Fair points. I was at Bradford and can't remember it specifically standing out that he wasn't great - but was sitting fairly low down and was finding a bit difficult to tell players apart. Agree on Digby. Must be a hammer blow to be on the bench all the time but then have players brought in ahead of you in your position constantly. And Bree... Isn't he meant to be able to play centre mid? Again, it's frustrating that he can't get any game time but is our most promising talent. The academy won't pay for itself if we don't get these players on the pitch.
Pearson to me is workmanlike, and not nearly as good as Perkins in his prime. He's seemingly undroppable, and I only hope Digby puts in a storming performance on Saturday to keep Pearson on the bench in the next game.
Have to disagree on that. Scowen was all over the park getting stuck in. Pearson was doing the old hands on hips thing & moaning at the ref. He deserved his card the soft lad. The ref wasn't great, he was letting too much go, but no excuse when he was facing a ban.
Not saying he didn't deserve the card. But i can't buy into the idea that he's an abysmal player or needs to be sent back because of his attitude as some have made out. Happy to disagree on the Scowen thing, different people see the game differently but I really did think he did ok despite (especially in the first half) being put in a system that basically left him chasing shadows. I do think (as others have basically admitted) that a lot of this criticism stems from the fact he's a loanee. In my view we should play the ball not the man in that case ie. criticise the strategy of having loanees but don't be harsher on the performance of a loan player than a regular player as I'm not sure what that achieves.
OK let's pretend he is a permanent Barnsley player. He's still a petulant little arse who has abused a ref so relentlessly that he is now banned.
I didn't say he should be, although other posters have. I guess it depends what we are paying him while he is here. I'd like to see Digby or Abbott given a chance & if they play well they should stay in & then maybe let him go back. I don't think ManUre will be up for selling him at this stage & I personally wouldn't be splashing lots of cash on him, if they were. He'd probably be better playing further up the park, but he never seems to wander far past the half way line. Not sure if this is LJ's doing or not? My feeling is we need players on the flanks who can defend, but also deliver a quality ball as a priority. We will see I guess how much he's missed.
Did you read what I said? I've not defended his behaviour - it was stupid. I do defend him from some of the more outlandish criticism that's coming his way from some quarters.
Yeah that bit was more aimed at others than you. Agree with a lot of your analysis here - especially about people on the flanks delivering an end product. It's been woeful for weeks on that front.
Final post on Pearson, at least for now. How many goals has he scored this season ? ... 1 How many assists ? ... 0 How many recovering tackles has he made? ... hard pressed to remember many ... How many bookings ? ... 5 How much time spent with his hands on his hips ... a lot. He is bang average at best at the moment & it saddens me others we have on contract haven't been given a bash. We are leaking goals centrally despite having 2 holding midfielders & 3 central defenders. Certainly not saying he is in any way the only one to blame, just he ain't all that good.