Keith Hill - My opinion

Everyone seems to be putting in their two penneth, so here my view through my rose tinted spectacles.

When I pay my £500+ for 2 season tickets I want to be entertained, and apart from the FA Cup run, i don't believe I have been entertained since coming back into the championship.

I was pleased when we went after Hill. Looking on the Rochdale site it was apparent he was well regarded, and his record (particulary away from home) looked mightily impressive, and he attempted to play entertaining football. It was known then that he spoke his mind, was arrogant, and rubbed people up the wrong way, but i beleived it would make a refreshing change. I was then disappointed when he originally turned us down, so hoped we would get Russell Slade. I never really wanted Danny Wilson, as i didnt want to sour the great memories. I was then please when Hill did a U turn. I then enjoyed the close season with the numerous new transfers, and then the best pre-season I have ever witnessed. Who wouldn't get carried away?

You have to do your own marketting in any job, and knowing that his transfer/wages budget depended on how much cash came in from season ticket sakes/sponsorships etc, why shouldn't Hill tell everyone how great things were gonna be, in an attempt to get as much cash as possible into the club. I certainly don't blame him for perhaps suggesting that we were gonna be fantastic - I would expect any employee of mine to do the same. If we had had an easier set of opening 6 fixtures, maybe we would have looked fantastic.

However, after the poor start and the 2 home performances, it wasn't surprising the players were low on confidence etc. Now, i am sure I read that Hill would defend his players to the outidie world and deal with any problems internally. Well, what better way than to ensure all the ill feeling is deflected to yourself, and try to lower the expectation of the fams temporarily. I do not think that Hill beleives 4th from bottom is an overacheivement - I just think that he is trying to ease the pressure and expectations of the players until they have had chance to gel. I think Hill will be aiming/expecting mid-table.

I like how Hill tells it. sometimes it may hurt, but he seems to be quite truthful. Rather than ***** around with McEverley, he's admitted he prefers McNulty but still wants McEverley to get games. At the start of the season he gave Wiseman the RB, again leaving Bobby to prove himself. But instead of being stubborn, like dopey Davey, he realised that perhaps Bobby was the better option and soon changed things around.

Going back to my original statement, if i'm paying £500+ I want to be entertained. I think i will certainly get that under Hill. I would rather see a 4-4 draw than a boring one nil win (and we got quite a few of these under Robins). Even if this meant getting relegated, I would still rather go down playing entertaining football, rather watch boring games. i will always follow Barnsley FC, but this can also be done for much less financial outlay - I would just pay the £40 and listen to every match on Player. If we end up in league ! (which i am confident will not happen) I would continue to pay for my STs if we were being entertained. For the first time in many years, I foresee this happening.

Come on youuuuuuuuu redssssssssssssssssssss

 

good post mate,I agree with all that but sometimes i think mr hill should just keep his large gob shut. O k if i have to put up with his strange rantings at times i can live with that, if they are going to put in a performance like they did last week. Win or lose its got to be better than the last two managers served up, and may i add for a lot less in wages.

 

Well said. I must admit I got fed up with the booing that went on, and in his position I would have had a go at the fans. He's only been here five minutes, and some fans get on his back. I believe the Hilcroft combination will be a success, hopefully similar to that of the Clough/Taylor partnership.

 

Cracking post mate, couldn't agree more! If we play today like we did against Leicester i'm sure we will be entertained again - win, lose or draw.

 

I Agree

Except for the bit about prefering a 4-4 draw to a 1-0 win. I could never accept improved entertainment over dropping points.

 

Re: I Agree

Its about winning im afraid so id rather we win 1 0 and be w a n k than a 4 4 draw or even a loss!! I think credit must go to the fans last week we got behind the team and KEITH HILL!! I personally dint and still dont want KH but credit where its due!! If he keeps is up again that el do me!!

 

I cant talk about the performance, but we still havent picked up a home win yet.

 

Keep playing as we are and the wins will come. Keep the faith.

 

Couldnt make the game today due to commitments arranged before season started, but made sure some non-regulars used my STs in the hope to get them interested. He phoned me as he was leaving the ground to say it was a very entertaining game. Even caught the BBC1 report on final score and he was very very complimentary. the patronising person in studio said 'over to oakwell....are watford going for the win ? Errrr they're very lucky to be drawing!!! Studioman firmly put in his place.

