Nyatanga, Roberts, Big Alf, Rothwell, Pearson, Watkins, Wilkinson. Joined us because of our potential and the sell by LJ. We're still chasing other targets. The manager has gone public in saying we need 2,3,4 more. What's not to like? The atmosphere at bobbys testimonial, the manager hugging all the oldies and his positive comments after that game and the killie game. I went last week and was confronted with the same old "we're not gunner do owt"...."the managers not making the signings"....... "We have no ambition". After 55 years of watching, some things never change. In this case it's the negative, doom and gloom, pessimistic, everything is ****, dark cloud mentality that will be the ruin of us. The story book goes like this....... "..I'm Alfie, I'm relocating from London and I've been sold the dream. Great fans. Great stadium and training facilities. A manager who has told me he'll make me a better player ......etc etc. I get on the party bus and before the season has even started, I'm thinking what the fook!!??. Great fans? Positive pre-season atmosphere? Shoulda stayed where I was." My long winded point is that sometimes all this rumour mongering does not help. Desist.
Great post! Its too easy for us to jump to conclusions and surmise that things are going wrong. Take a look around at the rest of the clubs in this division not many have their full complement of players / signings yet. We're following a certain recruitment plan and not rushing into making rushed transfers - for this the club should be praised. We all want promotion and hopefully we will achieve it but its not a divine right.
I dont think people have a problem with LJ, i think people seem to be getting mad at the board/Mansford for whatever reason. Good post.
❤️ hope that has the dual contradictory effect of brightening up your gloom and deepening your dark and despondent cynicism, which I trust doesn't ( but I'm guessing it does) extend to the rest of your exciting life.
Thing is, the negative and doom-mongering stuff you're rallying against on here, is complemented by your approach, your outlook, the 'everything is fine' mantra. I sit somewhere in between. I don't believe it's anywhere near as bad as some are making out. Some of the posts they're making are so blatant and soaked in their own agendas that I get a few sentences in and end up laughing. But neither do I find everything 'good in the hood'. And I find folk posting like that even more intolerable. Seems to me we're in need of an update from the lads in charge, something to quell the rumours and hopefully to enthuse folk again. It's a football club, they need folk to come and watch football. It'd help on that score were things seemingly more optimistic. The longer we go without signings, the longer the silence from those in power, the more folk will predict doom, stir the pot and fantasize. Meaning others will become even more clappy on a happy scale. I find it all amusing. Looking forward to the Huddersfield friendly and the season proper beginning a week later. Hoping as always for a brighter footballing future for my beloved BFC. But I will repeat it starts at the top. Sup to them to lead. I'm waiting..
I'm also an inbetweeny. I want us to have a season where we play good vibrant attacking football. Moving the ball quickly and with intent. Results are relatively unimportant to me though if we pkayed like that we would win more than we would lose. Where a few injuries won't mean, in effect, the end of the season. I want the manager and the team to succeed. It just seems that in order to do that he needs more support in terms of personnel. Whilst I appreciate he may not have Wilson's experience in terms of isolating targets with potential and resale value we need to trust him and back him more. Our current squad lacks any sort of depth. We have a decent first 11 though we lack pace throughout the team. We have no strength in depth of any kind. In key positions we are woefully understaffed. The impact of isolating players (for whatever reason) is unknown but can't be particularly positive. This needs addressing whilst a player is employed by U.S. He needs to remain part of the group unless he is such a disruptive influence that this is untenable. I can't say on the basis we have at the moment I am particularly looking forward to the season. We seem to have attracted a young passionate manager who wants us to move forward then not given him support (again from the outside looking in). I also feel we need a 'boost' as a fanbase. Not a marquee signing or out daft but bringing someone on board we all think **** yeah about. The club needs to reengage with its fans. Mansford has started this process but it needs to be words not deeds. Oakwell needs a spruce up. I'm sure if the club approached people they would help and get stuck in. A bit of painting, pulling the weeds up, cleaning the seats. I'd probably give up a weekend so would others. It's about having pride and community. The odd snarky comment doesn't mean we don't support our team it just means we have all been here before and we know who the blame gets shifted to in January when things go badly.
That's not an alternative view. That's the party line, almost to the letter, as if it has come straight from the club. As far as Alfie Mawson is concerned... If he's going to trawl the internet in search of criticism then he'll find it. Anyone in the public eye could do the same. The idea that this is unique to fans of Barnsley Football Club is nonsense. And it's not like there's been a word of criticism about the player on here, just a growing concern that the squad does not have the strength in depth to compete. If he's any sense, which I don't doubt he has, Mawson will judge the fans and the pre-season atmosphere from the direct contact he has with them, predominantly at the games. I've been to just one, the Mansfield game, where the atmosphere was great, much of it coming from fans who have reservations about the strength in depth of our squad. If you genuinely want an alternative view then keep reading this BBS, because you'll get one. If you only want to read that everything is fine and dandy, then stick to the official site, follow the club on Twitter and Facebook and listen to the interviews on Audioboom, where everything is super duper.
I think that's fair, pretty spot on really. It does make me laugh when I hear OTT comments like "Toeing the party line", "You've been brainwashed by the club" & other such sneering, arrogant and extremely condescending accusations. I love the interpretation of democracy on here, 'you're entitled to voice your opinions, but unless it agrees with mine you're wrong & open to belittling'!
Well said 55&c. Let's just let them get on with their jobs, they all want what's best, it's sometimes not that easy though.