minute penalty.

[BWFC_Insane]

Is it just me who thought that for about 20 minutes till he was taken off that Collins was unplayable? He started drifting out wide and then into the hole and I thought once he did that and was freer and we found him earlier he looked unstoppable?

I honestly think we’ve got to get Dion fit and then let these two build a partnership. That could fire us up and should we slip into the play offs then that’s the best chance we’ve got of winning those big games with a front two that have a goalscorer and runner and off the shoulder type and Collins the creater.

[Prufrock]

Yeah he was excellent second half. No surprise he's the one who finally found The Vic Run. Think he and Dion could be far too good for L1 defences.

[The_Gun]

Dion was in terrible form before he got injured, but hopefully the time out will do him good and playing with someone like Collins will bring out the best in him. Did Evatt say he's likely to be back for Saturday?

[Worthy4England]

Dion was in terrible form before he got injured, but hopefully the time out will do him good and playing with someone like Collins will bring out the best in him. Did Evatt say he's likely to be back for Saturday?

It'll be quite an interesting dilemma. Vic quietly and without much fanfare sneaked into double figures for goals, last night, three behind Dion. That said, our results without Dion starting have hardly been stellar, 8 points from 6 games vs 11 from the 6 directly previous. I'd be stunned if a fit Dion wasn't in Evatt's starting XI.

[Prufrock]

I agree, though think Vic is playing well enough we don't need to take any risks with Dion.

I'm always worried when someone is "back" then not again. Minor setbacks seem to mean we'll see you once and then RIP.

[Worthy4England]

I agree, though think Vic is playing well enough we don't need to take any risks with Dion.

I'm always worried when someone is "back" then not again. Minor setbacks seem to mean we'll see you once and then RIP.

Agree mate - decent dilemma to have when he's back.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Toaly and Cosgrove's little chat
https://youtu.be/NTDKpsE5VNs?si=emHwZM_t0FeqzoBw&t=1238

(Not sure how I embed)

.
Can't make a YT embed start at a precise time but it's at 20m38s.

Note that our genial host DJ Blu has quietly added a "how to embed" post:
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=27710

[BWFC_Insane]

The way we played the last half hour has to be a blueprint for how we can now play when the situation demands. More direct. Much more urgent. Balls into the box. Strikers peeling off to isolate defenders and then we play from there. Midfield men in the box.

When we look urgent like we are trying to score a goal with as few touches as possible we look a genuinely great side. When we put the ball in and commit numbers…I don’t care how deep a side is that’s harder to defend than watching us shuffle sideways.

We’ve seen we can do it away at one of the best sides. So there is no reason we can’t do it when necessary. If we’d played in that manner I’m certain we’d have got at least a point and likely a win at Wigan. More of that. It was much better.

[truewhite15]

loved that. We absolutely battered them. unlucky not to win it. Unlucky not have been playing against 9 men for most of the 2nd half. Unlucky not to have had the opportunity to miss 3 penalties

I'm delighted for the players, but fvck me, they look disgruntled with the fans. Most heading down the tunnel at F.T before CamJem pulled them over. We've caused that with our incessant negativity and abuse of players and management.

One thing that was clear, is that Jerome and Bod CAN have an impact, but ONLY if we can play to their strengths. We did that last night

Saying this louder for those in the back.

It's about time we turned home games into that cauldron of positive, visceral noise that managers throughout the game refer to as "the 12th man".

[TANGODANCER]

Yeah he was excellent second half. No surprise he's the one who finally found The Vic Run. Think he and Dion could be far too good for L1 defences.

Not sure about that Pru. We haven't exactly not scored from playing badly, rather kept in check by decent defences and good goalies. A good lead in to our own net minder, Mr Goalman (sorry ). A bit wild and untamed, but he's a decent twelfth man once he learns to throw and kick straight. Few of our losses are down to him and I'm thankful we had him when Baxter was injured..

[Worthy4England]

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of need to do the same convo as we had yesterday about fans. But a couple of things.

I think the folks, knobbers, commentators (delete as appropriate) etc. are largely out of our control, so whilst agreeing with the point the personal attacks and booing the players is counterproductive the stuff that does get through, they're going to have to deal with. It'll be good practise for Roy Keane's half time assessments in the prem.

As to the atmosphere in the stadium, I think this often translates from the pitch. If we set about the oppo like we finished last night (understanding we're not going to be doing that intensity for the full 90 - we had half our shots from minute 87 last night), then they're going to bring enough fans on the trip to drown out the dissent. If it looks like "a book club" on the pitch, probably less likely...

The visceral noise probably ain't happening of its own accord IMO.

[dave the minion]

I think I've said it before on here, but the atmosphere at home certainly isn't helped by the number of teams that turn up to spoil the game, cheat, play negatively and waste time.

If opposition players start time-wasting from minute 1 (like Cambridge did) and conning the refs (who we know are not competent enough to stamp it out), then all of us in the ground get frustrated and it tends to go quiet. For a while then the only noise form the stands is booing, which is hardly the recipe for the 12th man)....

Trouble is though - we can only control the controllables and can't impact what other teams do....

