Decent back four at last

Yep, I'm seeing a different game to some of you. Certainly a different Joe Dudgeon who I couldn't pick fault with yesterday and had down as MOTM in Sheffield. Not quite sure what folk are wanting from him. We've registered back to back wins and back to back clean sheets. Of course, as Dreamy has done you can point to United only having one up top and Burton being a division lower down if you want to play down these things, or back up a negative opinion. Me? I'm happy with what I'm seeing this season in general and definitely so in the last handful of fixtures where we've been competitive at least, and a joy to watch in the main. I suppose that makes me easily pleased and really I too should be expecting more from Barnsley and especially Dudgeon who should be passing it forwards more because winning 1-0 away from home at your biggest rival and then dismissing a lower league cup opponent with your first 5-0 home win in 34 years is nowt to be satisfied about.

Wilson out.

 

We play a narrow midfield too so quite often our full backs don't have an obvious forward ball in front of them unless it's a punt down the line. Also not having a wide midfielder in front of you would stymie your eagerness to get forward regularly for fear of being caught out of position without cover.

And tbh I thought both fill backs got forward yesterday, at one point in the 2nd half they were both forward like wingers, in advance of the midfield.

But they are defenders first and foremost.

 

That's exactly what I saw too. Decent enough game yesterday, ******* fantastic at Bramall Lane.

He had his problems earlier in the season, particularly against Swindon, so Wilson took him out of the firing line; he's composed himself and come back a better player.

 

Well then the fans are daft. I heard people shouting at him for passing it backwards when we were 5-0 up; what he was doing was clearly working. It's better to keep possession than lumping it forward and having it come right back at us. We've won the last 2 matches with clean sheets, why would you want to change something that's not broken?

 

I think we've been getting better & better since Ramage joined & Turnbull returned from injury. We've not got the leaders & experience that we needed to go with the flair & ability of the Hourihane's & Cole's etc.

Results didn't improve much at first but that was because we had a run of games against some of the better league one teams like Peterborough, Bristol & Notts County.

If this current side would've played against Crawley & Port Vale & a few others I think the league table would've looked very different.

As for Dudgeon I can't really see what he did wrong yesterday. He played one poor short pass in the 1st half but defended well & quickly realised that he wouldn't be able to join in the attacks much because he was up against a big powerful lad with bags of pace & didn't want to end up the wrong side of him. Did well for me, as did the whole team

 

He doesn't pump aimless, floaty balls down the line. He's getting stuck in. And at Bramall Lane especially he got up the wing well when he could, almost setting up an early goal for Winnall. Made two fantastic interceptions that afternoon too. He doesn't fiddle with his hair all the time either. He's a marked improvement/upgrade on Tom Kennedy.

He was torn to shreds by Byrne was it? The Swindon kid? I think Marshall did for him at Port Vale too. Two quick, direct wide players. As you say, Danny took him out and since returning he's looked the solid full back he was in his first handful of games for us. I worried about him being up against JCR last weekend, considering Byrne and Marshall's joy previously. Especially in a formation where our full backs aren't exactly blessed with much cover in front of them. But he dealt with Jamal imperiously. Those still knocking him can't have been in S2 last Saturday nor are they being fair if as some are suggesting in this thread he's getting stick from the lower tier supporters for not knocking aimless, floaty balls down the line.

All about opinions though, and I'm as wrong as the next man. But without being big headed (I'm a big head by nature, literally, it's huge.. I blame my dad.. bald twwat) I feel pleased that the signs I saw early on and the statements I made in those periods have proved justified. But others are free to express their opinions and if they want to be proven right about player 'x' being ***** then good luck to em, but even an unfit Treacy isn't *****. We've some good laikers here. I'm not surprised (he's a genius to me) but Danny's recruits this season - both full time and short term - are much more hit than miss.

A couple of defeats over the next couple of weeks though and the dissenters will be back. Quiet for the last couple of weeks though aren't they? Absent in fact.

 

That's a point, can't believe no-one else has commented on the fact that he was up against their huge number 10. Dudgeon was never going to win anything in the air as he couldn't jump as high as his head was just stood still. I wouldn't have fancied being the one to mark him.

 

Their number 10 looked like a good player and Dudgeon handled him well. He needed a rest after the Swindon game where his confidence looked shot but he has come back and acquited himself well. I think the more attacking side of his game will develop as he returns to full fitness.

 

Wasn't there yesterday... (had a gig in newcastle on Friday & then another at the corn exchange in leeds last night).

For me, we have the makings of a good back 4 & a couple that could deputise in Mvoto & Bree for a game or two if needed due to injuries & suspensions.

Still think a combative, ball winning midfielder would take the pressure off the back 4 a bit...