Seen 3 games so far. A win against Burton and two defeats against Rochdale and Shrewsbury. Can't say I've enjoyed any of the football served up although had some great days. Be nice if we had a few shots and some of that pacey wing play Johnson says he expects his players to produce.
Oh I was there alright at the front of the Brewery stand looking over the wall watching us get relegated to the 4th division Thing is I was still a nipper in them days and was still excited at going to a football match with my Dad, trying to grab the ball when it got booted into touch - I didnt know any better in those days having only started going a year or so before. It was only when Clarke was appointed I started to get used to the idea of us actually playing decent football, so I sort of forget about Iley and McSweeney and even Steele Once Clarke and Hunter had a go it ruined it as then I had something to compare against
Before the Everton game I felt optimistic about things. And still did, if not more so after that match. We've suffered two awful league defeats since then, but it is still very early days and this is still a new group in the main, under, a relatively new manager. And neither manager or players are that experienced. So it shouldn't come as much of a shock that we've started poorly. But the concern for me is the lack of ambition and therefore lack of entertainment. It's not just the start to this season, it's the end of last season too, where we barely won a game and rarely registered shots on goal. So the more it goes on, the more concerned you become. Nothing that a good performance and result on Saturday can't cure. In terms of it being as bad as you've seen etc, it's not that bad in my opinion, I've seen much worse. But, from teams that were on their respective arses with **** players at that level low on confidence with managers at the end of their ropes. Concerning then that this is early days for LJ and we're supposedly one of the big hitters with some quality players at this level.
Is it fair to compare Illey with managers since him? Illey had no budget whatsoever and came to a club on the verge of bankruptcy and beg stole and borrowed players including Joicey,etc. His tenure was a frustrating one and still managed to flirt with the top half of the table but totally different scenarios to the ones since imo
When I was a teenager, who thought he knew everything about everything, I was one of the Iley Out brigade. When I started to mature and grow up a bit, I reflected then realised & appreciated what a good job Iley did. I've evolved from a teenager who knew everything about everything to an old git who knows nothing about everything.
I loved the Machin team a triumph over adversity. I personally found them more entertaining and in some ways it was my favourite time as a Barnsley fan
You know far more than me when it comes to Digging in the Dirt! And life in general I may say. It's all to do with one thing. AGE
Personally I thought in patches we look technically good without having much penetration. At times I find watching the tikka-takka quite absorbing, at times frustrating. I would imagine the introduction of Smith as a target man will make us more of an attacking force. I'm not despondent about the team at all. I wouldn't go to extremes either way about the side at the moment, but the potential is there. I just hope LJ gets this and next year to put a team in place and the boo-boys don't make him want to leave.