Barnsley V Walsall - An Alternative View

If the BBS is the barometer of supporter opinion, it has gone from Stormy to Sunny in record time. As usual, things were never quite as bad, nor quite as good as the barometer indicated. It is a turbo-charged barometer.

After a first half that had been as negative as…. well, as negative as all the other first halfs in this run of successful games, I was happy to tell anyone who was prepared to listen to me how bored I was with the whole kit and caboodle. We were a limited team that has to score the first goal to win a game. With no-one once again prepared to run into the space in front of the line ahead for fear that they would leave a gap behind that could be exploited for a goal against, we looked a team bereft of ideas. We had scored again and had not looked like conceding, but I was left to lament all the games gone by, when possession was less important than goal mouth activity, and when teams were happy to swap possession at regular intervals if this led to chances and entertainment. Is that what it has come to, I asked, are results are more important than entertainment? How much longer is there for a game that values ball retention above goals?

The second half failed to lighten my mood, and then it happened. The metaphorical clouds parted, and a metaphorical shaft of sunlight shone down on the pitch, and a metaphorical voice boomed down from the metaphorical heavens. And the metaphorical voice said, “Let there be Winnall”, and the metaphorical voice added, “And 4-4-2”. And there was 4-4-2, and 4-4-2 was good.

It was like a stone was lifted from my eyes. Players began moving and space appeared, as if from nowhere. In this moment, football broke out. Barnsley’s 3rd goal was everything that is good about the game when it is played properly. A winger beat his full back and advanced at pace to the dead ball line. He did not just hit the ball in the general direction of a group of players in the goalmouth. He looked up and picked out a player who had halted his run, sensing that space would appear, and the player was right, and the pass to him was accurate and delivered at the correct pace, and the subsequent strike was perfect. The goal said everything that is good about the game of football, and the fact is that it stood out even more because of the dross that had been served up in the first hour. In fact it stood out because of the dross that has been served up since October. Because that is what football should be, and that is how football should be played… as an entertainment, as a spectator sport that is worth the not inconsiderable cost that we pay to watch it.

However, now that I know that the team is capable of playing football the right way, now I know that our new manager knows how I like to see the game played, he has no excuses. I do not want to watch the soulless stuff that passes for football in this day and age. I want to see proper football like we played in the last half hour, and if that means that we have to wait another season before we can visit the promised land of The Championship, then it is something that I personally am prepared to wait for.

Do not get me wrong. This is not a demolition job on the 4-5-1 system in all its variable forms. Some of those forms can be entertaining, and some of them can be attacking. However, it is hard to see how Winnall can be accommodated in a 4-5-1 system, and in spite of our defensive stability in the last half hour, it is hard to see how Hourihane can be accommodated in a centre midfield role in a 4-4-2 system. The challenge, as it has been from the start of the season, is to bring our best players together in a system that works in all circumstances, and which can dominate possession against most other teams and other systems. Many will quote the evidence of 5 victories and no goals conceded and I will counter with boring, first goal winner football. The argument is pointless and I am merely having my say.

The Winnall/Hourihane discussion is not the only issue. A second issue is the balance of midfield that contains two out and out defensive midfield players at the heart of our midfield in the shape of Pearson and Scowen. There is little doubts that with these two at the heart of our midfield we are more secure defensively. However, the price that we pay is that there is less movement ahead of the passer when both play centrally and neither has the vision, accuracy or the length on their passing. When Pearson went off and Scowen went wide in order to accommodate Bailey and the 4-4-2 system, the length and vision in the passing improved and the game opened up as a result.

A third issue is that Holgate is not a full back and he does not offer the attacking balance down the right side that a specialist full back would do. He is undoubtedly going to make a very fine centre back with the ability read play and to pass the ball out from the back, but that does not mean that his longer term interests, or those of the team, are served by him playing in the full back position.

I suspect that we will revert to a 4-5-1 system for the visit to Oldham, and that is all right by me because I am not going. But in order to have a team that is worth promotion, we must have a team with the structure and quality of player that can recover from conceding the first goal, if necessary, and we are miles off that situation, even on the evidence of a run of 5 successive victories. I agreed with LJ when he said after the game that there is room for improvement.

