Let's take the positives

We managed to get through 90 minutes with no pyrotechnics or chants about cocks?

 

Yup

 

We managed to get through 90 minutes without ANY chants from the home fans. I can't recall at any point during the whole game when I heard a Barnsley chant. The 385 away fans made plenty of noise though.

 

That's where I go wrong .
No anaesthetic .

 

We didn’t flog them.

 

I wonder who wasn't playing .
Maybe the hooligan creche were not allowed out after dark .

 

Another positive, no need to print out your tickets any more for two reasons
1) no more Carabao Cup
2) the scanners can scan the barcode directly from a smart phone (I asked the chap to do this and it worked).

 

Think that was the case because there was no noise whatsoever.

 

Positive... Clubs in the black..

 

We beat Fulham?

 

You. Are. On. FIRE !!!

 

Positives...

We only conceded 3. It could have been 5 or 6.

Collins looked a useful acquisition and should keep Radlinger on his toes.

Confirmed that the squad has Quantity. Just need to develop them so that the Quality aspect is also covered.

The sun went down faster than I expected. Didn't need to squint too much.

Nobody sat next to us on our row. Nice to be able to spread out and relax.

Added time was only 4 minutes.

 

I had lovely pint of Coors in the Garrison - never been in before - food pub

 

Goalie played OK - worldy save early on, and a good starting position when he had to leave his box.
Styles was the best player in red on the night.
Pinillos - not much of a positive other than much needed game time, which he got.
Luke Thomas did OK when he came on.

The downsides were in abundance, including but not limited to:
McGeehan having a shocker (and I am a fan of his). One of those nights where he proved that he can pass a ball further than I can boot one.
Halme (although I did see a player in there, trying to get out). His second touch was usually a tackle.
Woodrow. Did he want to play? Stormed off down the tunnel at the end almost as the whistle blew. Terrible body language.
Jordan Williams. Was our overlapping outlet but did nothing, even when he had space and time, which was often. Was run ragged at the back too. Looked far from the player who got plaudits back-end of last season.
Wilkes and Thiam looked as though they didn't really want to be playing Tuesday night football. Wilkes was strong but faded when we went a goal down. I thought Thiam would have grabbed the chance of 90 mins with both hands. He didn't.
Chaplin - insignificant and when presented with an opportunity to open his account decided he'd rather not.
Miller. Not sure he touched the ball, chased the ball or showed for the ball once. I was left thinking 'Why?'. And thoughts of my Bradford City mates mocking me a few months back.

Their back line was not troubled. Either on the deck or (especially) in the air. Our back line was hassled, bullied and beaten on the floor and in the air.

And the pitch was a joke. I might have mentioned it a couple of times. Surely for a high-tempo, quick-passing, running-onto-the-ball kind of style we play we want the ball to bounce and roll. If it was Daniels decision to ask for a swamp, I have got to question why. If it is not his call, he needs to get it sorted and have a word.

 

The two aren’t connected. If anything a cup run would’ve been useful to get the new lads who aren’t in the first team some competitive game time for when they’re needed in the league.