IMHO we were a bit flat tonight

Compared to how we've played recently. Even the crowd, who I thought would be more up for it than they were.

We should have won by more, we should have conceded less - I think tonight highlighted our frailties more than our strengths. We're so much better than Colchester, but in the end it was a tight game and they could have nicked a draw.

On a more positive note - I've been watching Barnsley for more than 35 years. I've never seen a better right back in red shirt than Martin Cranie. And Dudgeon is looking ******* good too.

This Barnsley team can keep the ball better than any other Barnsley team I've ever seen. Better than Redfearn's lot. Better than Glavin's lot. But they've got to stop giving away silly goals. There's no reason why we should be doing so when we've got the quality of Cranie, Ramage, Nyatanga and Dudgeon making up the back four.

 

Except JCR who has plenty of pace?

 

You'll find that with any fullback. especially with no cover. Also having many injuries delaying his career. I like him, a lot, i want to keep him on a perm offer.

 

I think Dudgeon has played really well since he got back into the team and he was excellent tonight. Crainie has also been playing well at right back. Yet I would have quite willingly got shut of the pair of them a few weeks ago. Shows how much I know.

 

Did you never see John Stones play? He was fu*king brilliant. More than twice the player of Cranie.

 

Yes, I did. But I'd forgotten all about him 'cos I'm an idiot.

I agree he's more than twice the player of Cranie, which is why he plays in the Premier League and Cranie is in League 1. Was he ******* brilliant for us? He was good, very good and he was ******* brilliant for his age, but I'm not sure his performances in a Barnsley shirt were any better than what Cranie is producing right now. The difference between the two is that Cranie is at the top of his game while Stones had loads more to come. When Everton bought Stones they didn't pay all that money for the player he was at the time, they shelled out for the potential. They didn't play him for 7 months.

Stones will play many ******* brilliant games in his career at a much higher standard than Cranie will ever play. Unfortunately it won't be for us, it'll be for Everton and England and whichever big team he signs for next. We saw him have some really good games for Barnsley, made so much more special by the fact that he was so young and a Barnsley lad. I think we're seeing the same kind of quality from Cranie right now, maybe better, but it'll never mean as much to us because he's not 18, he's not one of our own and he hasn't got the potential that Stones had to go on and be one of the best in the country.

 

I thought we gave the ball away too easily in the first half at times and our defending for their second goal was poor having said that we knock the ball around really well at times and played some really good stuff they didnt look a bad side either tbh happy with the 3 points three wins on bounce now

 

Thought Dudge hed a good game last neet, Crainie were my MoM, Ramage were no nonsense and Tanga were steady away. Defence seem to be growing in confidence yet we still are letting in some sloppy goals.

Performance wise at the mo, we go from boring at times during a game where we cant string passes together and get overun to edge of the seat stuff breaking at pace with some nice moves put together and at last a strikeforce worthy of the name.

Progress is under way and points are being gained.

 

We have to accept that any teams with fast players / fast transition will threaten any full backs who push forward. It didn't dent Dudgeons confidence and overall a deflected shot and a mix up in our own midfield helped their goal tally. Dudgeon continued to push all game, but credit to Nyatanga who covered very well for Dudgeon when he pushed forward. Credit to our unit today. We gave the ball away in midfield and played too many long diagonal balls that went astray but we still did enough to dominate and win the game. By the way despite some give aways our ball possession seems to get better as our confidence grows. Can't understand the impatient calls to hoof or get it forward when clearly there is no option on.

 

James Bree is already better than Cranie at right back. Look where their first goal came from last night...

 

Cross from our left and a shot from the centre of the box wasn't it?

 

Can't understand the impatient calls to hoof or get it forward when clearly there is no option on.[/QUOTE]

Its always been the same, moan if we keep possession and play it about, then laugh about other teams playing hoof ball, there must be an idiots guide to how many passes you are allowed or summat!

 

We create our own problems, sometimes, by giving the ball away. Last night we also lacked some movement off the ball. I also don't like to see players being allowed to have a good run at us without challenge in midfield, which puts the defence under pressure. After saying that I thought that this was a good, gritty performance, which we would have lost or drawn previously. Well done lads.

 

It has to be a mixture of both for me. despite some poor balls out of defence there was one or two beauties from Ramage one in particular diagonal out to Dudgeon on the left in space, think Cole had a run on goal from that.

Fozzie was another that got stick for it but when there is very little on it has to go.

Turnbull`s kicking was a bit dodge last neet.

 

As early as the first few minutes before Sam's goal, I said to my brother "we're going to have to score 3 or 4 to win this". The pace of their attacks, their quick passing and movement, it all looked very good and at times frightening. We did knock them back when we scored, but they equalised and then I thought they hammered us for a while until we got back in it.

In the end I think they can count themselves a bit unlucky. They had more attempts than we did, on and off target. However, some good performances in all areas of the pitch from our lads and of course 3 points are not to be sniffed at.

Good, hard game which I enjoyed very much.

 

Not as dodgy as their keepers kicking, at one point I thought someone had swap his feet raund

 

Rubbish. Cranie has been a class above in the last few games.

He should have had two assists in two as well if Winnall hadn't blazed over last night. Just waltzed past him man on both occasions.

 

I couldn't believe the time he took with goal kicks. He was doing it when it was one all in the first half. The tit even carried on doing it when they were losing 3 - 1. Baffled.

 

Yep he was worse and some of their defence where kicking it anywhere but thats what you get when you apply pressure and dont give em time on the ball.