 

Aye, that wo me frum Ponty end....

Tha welcome....

 

Do you not think that, with the position we found ourselves in only 5 games ago, that we needed to shore things up in order to stave off the very real threat of relegation? The fact that we've stopped giving away daft goals is, in my opinion, the first step towards giving us the type of expansive football we all want to see. Clean sheets increase the chances of winning. Winning builds confidence. Confidence allows players to express themselves. Players expressing themselves leads to expansive football. Of course there is room for improvement - there should always be.

But I'm a pretty happy supporter all things considered.

 

It might have been thought as such when he arrived, but Scowen is not an out and out holding midfield player. And did not play as one yesterday.

 

There was certainly pressure upon Danny Wilson from both supporters and the board that forced him into adopting similar tactics to those adopted by Burton after the Crawley game and subsequently by LJ. However, I personally never thought that the hole we were in was ever as deep as that perceived by the board or the rest of the BBS. The fact is that we were without our best player and our talisman, and we had been without him for 2 months at the point that Wilson was sacked. I still hold the view that the board and owner of BFC sacks managers too quickly.

You are right that it is the natural reaction to shore up the defence when a team is in trouble. In the case of Mark Robins, the negative defensive tactics became the standard method of play. I found the system he used anathema to the way that I believe the game should be played, and he very nearly did for me as a Barnsley FC supporter. The run that we have had will convince many on here that winning at any cost is a price worth paying if we achieve promotion. The piece that I have written is a statement of the alternative view. Promotion to the Championship is not worth it if we are not ready and able to compete there, and the manner that we are gaining our victories at the minute suggests to me that we are not yet ready for it. Another piece of evidence is the fact that almost half of our team is on loan.

 

Bang on Old Gimmer,old lad

 

Fair point of view but not all shared by me tbh but one thing we don't know is if this team can come from a goal down as we haven't been tested on that issue yet and well need more than one occasion to prove otherwise imo

 

The version of 4-5-1 that we started by playing yesterday was 4-1-4-1 with Pearson immediately in front of the defence in the most defensive role. However, neither Scowen nor Hourihane were allowed to run beyond Waring. They were both required to hold their position in a triangle in relation to Pearson and directly ahead of the two central defenders, and in that sense, all three players were playing as holding midfield players. The full backs were not allowed to overlap beyond the two wingers either, so it made for a very rigid system that was only likely to yield goals from dead ball kicks.

 

I repeat that Scowen did not play as an "out and out" holding midfield player yesterday.

 

It would take a very brave man to change a winning formula. Having said that, I was pretty impressed at the way Johnson totally changed the game by bringing Winnall on rather than trying to sit back and defend the lead. Don't agree with your statement that the full-backs were not allowed to overlap by the way. I though that both Holgate and Smith got forward on a regular basis. It takes a special type of supporter who can moan about the fact that we've won 5 on the bounce and not conceded! Don't deny your right to do so though!

 

yes, this team will come back from being a goal down - LJ has taken the fear away from the players - the whole atmosphere at Oakwell both on the pitch and on the terraces has changed for the better. We have an exciting end of season ahead.....

 

Part of the reason that I write these post match summaries is that I like to generate debate and stimulate thought. That is not to say that I do not genuinely believe the things that I write, I do, but I could just as easily keep my thoughts to myself and no-one would be any the wiser. The problem with the BBS is that it looks like the Serengeti National Park at times, where great herds of opinion are allowed to wander about unchallenged and where they quickly become established facts because they are unchallenged. I do not say that I am right on all occasions, but I do think that I am right to question the standard viewpoint, and to encourage others to question the standard viewpoint also.

As for your point about the full backs, the next time we play this system, just count the number of times a full back receives a pass closer to the opposition goal line than the winger.

 

You have to earn the right ot be able to play and once we got our noses infront we coudl allow to be more expansive.

Rome wasnt built in a day. We need to keep building as we have been doing and get better and better each game. Then, once everyone is on the same page and comfortable with how we are playing... then we can start being more open and attacking - and i sure we will see this.