[Worthy4England]

I think I've said it before on here, but the atmosphere at home certainly isn't helped by the number of teams that turn up to spoil the game, cheat, play negatively and waste time.

If opposition players start time-wasting from minute 1 (like Cambridge did) and conning the refs (who we know are not competent enough to stamp it out), then all of us in the ground get frustrated and it tends to go quiet. For a while then the only noise form the stands is booing, which is hardly the recipe for the 12th man)....

Trouble is though - we can only control the controllables and can't impact what other teams do....

Don't disagree mate, but of course we can try and control our tempo, within that. I have no problem with a team coming to our gaffe for a draw (or better if they can grab a breakout). It's all part and parcel. When our response to the time-wasting we all jumped off our seats to complain about (or in our case maybe tut loudly, or possibly start drafting a letter of complaint) is an interchange between the back three and the keeper, it sort of supresses the bit that got everyone up in arms in the first place! It is a two way street for me.

[BWFC_Insane]

I think I've said it before on here, but the atmosphere at home certainly isn't helped by the number of teams that turn up to spoil the game, cheat, play negatively and waste time.

If opposition players start time-wasting from minute 1 (like Cambridge did) and conning the refs (who we know are not competent enough to stamp it out), then all of us in the ground get frustrated and it tends to go quiet. For a while then the only noise form the stands is booing, which is hardly the recipe for the 12th man)....

Trouble is though - we can only control the controllables and can't impact what other teams do....

Yeah but we can play with the intensity and urgency of the last thirty minutes last night.

Worthy is right. The home atmosphere will only be helped by the team showing that sort of a performance.

Barnsley were time wasting but we didn’t spend the time going sideways and backwards.

Too many home performances have been a bit limp. The fans want that full blooded intensity. Often, too often that doesn’t happen and it’s hard to build atmosphere when it feels like we are content to just knock it round like a pre season friendly.

I’ve long believed our home crowd can be excellent but often are poor and it’s hard to explain why. It was the same at Burnden too. We don’t get the sort of noise wolves or Everton do for example and it’s not the ground as many people suggest. But then our away crowd is easily the best in this league as many have commented and probably would be one of the better ones a league up.

Maybe it’s just that the 6-8K who go to away games more than once a season are too split up round the place? Maybe it’s just that the wider experience isn’t conducive to atmosphere…bus or car or train and not a lot round the stadium….expensive too…I dunno.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

There's only five home games left, hopefully. Oxford next midweek, Reading on Easter Monday, then three in a mid-April week - Pompey, Shrewsbury, Vale. Of those, I would only expect the last two to consider sitting in - Oxford and Reading are expansive by nature, Pompey will want to win the title.

Of course, all teams may decide to lie down and roll around a little if they're winning at ours, but let's make sure they're not, eh?

[boltonboris]

Without wanting to dampen anyone's spirits, or talk about why didn't we play like that against Wigan in the last 30.. Barnsley played with a ridiculous amount of energy in that first half. Chased everything, harried, pressured, tried to hit us, but ended up going the other way a bit (once again, we won more tackles, headers, duels just like at Wigan) and it would have taken a shitload out of them. That enabled part of that late resurgence that Wigan managed better than Barnsley, as they had more in the tank

Not taking anything away from us. Just an observation that we won't be able to do that every week, especially not against teams who don't commit like Barnsley did in the 1st half

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Without wanting to dampen anyone's spirits, or talk about why didn't we play like that against Wigan in the last 30.. Barnsley played with a ridiculous amount of energy in that first half. Chased everything, harried, pressured, tried to hit us, but ended up going the other way a bit (once again, we won more tackles, headers, duels just like at Wigan) and it would have taken a shitload out of them. That enabled part of that late resurgence that Wigan managed better than Barnsley, as they had more in the tank

Not taking anything away from us. Just an observation that we won't be able to do that every week, especially not against teams who don't commit like Barnsley did in the 1st half

Are you saying.... there's two teams on the pitch?

[BWFC_Insane]

Without wanting to dampen anyone's spirits, or talk about why didn't we play like that against Wigan in the last 30.. Barnsley played with a ridiculous amount of energy in that first half. Chased everything, harried, pressured, tried to hit us, but ended up going the other way a bit (once again, we won more tackles, headers, duels just like at Wigan) and it would have taken a shitload out of them. That enabled part of that late resurgence that Wigan managed better than Barnsley, as they had more in the tank

Not taking anything away from us. Just an observation that we won't be able to do that every week, especially not against teams who don't commit like Barnsley did in the 1st half

In part but Barnsley are much better than Wigan. Barnsley ended up sitting in like Wigan did except because we were more prepared to go early and commit numbers and put balls into the channels and then the box it meant they had a lot more defending to do.

If we’d played with that tempo and forward thrust for the first half hour against Wigan I suspect we’d have scored and thus won the game.

I think it’s partly a mental thing. We are lulled into a sideways and backwards game in games where teams don’t press and for me it’s what they want us to do.

Wigan weren’t going to hurt us on turnovers or break on us too often so really there was little reason to not have played that way in spells.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

You realise you can't break quickly on a team already in a low block, right?

There's definitely a discussion over tempo and thrust but it depends where the other buggers are standing....