After thinking long and hard and having seen us follow a plan that doesn't work in the championship i have now decided despite having a ST to wind back on attendance. I will be from now on a self appointed fair weather / casual / armchair supporter. This season i'll pick and choose the games and then decide what happens at the season end. We have seen a young inexperienced set of lads with no leader being hung out to dry. I would agree that fans need to get behind a team when things aren't going well and for over 40 years thats what Ive done. I think the difference right now is this is self inflicted. We knew and it was spoke about in many threads that this team needed the left / right back position sorting. That we needed to bring a goal scorer in. We have failed. We spoke of experience and we sell the players who have played more games in the championship. We hear more about future revenue than we do about on field team building. We do need to operate within our means, but lets be honest, despite our history we are no longer a natural championship competitive club. We have mindfully chosen to follow the same path that failed before and before that. The plan is excellent for league one but needs more in the Championship. We have stepped backwards and we seem to repeat that. Now looking at the confidence drain after the equaliser on Sunday we now are losing that belief too. So thats that. Its not something im enjoying.
There's still time to turn things around, but as someone who generally defends " The Plan" we are clearly lacking some older heads, we can only hope that the board realise they cannot make a return on selling chickens if they don't have any cockerels (or something like that!).
We hear more about future revenue than we do about on field team building. You make an interesting point on this, it reminds me of a slow burn of promotion of the business. A consistent positive drip drip of ‘news’, often a tactic undertaken by companies who want to raise their profile(usually for market share or share value purposes). Given the nature of the owners perhaps shouldn’t be a surprise. However perhaps the Club need to take stock and think about how it is communicated to the fans as well. Hopefully you continue to attend.
Yes, lets see. an example was that we changed our 'plan' to ditch loanees under the beliefs we didn't want to develop players for other teams. I get that and we need to develop our own. But discarding something that can help us get experience in short term, low risk and do a job to help develop the youth makes sense to me. However it seems we want the pitch from the club oriented around the return on investment rather than the on field needs Also i dont blame the players, in fact i think singling any out, whether they aren't ready, good enough etc is the last thing needed. Im ok with the signings made. We know from history they all won't make Championship players. Its what we didn't buy or loan or fix that worries me and now a long time to go to have a chance to fix it. My interpretation though is that we won't change our League 1 plan.
Normally an OP like this would be quite brave, as it would attract derogatory remarks - even be seen as a flounce.
I think when it gets to that stage you're doing the right thing Icer. It's obvious that although you care about the club that a bit of apathy has set in. I've noticed for a few seasons that I would rather stay in the pub watching racing tv or the cricket than walk down to Oakwell even though I'd taken the time to buy my season ticket and get as far as Barnsley town centre.
Yeah i agree. Had I written it last night i might have even been thinking myself it was a flounce. But hey i haven't said i won't support em, nor that i will not go. I have said i will pick and choose and be done with that automatic attendance at each game. I had an hour in the car park (which is getting worse) leaving the ground to add to the frustration and emotion too. But today i still feel i haven't enjoyed this season at all. Football and especially Barnsley is usually about Ups and Downs.
I think most people ARE behind them. But its not their fault. They just not up to the required standard for the championship. The board were pleaded to for some spine of experience by Stendel. But it seems that fell on deaf ears. The board simply has no clue what English football is about , there lies the problem. Its as if they were having an elaborate game of computer football management, with totally no regard or respect for these new young players and indeed the supporters. Voting with your feet is the only thing the supporters can do.
I feel similarly. I don't have a ST but I've still been to most games this season. I'm tired of seeing the same things happen in this division. I'm frustrated beyond belief at seeing us sell our better players, not reinvest the money into quality replacements and as a consequence be the whipping boys. I'll make the odd local away game to me, but until (if) we bring in a bit of experience and stop making the same mistakes I don't feel I can justify spending the time and money it costs to see us struggle once again. I really, desperately want this team to gel because they no doubt have talent, as well as a great manager. Unfortunately they're being chucked in at the deep end without any experienced heads to guide them.
I’m at the same point. It’s hard to maintain enthusiasm when there is little or nothing to be enthusiastic about. I’ve pretty much fallen out of love with all football other than Barnsley and the tipping point for that feels near. As a fan of a club that doesn’t win anything to need your club to be one you identify with you feel a bond with. Mine is slipping we now just seem to be part of the football treadmill. We treat opposing fans poorly in terms of pricing this had a knock in to our fans but we see that as collateral damage. We are supposed to care about the business side of things frankly I couldn’t give a ****. Other clubs at our level say Charlton and Luton at least attempt to compete in the Championship we just take the money and raise the white flag. Something has to give.