James Bailey

Very very disappointed with this signing. Don't rate the guy at all.
Not seen him have a decent game let alone a good game. Very negative player, backwards side wards and hardly puts a foot in.
We need to be bringing in someone to replace him, someone who can get stuck in.

Oh, and what a pillock he looks with that silly pony tail thing.

 

He was very poor today. What the hell was he doing for their second.

 

Loves a backwards pass. Seems to be all he knows. OK that's abit unfair because sometimes he plays a square ball.

 

When he did start playing the reight way and passing forrad DW took him off just to get the Pukka Pieman on.

 

He's supposed to be our ball winner but for me is just a poser when the going gets tough. Thinks he's too good for this level. He's one of a few players on this team that is happy to look good when we're dominating games but disappears completely when we're struggling. Hourihane is just as bad.

 

Been saying this all season. Typical modern pointless midfielder. Does not have one single attribute. As ineffective as David Fox.

 

As bad as steve heywood I

 

When we took him off, instead of us dominating possession, S****horpe had 3 or 4 chances to wrap the game up exploiting the space he'd left behind. They hardly touched the ball in the second half when he was on the field. That's no coincidence, that's the job he does. I can't understand why people don't see it.

 

They scored both of their goals when he was on the pitch. Not saying that was his fault, although I might need to take a look at their second goal. They were attacking down our left hand side time and time again with all the space in the world. Again, I'm not saying that was his fault but to say they hardly touched the ball when he was on is ludicrous.

He played the odd backwards or short square ball but contributed very little else. Pointless possession in your own third (especially when you're behind) is not my idea of good football.

 

I didn't say that, I said, and I quote "They hardly touched the ball in the second half when he was on the field." Give me an example of an attack they had in the second half before we withdrew Bailey. Then look at how many chances they had after we subbed him.

 

No one does Loko mate, but the fact remains that when Bailey isn't there the opposition maraud forward through the centre of our midfield at will, like Scunny did after we subbed him yesterday. Like Notts County did in the second half. Like MK Dons did.

We've been hammered once when Bailey has been in the side, but that was because Swindon's right wing back destroyed Dudgeon.

Ray McHale used to get just the same abuse that Bailey gets and did just the same job. He sat there and protected the defence then played the ball to a Barnsley shirt. You don't have to go flying in to tackles to do that. In fact, you're a better player if you don't.

 

I like Bailey, i also like Hourihane, unfortunately both are ineffective in a midfield 3. We don't seem to play to our strengths and we seem to being out coached rather than outplayed. Its a sad indictment if we have to play 3 because a loan player is injured.

 

The new Tom Kennedy in my view...

 

Good point re: McHale.

Note as well how much time Bailey always seems to have on the ball. All good players do. He seems to be getting the blame for us being outnumbered in midfield against certain teams.

 

The only reason they had more chances after he went off, is that we brought an attack minded player on and went more gung-ho in search of an equaliser giving them a bit more space at times. Nowt to do with Bailey's performance.

Nowt wrong with keeping it simple at the reight time, but when that's the only thing you can do, that's waste of a shirt as far as I'm concerned.

 

I'm not trying to argue that Bailey had a good game yesterday; other than Treacy I don't think any of our players did. I'm saying that Bailey is being asked to do a certain job and we look a much better team and far less likely to concede when he's on the field doing it. His presence won't mean we keep cleans sheets every week, we're far too prone to individual errors for that to happen, some of which Bailey is guilty of himself, but he stops the opposition running at our defence down the middle of the pitch and makes us look much stronger. He doesn't need to dive in to do that job, he does it by staying on his feet.

He's playing a position that is traditionally looked down on by Barnsley supporters. Ray McHale was essential to THAT team who destroyed all before them in the early 80s. Ronnie Glavin would always sing his praises. In what I believe to be the worst display from Barnsley fans in the entire history of me watching this club, during a game in the 81-82 season large sections of The Ponty End were singing "Ray McHale is a wnaker." Our player, part of a side that was challenging for promotion to the first division and outplaying clubs from that division in that great league cup run. It's no surprise to me that Bailey's contribution, which is very similar to that of McHale, is overlooked in the same way.

 

I like Bailey myself and appreciate his role in the team. But he is very unsuited to playing in a midfield three as there aren't enough bodies round him to distribute the ball to. I also feel we lack cover in this position for times like the last3/4 games when he is out of sorts we have no 'like for like' replacement.