LJ and his fascination with the pitch...

Lee Johnson has on several occasions after games come out and said something along the lines of 'its not exactly how we want to play because the pitch isn't great...'. Yesterday, he said it was a bit bobbly.

To be honest, i can't remember a time in recent history where the pitch has come out of a winter and looked anything like decent. Actually, from the stands, its about as good as its looked in a long time at this time of year. I could possibly understand if it looked like Bradford's. If anything, its worse out in the wide areas, where he persists in playing strikers and central midfielders.

Sounds like a poor excuse to cover up the fact that we haven't got the players to play the system he wants. If it isn't, we'll be in for some more of the same next winter/spring when the pitch looks exactly the same, if not worse.

 

Another Lee Johnson bashing thread.

He hasn't got the players to play the system he wants because he hasn't even had a transfer window to work with

 

He has Jennings but as we all know he's not fit to clean the squad boots right now and needs to be shown the door as quickly as possible. If we can't rid ourselves of him then this is going to impact on what LJ can do in the transfer market and might even continue to effect tactics for next season.

 

I started watching football in 70s. My memory of the pitch back then and through the 80s is of a mud bath for the majority of the season. You'd turn up in August and it'd look like a carpet. That lasted until it started raining in September when it quickly began to deteriorate and by November you'd lost all the grass in both penalty areas and the centre circle, which remained the same until season's end. And it wasn't just Oakwell, it was everywhere. The only time you'd see any grass on a pitch after Christmas was the FA Cup final at Wembley. There was no shortage of skill back then. Pitches today look fantastic by comparison.

Typical pitch from the 70s. It's December so winter has only just begun.

[video=youtube;EMmQk2lK_Ks]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMmQk2lK_Ks[/video]

 

Correct Jay, 100% correct.

 

Wasn't it at a very muddy Baseball Ground around that era that the penalty spot had to be re-painted during the match, and John Motson nearly exploded with excitement?

 

Its not an LJ bashing at all.

I actually think he'll turn us into a decent side given time if he doesn't try to over complicate things. I just don't understand the need to comment about the pitch after almost every home game when its actually in pretty good condition. I could have added that whilst he might blame the pitch, i might blame him for playing a formation and style that doesn't suit the players we've got. I could have also added that he might be playing that formation and style to prepare the players for next season but then i could argue that 6 of the 11 that started yesterday may well not be here next year. I didn't though, because thats got nothing to do with the pitch and like i said, i actually think given time he'll turn us into a decent side and just because I might not be pleased with the last few games, doesn't mean i don't understand that we don't have the right balance of squad yet and that he needs time to make it work.

 

Lee Johnsons next signing should be then...

Get the groundsman back here that left for - Was it Wembley?? Sounds like hes the man he needs.

Here he is - Its another Stones we let go on the cheap by the looks of it!! lol:

http://www.thehardtackle.com/2013/w...ones-on-the-talking-game-exclusive-interview/

and here

https://www.pitchcare.com/magazine/wemblet-stadium-from-rock-on-to-touchdown.html

Stones - the name that haunts BFC management and directors

 

Yup. Against Man City again coincidentally. April 77.

[video=youtube;EMmQk2lK_Ks]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMmQk2lK_Ks[/video]

 

The baseball ground was notoriously one of the worst in the country, especially when the freezing weather arrived it often looked like a beach with all the sand the chucked on it. It might be my age but there were some epic games in that era whatever the pitch/weather and it was probably down more to the get on with it attitude of the day.

 

I was one of Wilson's biggest fans and backers. I thought, and still think, his sacking was wrong. However, he's gone and we now have Lee Johnson at the helm and I'm giving him my full backing. Point scoring between one and the other is a nonsense as far as I'm concerned. The Johnson critics are simply the same as the Wilson critics, just the manager's name is different. As soon as Wilson was appointed, you had people posting on here berating anything & everything he did and said. Unfortunately, Johnson is copping for the same treatment. It's as if Johnson is being blamed for Wilson's sacking. "I never wanted him as manager in the first place" is the usual mantra for these folk. Well, so what? That happens in all aspects of life, why should football be any different? Deal with it. These folk come across as spoilt, little children screaming and stamping their foot because they haven't got EXACTLY what they demand. For one side to complain about the other is both laughable and hypercritical.
Give this boss the time and opportunity to stamp his image on the club with regards to players, style of play & formations. This applies to the board, as much as some fans. They've made the appointment, now back him and your judgement. For the life in me, I can't see what's to be positively gained by adopting any other approach.

 

Can orlas tell when you lose ya rag cos thi pararaphs go oot the window!

 

Rotten swine!
'Like'

 

Cant beat a good old Lil hissy fit!

yer reight though....

 

I'm the biggest Drama Queen this board had ever seen!

 

Do you think im over critical here? http://bbs.barnsleyfc.org.uk/showthread.php?226327-Any-better-performances-than-DWs#36
kinell - you cant link to a post in a thread ho hum.... its in there anyway.

 

Yes.

 

Re: Lee Johnsons next signing should be then...

Interesting reads, thanks!

 

He's right though. The pitch is crap but I don't think the issue is that it is bobbly. The issue is the fascination with dumping a few lakes of water on the pitch 10 seconds before kick off. Is it any coincidence that our players slip over every week in areas of the pitch that have just been watered?

 

I commented on this yesterday - the players slipping over bit, and I always get the impression that our players are far more prone to falling on their arses than the opposition. If we're trying to gain an advantage it certainly doesn't seem to be working.