Having read the forum for a long time I was going to sign up and post a few thoughts after the Cardiff match but decided to give the team another chance with the Leeds game. My thoughts revolve around the question, do you go to Oakwell to watch Barnsley win at all cost or do you want to watch a decent standard of football? My own perspective is that I want to watch decent football and not just players who have good sprint statistics. The quality of football on show at Oakwell this season has been quite frankly garbage and this comes from the fact we play percentage football. I understand we have to stick to "the plan" in order to compete with billionaires but it's created a terrible spectacle. Before I go any further I'd state I don't lay any of the blame at Hecky's door as he's only working under the conditions he's been given and in fairness he's working miracles with some tripe. As it stands I can't bring myself to contemplate using my season ticket at the next home game as the time would be better spent watching paint dry. On tuesday night Brad Potts was name MOTM as voted for by the fans despite having an utterly atrocious night with the ball at his feet. Having heard his name announced I realised I must be in the minority of people who want to actually watch players retain the ball and play decent football. Without going into any detail about the following players other attributes I sit and wonder how they can be so technically bad with the ball at their feet. Adam Davies: I'm not really sure how he can't kick a ball within 10 feet of it's target but surely having been at the club years you'd think they'd have worked on it with him? Against Cardiff we stuck Mcgeehan on one wing and Potts on the other from every goalkick to account for the fact the ball may be sprayed in either direction. It may sound harsh to be moaning at a goalkeepers kicking but it just gifts the opposition the ball week in week out. Liam Lindsay: Gifts the opposition at least 2 counter attacks a game with 10-15 yard balls straight to the oppositions feet. He is clearly the best centre half at the club but with the ball at his feet he's a liability. Brad Potts: The worst central midfield player I've witnessed with the ball at his feet. How many touches does he need to control a football and why can't he make a forward pass? Three nailed on starters for the team down the spine who are all terrible at passing a football leading to the percentage football we play. I'm not expecting us to look like Brazil week in week out but a few consecutive passes now and then would be nice. Just as a more positive ending I went in Redfearns for the first time yesterday and was extremely impressed. Those running it are a credit to the club and put to shame the standard of catering and ale in the actual ground.
Agree with a lot of that although we have had worse than Potts. I don't think we have to stick to the plan. We choose to because it's convenient.
You can’t have been going long if you think Brad Potts Is the worst central midfielder you have seen with the ball at his feet.
Lee Crooks Gary Jones Alex Neill That's just off the very top of my head. I'm sure there are loads more.
What fine company he is in. Gary Jones was definitely better with the ball at his feet despite his very limited skill set.
We'll have to agree to disagree on that one, especially as the standard in the second tier is so much higher now than then. I also think that Lindsay is a pretty decent ball player from what I've seen. He'll be sold for big money within the next couple of years.
Without wanting to write him off after two matches, Potts is also way more adept than Gary Gardner, who so far appears to be a poor man's Ben Pearson (if that's actually possible). However, Forest fans really rate Gardner, so I'm assuming that he has a lot more to his game than he's showed us so far.
I go to watch us get three points at all costs. So I would take a boring 1-0 win own goal after being dominated all game, rather than us playing like the 1970 Brazil team, being really entertained and not winning.
Completely disagree about Lindsay, very good on the ball for a centre back. Potts is technically poor, his touch & passing aren’t up to standard but he’s a good athlete & unfortunately he almost gets a game every week because Moncur & McGeehan have been poor when given a chance & Gardner’s been injured.
I'd take anti-football constructed from the most eye-bleeding, niggly, sleep-inducing traits of Pulis, Allardyce and Mourinho. The cost of it is that you have to get results, though... or the fans turn.
