Lee Johnson time at Barnsley (SAFC Supporter here)

Ritchie needed to be sacked in the end. I went to his last game, and we were ******* dreadful.

But he got us up and beat Leeds Scum. I will always kind of like him.

 

Who?

 

OK, my old brain has had a burn-out. I actually meant Mark Robins in the above remark. I realise my credibility is shot and ask for forgiveness, but you lot will be old one day as well.

 

You have me this time Conan. My elderly brain has let me down. I meant Mark Robins in my previous remark and not Andy Ritchie, who was treated very badly in my opinion.

 

Knew you'd come round to Keef

 

That's how bad Johnno was - he elevates Keith Hill.

 

I'll ask the same question then but replace Andy Ritchie with Mark Robins.

 

As I have already said, I got the wrong name out of my befuddled brain in my original remark. Apologies, I meant Mark Robins.

I too began watching the team during Steele's reign. I watched them during the FA cup run in 1960-61 season, but I do not count that as the start of my support because I was only 10 at the time. Not old enough to make my own decisions. My first proper campaign was 1965-66, our first season in the bottom tier of the football league. I was introduced to the joys of away travel by a school friend. The Trackie took us to Hartlepool and we won 2-1. During the game, the local Neanderthals preferred to cover us all with spit, delivered from our rear, rather than watch the game. Afterwards there were fights all the way across the car park on our way back to our coaches, and one of our number did not make the return trip home. Happy days!

That year we lost 5-4 at Luton, 6-3 at Wrexham and 7-2 at Bradford Park Avenue. I went to Wrexham and Bradford. Any dreams of the First Division, were considered ridiculous. I could never even remember that the team had played in the Second Division. The year after we were 92nd until Ernest Denis and Geoff Buckle found the cash to set us back on our feet.

I consider that I have paid for the privilege of being allowed to make the comments that I do in my Minority Reports. As for Mel Machin, he is remembered more for the problems towards the end of his time. When he first came to us, he brought with him a number of keystone signings including the immensely influential Gerry Taggart. I always argue that successful management is mostly about the money the manager has to spend. Some of our managers are berated by our fans because they were unfortunate to manage us at a time of famine. Others are considered to be above average when their budget was also above average. Most managers come to the club when it is struggling, when the team is weak and there is little money to strengthen.

When Johnson took over, the team had been struggling for years. Manager had followed manager out of the door, with no sign of any long term management policy or direction. Even Danny Wilson's second reign had ended with a chaotic conclusion. Something had to change, and the change of title from Manager to First Team Coach was a sign of change, a sign that the new man's responsibilities would not be the same. Even so, the club was in a mess and it needed stability, no matter who was in the hot seat. By the time that Johnson moved on, the club had taken its medicine and the cure had begun. Hecky benefited from the work done before his appointment, and he benefitted from having a budget that was in the top 4 in the division. He did amazingly well in that first season, and I am not trying to denigrate his achievements last season, but keeping us in this league is in my view a harder task than getting us promoted. His team, as I write this sentence at the end of October 2016 is not as good as the side that were promoted, and that includes all the players who are injured or suspended. I expect us to be active in the January transfer window and I hope that our scouting systems will allow us to buy well when we get the chance, but in my opinion, if he keeps us up with just our current team, Hecky is a miracle worker.

That does not mean that I intend to turn against him any time soon, because I think he is a good man, and I am not as convinced as many on here that the manager is as important as budget. However, Mark Robins ideas on how the game is played did not correspond with mine, and I was glad to see him gone. However, Mark Robins was Svengali as compared to John McSeveney, who is truly the worst manager ever to manage my football club. My mind might be befuddled, but I remember McSeveney.

 

This.

 

Worst manager I've ever endured. Terrible, boring LOSING football, plays players out of position and drops them for no reason culminating in a total loss of confidence, talks absolute **** and is tactically inept.

I remember him telling the press he was going to introduce a brand of football we've never seen at Oakwell. He was correct, although I wish he'd have meant for the better.


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When Johnson took over, the team had been struggling for years. Manager had followed manager out of the door, with no sign of any long term management policy or direction. Even Danny Wilson's second reign had ended with a chaotic conclusion. Something had to change, and the change of title from Manager to First Team Coach was a sign of change, a sign that the new man's responsibilities would not be the same. Even so, the club was in a mess and it needed stability, no matter who was in the hot seat. By the time that Johnson moved on, the club had taken its medicine and the cure had begun. Hecky benefited from the work done before his appointment, and he benefitted from having a budget that was in the top 4 in the division. He did amazingly well in that first season, and I am not trying to denigrate his achievements last season, but keeping us in this league is in my view a harder task than getting us promoted. His team, as I write this sentence at the end of October 2016 is not as good as the side that were promoted, and that includes all the players who are injured or suspended. I expect us to be active in the January transfer window and I hope that our scouting systems will allow us to buy well when we get the chance, but in my opinion, if he keeps us up with just our current team, Hecky is a miracle worker.