I am more than happy in what i am seeing. In the 451 we were still hungrier to get the ball and keep the ball. What was even more pleasing was even when we were 3-0 we never stopped chasing down to get the ball.

Lighten up man - it will come. You are expecting us to turn into Barcelona overnight. No pleasing some people. 5 on the bounce - 5 clean sheets. The best in the game will tell you it starts with keeping clean sheets and defeding from the front - weve got that bit cracked and are buildng on the rest.

And dont forget Winall is still coming back - its probably wise to use him sparingly until he gets fully match fit. We want him fit for the rest of the season.

 

I don,t think scowen is a defensive player at all ,in fact probably the opposite let's say he can do both well.

 

A good read. Share your thoughts about the issue of fitting Winnall and Hourihane in the same team.

Tricky problem to solve - For me Hourihane has to play, and has to play centrally but I've not seen him do it too many times convincingly in a flat four. However I think that's been exacerbated at times by the fact that for so long we've been toothless up front. Hemmings and Lita offered nothing in terms of hold up and out wide we were abysmal. I think this has meant that Connor has had to spend most of the time doing stuff he doesn't do well (chasing around after the ball, getting tackles in) because nobody else was contributing anything. Not saying he's a complete midfielder by any stretch, but hopefully with more balance in the team (actual proper wingers, a cm in Scowen who can properly break the play up) now his limitations wouldn't get exposed as much. I'd certainly try it next home game, the benefits of finding the system that incorporates both our star assets have to outweigh the costs of trying it.

At least that's what I hope!!!

 

Well written post & an interesting read but I can't help but feel that both Wilson & Johnson's hands were tied with regards to the formation.

Wilson clearly wanted to play 4-4-2 with Winnall & Cole but he lost Winnall to injury & Cole to MK Dons.

Unfortunately Lita & Hemmings have both been dreadful meaning that a one up top system with Waring as the target man was the only realistic option.

Johnson came in & also realised the two were useless & had to go with one up top until Winnall got fit & he could bring another striker in (Ibhere).

I was very impressed yesterday because I felt I saw entertaining football where as in the previous 4 games I was happy with the result but realised we were only grinding out wins rather than going out & dominating the game with good football.

I think we'll now see the real Lee Johnson. He's in a fantastic position with virtually a fully fit squad except for Ramage, Turnbull & Bree, the youngsters have all been blooded into the team & seem to be full of confidence & he has 3 strikers he clearly rates to choose from.

We'll get to see what he's all about, especially with the tougher games against Preston, Bristol & Sheff Utd

 

I enjoyed the game yesterday. I'm now thinking there were 2 games at oakwell yesterday.

 

For my part although it was a good three points I wasn't happy with how thoroughly the mascot's kit had been ironed.

 

I think I stated in my post that you have every right to your opinion. On the other hand, I don't think I'm being sheep-like in pointing out the positives. I just fancy enjoying the fact that my team is winning as it seems a long time since that was the case. Not sure what to make of your statement about the full back/winger receiving a pass to be honest. Surely you would expect the winger to be further forward the majority of the time.

 

My point about the herds of opinion was not intentionally aimed at yourself. I am not a poster who seeks to score points on individuals who debate with me. My point was that I often go against the run of opinion in order to stimulate thought and debate.

My point about the full backs is addressed to your response in your previous posting viz, "Don't agree with your statement that the full-backs were not allowed to overlap by the way". My understanding of the term "overlapping full back", is a full back who positions himself ahead of a winger in order to find space in which to receive a pass. By doing so, he creates a possible advantage because he is less likely to be marked and if successful he will make an opportunity to cross the ball into the opposition penalty box from a position that is closer to the goal line and therefore offering a more advantageous angle, but at the risk of a serious disadvantage if the pass is misplaced or intercepted. There is no overlap if the cross is delivered from further away from the goal line than the wingers position and therefore the cross is made from a less advantageous angle. Overlaps happen infrequently because the position of the opposition covering players have to be favourable and the risk is high. It is therefore an indicator of confidence and dominance. The move was made famous by Terry Cooper in the Don Revie era Leeds team and was even tried from time to time by our own Barry Murphy back in the day.