I wish I could say we were MADE to look bad today, but I can't

We've seen it often enough this season, with teams coming to Oakwell and running rings round us (or more accurately turning our full backs inside out and scoring at will). Today though was different. We managed to make ourselves look bad with no help from the opposition.

First some credit to Chester - they put the effort in, they could have scored a couple of goals. Maybe television replays will show that they DID get one in the first half, but maybe not. On the other hand we could have scored a couple as well, with a bit more application and (stating the obvious) with our regular number nine in the team. I didn't realise we were going to miss him this much but we are lost without him, plus one or two others.

But come on.....Chester were what they are - a non-league team. The fact that they gave us such a hard time is shameful and I was embarrassed to watch some of our antics today. The Chester fans were lapping it up, and quite rightly so. "Football league, you're having a laugh". Yes we were and the team deserved all the abuse they got today. I hate getting on to individuals but we all know where the weak links are - they were blindingly obvious today.

Reece Brown should not have even been on the bench - young Holgate looked twice the player he is the other night. Bad error not giving him a run out today. Brown might make a player somewhere, some day, but it won't be Oakwell.
Ramage seems to have a recurring injury problem and I fear we might not see much more of him. Shame that.
Berry looked lost as the defensive midfielder. Not stong enough for that role, or experienced. His time will come, but not yet.
Hourihane has gone right off the boil since we lost Williams and Winnall. He looks weak and, dare I say it, disinterested. Great that he has notched all those goals and assists but without them he barely rates his place in the team. I think he will be with us beyond January.
Abbott played his worst game for us today. He's not strong enough either for the rough and tumble in midfield. Better players would have just played around him but even against Chester he looked out of his depth.
Trotta, Hemmings and Lita - worth lumping them together but you still can't get a good player even if you combined all three. Lita looked up for it on Tuesday but today he was out of sorts again. Trotta was just appallingly bad. Hard to separate him from the likes of Regis, Odejayi etc despite his great goal against Scunny. Apart from that he is a waste of a shirt and should be sent back soonest. Hemmings, I am afraid will never make it here. He's so far out of his depth you wonder how he scored so many goals last season, even if it was in Scotland!

When Treacey and Jennings came on we looked a threat and with a bit more game time behind him I am sure Jennings would have scored today. He just seemed to lack the confidence to try something, but maybe he is on the road back. Hope so.

I was ashamed to watch my team ridiculed by a noisy bunch of non league supporters today. They deserved it, but I don't want to see it.

What is it about Cheshire teams? Rhyl, Marine and now Chester!! We could easily get turned out of the cup in the replay. On the other hand we might just turn up to play, unlike today's no-show by most of the team.

 

Rhyls in north wales no where near to Cheshire.

 

Your summary is fine, but your geography is hopeless.

 

Aye like from Town to Chesterfield then a bit more. Not that far at all I guess. .

 

Actually it's not that hopeless - just a slip of the pen! What I meant to say was "small teams in the north west", or something like that

 

Aint Marine in Kirby Liverpool, Merseyside Lancashire?

 

Easy enuff to walk it then, piece of piss.