The Long Term Under Johnno

I'm sorry to disagree again, but because we had so many central defender in Machin's first season, Taggart was forced to operate at left back for the majority of the time. Can you imagine the slow turning Gerry at left back. No neither can I, but that is where he played. Only once Machin had thinned out his complement of centre backs did Taggart move to his regular position. In his first season, he made only 20 league starts. In his second season, he made only 28 league starts. There is no doubt that Taggart later became a legend, but he played for us for 6 seasons and only in his third did he become a regular starter. The crowd loved him, even though he was sent off twice during the early weeks of Anderson's reign, because the two of them were so slow to turn and Taggart was forced to commit repeated fouls on the player he was marking. The pair's slowness caused us to adopt the wing back system, and in Nicky Eaden they discovered the perfect man for the job. The club's greatest success came about because of a weakness in its centre back pairing. Strange how these things happen, almost out of the blue.

To many fans, Gerry Taggart represented the start of a golden age, and if that is how you want to remember it, then I do not want to be the one who destroys that memory. But my memory is slightly different, although I witnessed the very same events.

I am not trying to say that everything is great. Quite obviously, it is not. We are bottom of the league, and as you point out, we are deserving of the doubtful accolade. However, I believe there are a number of reasons for this, the disastrous summer transfer window, the solution to that disaster being the use of too many loan players, the injury to a key player (Williams) and the dangerous concentration on youth. Most of these problems are not solely attributable to Lee Johnson. They are just as much the fault of Ben Mansford and the rest of the board. Should Lee Johnson be sacked because he has done his best to make unworkable policies work. I think not. He has argued for change from the inside, he has maintained his dignity and he has explained himself to we the fans eloquently and intelligently. Now, unlike many, I accept these explanations as explanations and not as excuses. I admire Lee Johnson, because he has not wilted under the pressure and become uncommunicative as many do when they are under pressure. He has kept his dignity, and as far as I can tell on the outside, he has kept the support of the players. There are many things in his character that I like and admire and I believe that he will be a successful manager somewhere some day. I want that to be here, rather than watch him go on to future success at Rochdale, Bury, S****horpe or Shrewsbury as other failures here have done. Some have called for experience, but the experienced Wilson took us down, and his past record at Oakwell was not enough to save him, when undoubtedly, it should have been. Too many managers have not been given enough time, and the latest manager, or should I say chief coach, is where that must stop. They can't all have been bad here and good somewhere else.

 

If you read the whole of this thread, the reasons that I hold the views I do will become apparent.

 

Regardless of whether LJ is working to club policies, which nothing suggests this policy is anything other than his own, the players we have at this club are still far, far better than the current position we find ourselves in. Perhaps someone else wouldnt be achieving what I expected this season, which was a strong play off push but I struggle to see anybody who would be doing a worse job than LJ, its almost inconceivable the level of failure he is achieving.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

I agree that we have used too many players, but this has been the result of our failure to sign the players that we wanted during the summer transfer window, something that I do not hold Johnson responsible for as BM conducts transfer fee and salary negotiations and is limited in what he can do by SCMP. I hope that the last 4 months has been spent lining up some suitable permanent signings as replacements for failing loan signings. On the bright side, at least Johnson was not panicked into signing those players permanently when he missed out on his first choices. If you remember, we were told that fees had been agreed for Smith and Wilkinson.

 

You do not debate in order to win. You debate because you enjoy the cut and thrust of it, because you enjoy the challenge to your intelligence that the chance of debating an idea offers and because you hope to learn something new about the subject. Debates are never pointless. They are full of points on both sides. I have enjoyed the mental stimulation, and I am disappointed that you have not.

 

How do you know we missed out on LJ's first choices? I seem to remember him being very happy with the squad he had in the summer, even telling us numerous times Crowley would be the best player in the division. He also promised the kind of football we have never witnessed at Barnsley, that bit is true.

I just find it incredibly hard to see any angle people have for defending him. We lose most games, playing absolutely awful football, he's made some awful signings and he constantly chops and changes. Looking long term, nothing about him shows me he will improve or that the team will improve under him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

People might have said that about Wigan 15-20 years ago.

 

"You are clearly living in cloud cuckoo land and no post of yours can disguise this fact - regardless of the length. It's pointless "debating" with you. "

Conan has hit the nail well and truly on the head!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu1qa8N2ID0

 

Ah, so we're in the 'if we lose it's Johnson's fault, if we win it's down to the players' game...

 

They were lucky enough to get an owner who was rich enough to fund their rise up the leagues.

That's abart the only route to it now

 

Adam Hammill is making the difference. You can't argue otherwise....

 

You wouldn't at the start of the season though - probably the opposite. Hence you've probably proved yourself not to be able to guarantee anything.

 

Absolutely - which is why it's daft to 'guarantee' things. Someone COULD do the same with Accrington with them being a famous old club.

 

And Messi makes a difference to Barcelona - does that mean Luis Enrique doesn't deserve praise ever?

 

You could make 20 odds on predictions and 19 will be correct.

 

I think that if you look up the dictionary definition of debate, you will find that he has not.

 

They won't though. You know they won't.

 

If you read the BBS regularly, you will have read reports of the various meetings with club management that make clear that all the assertions that I have made are correct. Do you really think that he would still be here if they were not. The board are not just sticking with Johnson to annoy you all. They are sticking with him because they think that he deserves a fair chance.

 

Maybe my post was slightly ott. I am happy to debate with 99% of people on this board - it's the point of its existence and we need both negative and positive opinions. The problem is, every time I make a point that attempts to disprove your point(s) you respond by saying you won't consider it or you're not interested so it makes it very difficult to debate.

 

Logic is very difficult to debate with

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkLTwX0duY4