After last nights exercise. Was it really to see whether or not we can rest players for midweek matches due to our new high intensity / pressing style? What happens next week? We have Wimbledon Saturday, Rochdale Tuesday, then Scunny on the Saturday. I don't think we can repeat last nights exercise can we?
We'll soon find out! I'm sure if we win on Saturday then the results will carry the players through the week. Same applies for the Tuesday. A loss against Wimbledon will make it a really tough week.
I expect the first team to be back on Saturday and the momentum they as a group have, will continue. My concern is Tuesday and the following Saturday. Can they cope with games at that pace at that frequency?
Got to give the first team subs and fringe players game time at some point- what happens when one of the core XI then gets injured? Whoever then comes in has no competitive experience. The priority has to be the league, and Id rather they risk things in league cup and checkatrade trophy (or whatever its called) than FA cup or league 1 matches.
Agree Titus. I would also expect those players to grab the opportunity they had been given and show they are ready to step in when needed...........
One thing was obvious last night. Dougall aside, there was no intensity or press. I saw on numerous occasions Stendel motioned the team to press, and when it didn't happen he turned to Winkler and shrugged his shoulders. Perhaps the changes made last night weren't up to the style of play he wanted? He won't have changed his philosophy just because it was a cup game.
Wimbledon beat pompey at fratton park last night and pompey have a 100% league start same as ours. While I don't read too much into the league cup results afc Wimbledon shouldn't be taken lightly.
We shouldn't take any team lightly. The press is all about collectives. If one presses and nobody else does, then its wasted. If one player keeps pressing and others don't, you could understand why that player may not press as hard in future. I've watched the brief highlights and we could've had 4 goals. All 3 of their goals were saveable. So it may not have been the highs of the first two games, but it wasn't a disaster either. I can forgive a lack of intensity off the back of 2 highly dominant wins with half a team changed, a young kid in goal, a young kid making his first start up front, in a ground that was empty in a match that mustve felt like a friendly. The good thing, it allows the management to look at the team and devise training plans and areas to work on that they may not have otherwise. I always think you can learn a lot from losing, and being beaten stops people getting carried away. Hard work, persistence, and do what we did in the first 2 games. We're not going to win every game. We probably need to win 26 or so. we've got 2. 24 more to go.
Not looking for excuses but other teams will be having the same problem, Sat/Tues. We'll see on Saturday how it pans out.
We will be fine as thankfully Davies will be back in goal. Last night he wouldn't have fumbled the first or let the third one go in so easily. Wouldn't blame Walton for the second as Pinnock didn't close his man down quick enough.
Sure we will not be taking anyone lightly. Its just whether the players are up to the expectations / exertions. I expect the tempo and result to be good on Saturday. next Tuesday and the following Saturday, I wonder how the players / squad will cope?
Wonder how many games liverpool played when they were the best in europe back in day? More teams in the division and cup replays until someone actually won a game outright? Squads are much bigger now and the pitches immaculate. As a nurse working 13/14 hour shifts I feel for these poor souls, i really do.
Every other team is in the same situation though. This isn't alien to Barnsley? We have the opportunity to slot in one or two changes during these sequence of games rather than fielding a completely different side. It's up to those players stepping up to play in the first time, which last night probably didn't feel like that, to try and make themselves part of that core group of 15.
Yes that’s my concern. Stendel saying he has enough players - but does he fully understand the stresses and strains of the English leagues. AS ALWAYS - its not how good the first eleven are - it’s the strength of the squad that will determine what happens this season. And on the back of the Blackpool result - have we a strong enough squad?
Just watched the highlights back. We missed a few absolute sitters & their goals came from poor defending and goalkeeping (plus a decent hit) rather than being torn apart. It was good to give the subs a run out. And any one of them would look better slotting into a settled team rather than wholesale changes. But it’s a wake up call that we won’t bulldoze every team we face, and we need players match ready to step in. If it kept Mowatt, Potts, Thiam and Moore fresh for Saturday then hopefully it will be a positive. We still seem to lack leaders. Davies and Lindsey organise the defense, so hopefully we’ll tighten up at the back too. Can’t judge any player too harshly on a one off cup game in a 3/4 empty stadium. The number of changes alone would suggest to the players coming in, and even those keeping their place, that it wasn’t as important. Our game clearly relies on intensity. Assume Moore was rested? Not in the squad was a surprise.
In response to the OP I doubt whether any club in England could make six changes every game and maintain a high overall level, barring perphaps Man C. But last night was I think more for the new coaches to see how other players performed, give them game time etc rather than solely resting players. When it comes down to the need to rotate the squad, I suspect it will be limited to to 2 or 3 changes at most. That’s not to say I wouldn’t bring in 1 or 2 loan players if suitable candidates/deals can be identified
The point is that our style of football is more energy intensive, so it will be much more difficult for us to recover after just a couple of days off.
I'm not familiar with fitness levels and styles of play of every other team in the league yet, so maybe that will balance it out? Also, yes it's a pressing style, but it's also early in the season and we had spells in both the Oxford and Bradford games where we coasted. Add to that, in theory, we have better players and should have a better squad, it's far too early to be worrying about three games in a week.