Sounds like a great performance. Just shame about the result, but unbeaten in 4

 

Top post

Entertainment all the way

 

Anyone who would rather go down playing entertaining football is a loon.

Is there such a thing as an entertaining relegation season? If there is, you can keep it. I'd rather stop up, because I promise you, the cost of relegation would be too high for us.

 

Re: Anyone who would rather go down playing entertaining football is a loon.

I wouldn't consider myself a loon, but cannot agree with you. Yes, it is unlikely that a relegation season would be entertaining, but neither is the perennial struggle against relegation if it means playing boring ground out 1-0 wins. Would you willingly pay £500+ each season to watch a team that loses more than it wins, whilst playing boring football, but just surviving ? If so, how about £750, or £1000? For anyone to spend hard earned money watching the reds will mean financial sacrifice in other areas of their life. Being entertained will swing it in the direction of Oakwell, otherwise other family activities may have more appeal. Getting beat every week, playing terrible football would never stop me supporting the reds, but it may stop me attending Oakwell - I could just as easily sit at the side of my computer listenning to Barnsley Player, and spend my cash at the cinema.

Another (possibly selfish) reason I have a ST is that it gives me an opportunity to have a bit of 'me time' with my teenage son, with no peer pressure, where its just the two of us. Since he has not had 25 years of ups and downs, it would be easy for him to lose interest. To him, its not all about winning, whatever the style - he wants to be entertained, and I suspect it is the same with many teeanagers. There is so much coverage of top teams on TV from UK, Spain etc - why would they want to give up a few hours of their weekend to watch a boring match. For this generation, I suspect that they would rather watch a 3-0 demolition of Rochdale than a uninspiring 0-0 against the likes of Coventry or Ipswich. I suspect that the differential between teams outside the top flight is not a great deal to them.

You say the cost of relegation would be too high for us, but what about the cost of losing half the fanbase due to playing boring hoofball with the occasional 1-0 win and many 0-0 draws.

If the crowds are going to continue to drop then we will possibly be punching above our weight, and relegation may become a possibility. If it meant playing home-grown academy players, who gave their all, and we played in a style like the last 2 home games then I would willingly continue to part with my £500+ per year. This should be eaily achievable - lets face it, Rochdale did it on much smaller crowds last season.

 

Re: Anyone who would rather go down playing entertaining football is a loon.

"Rochdale did it on much smaller crowds last season"

Not in this league they didn`t!!

I mostly agree with your last post, but if the results do not come, then I can assure you that the way we play will change, because I am certain Mr Hill does not want a relegation on his much vaunted CV.

 

Re: Anyone who would rather go down playing entertaining football is a loon.

Mate, if we get relegated we'll be playing ale house football against nobody teams (like Sheffield united and wednesday lol). But seriously, my memories of lower league footie are more than clear - it was awful with minimal entertainment. I was so relieved when we won that penalty shoot out at Cardiff, I can't tell you how it felt, but it was like being released from prison. If it's entertainment that will save BFC, we'll not find much of that in relegation. That doesn't even touch on the genuine financial catastrophe we'd be expose to.

 

Re: Anyone who would rather go down playing entertaining football is a loon.

Another good post agree with all that

 

Re: Anyone who would rather go down playing entertaining football is a loon.

I bought my season ticket on the back of the pre-season games, the set-up looked like giving me entertaining football. Entertaining football could get us relegated rather than grinding out a result to get mid-table but I can't except wasting my money on a season ticket thats finished by Christmas give me an entertaining relegation fight.

What are the advantages of staying up?

 

seriously, go an seek help

there are plenty of psychiatrists andother mental health advisors out there

 

Re: Anyone who would rather go down playing entertaining football is a loon.

Is that a serious question?

 

Re: Anyone who would rather go down playing entertaining football is a loon.

Well I'm genuinely shocked that anyone would need to ask. Can you not remember what it was like in the pub league? Even when we won, the football was turgid.

If we can roll up our sleeves and survive at this level, we are always more likely to progress on to bigger and better things. There is no future in relegation. You get stripped of your best players, and unless you have some deep pockets it's all too easy to fall into a downward spiral. Remember how close we came to the old fourth division?

Look at the likes of Cambridge United - once of the second tier, now god only knows where, playing derbies against Histon, which is a bloody village.

People who want a relegation just to be entertained are selfish and shortsighted.