All I remember from Mark Robin's reign is going home, even after victories, having hated it. There was no sign of hope, no sign of flair just deep defence and work, work, work. Dour football from a dour manager.

 

WOW, I couldnt disagree more with every point you've made there.


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Praise indeed.

 

So you think there was more hope under Johnno when we were bottom of the third tier losing at home to Fleetwood and Shrewsbury than when we were comfortably in mid table in the championship under Mark Robins?

 

We lost Mawson to the Prem very late in the day, for stupid money. Fletcher, Brownhill and Isgrove were never ours. We could do absolutely nowt about any of those I'm afraid. And not one of them is playing football regularly this season, yet.

We have easily strengthened the centre of our defence. Early days, but I believe MacDonald is a superb replacement for Mawson. Jackson has looked a very solid and able deputy for Roberts, who for me is an absolute rock and massively underrated. So we've strengthened from last season.

We still have the same keepers who are probably better for experience.

We have White and Bree who are both quality on their day but struggle for fitness. We had only George Williams to cover them last season, or Scowen latterly. It's my opinion (and I loved Willo) that Yiadom is streets ahead if he improves defensively. He actually looks (like Willo) better on the left. Bree is superb when fit. Then we have Kpekawa so he's a bonus compared to last season's squad.

We still have Hourihane who looks at home in the division. The best player in the division in fact, according to statistics. Scowen remains too and he's been influential too so far, more so than I expected actually. I really liked Brownhill, but I think Morsy is a fine player in his own right, so I don't think we're hurting much in there. We are without Sessi which needs to be remembered. He was going to figure a lot this season. Great talent. I loved Isgrove, wish he was here now. But I think Kent has done ok. He has performed really well against the lesser sides (the ones we need to beat), Rotherham, PNE and Brentford. And we still have Hammill who I think admits himself that he's not on form this season. If he finds some, if he comes to the party, wow.. And to be fair, he's still scored and created a few goals.

Up front we would all have loved Fletcher to come back, but I think we've brilliant options up front. Winnall has 4 goals in 9 starts (I refuse to include Ipswich) despite folk suggesting he's not good enough etc. Can't see him scoring 24 again, but he's on track to hit 15 or so. Wouldn't surprise me if he, Marley, Arma and Bradshaw all end up with 10 goals or so each this season, so I don't see how we're weaker up top compared to last season. We've Payne back in the next few weeks too, after the international break. And young Browny pushing.

We're 12th in the Championship having already played Newcastle, Villa, Derby, Wolves and Brighton. Five clubs who were all tipped for the promotion shake-up. Who all spent the sort of money we never, ever will. We beat two of em. Easily. We've not lost to any of the clubs who I expected to struggle. We look (to me) a solid mid-table side. One that finishes between 10th and 16th and about 15 points clear of the bottom three.

If that happens, yes Hecky and his staff and the players will have done a remarkable job.

But I see this as a stronger squad, and one that will only get stronger.

 

I cmketely agree with you about Robins he nearly made me stop going. So godawfully dull. Nearly broke my love affair with the mighty reds.

 

^^^This^^^
Likety like.

 

We scored more goals under Mark Robins than any other manager during our last stay in the Championship.

 

If your point is did I enjoy the games against Shrewsbury and Fleetwood then the answer would be a firm "NO, I DID NOT". If your question is about the process of watching the ethos of a football club being changed through losing football matches every week-end and asking if I enjoyed watching the ethos of the football club being changed when we were losing every week end. No I did not. If you are asking me whether I think that certain managers have a magic wand that they can wave any everything is suddenly all right. No, I do not.

Changing the direction of any business is hard. This is especially true of football clubs. The first obstacle is the organisational culture. Typically, it manifests itself in the phrase, "we do not do it like that around here". Typically, people have become lazy, and a culture has established partly in order to ensure their comfortable lifestyles continue. Nobody questions any more. Nobody thinks!

From the outside, that is what Barnsley FC looked like to me. People were not being challenged, they were happy with the routine. If you cannot appreciate that change begins by changing the attitudes of those at the top of an organisation first, then it is pointless my continuing because you are simply looking for an argument, and are not interested in an explanation. Suffice to say that changing an organisation cannot be done overnight. The battleground is within the club and not just on a Saturday. It is every day and it involves lots of small victories before you can establish your authority. If you are looking for an instant change, a manager with a magic wand, then I must stop this now because I do not believe in fairies. You see I am at heart a realist, whereas most fans want miracles.

 

It's just how I felt under him. It all felt so dull. I'm not saying he wasnt efficient but I really disliked the mechanised football we played under him. It's just a completely personal feeling. Just because we had other **** managers doesn't meN he was any good.