View after watching the game in the ground

I don’t usually do this type of thing and indeed in the aftermath of Saturday’s result I’ve been pretty much too inebriated to even contemplate starting until now. However, I feel strongly that the lasting taste of our 2016 away campaign shouldn’t be the bitter one of delusion, division and debasement which runs through a certain poster’s thread started last night. Hence I’d like to share my personal observations on the Cardiff game (in no particular order):-

Sam Winnall – An absolute joy to watch Sam’s performance at Cardiff. Surely the finest game of football he’s played, amongst many standouts. He took his second goal magnificently after the finest of acrobatic, perfectly directed headers to get his first and level things up. Had Zlatan scored the first and Suarez the second the pundits would still be drooling over them. But Sam’s game was (and is) so much more, from the many headers he won against the gorillas in Cardiff’s back four to the surging second half runs beating man after man and ultimately the exquisite flick to get Marley in to set up the winner. Someone once set out their criteria on here for a 10/10 display. For me, Sam raised the bar above that on Saturday.

Conor Hourihane – (That’s CH8 to you Hemmsy) At his best with a delicious range of short, medium and long-range passing. What vision and execution this man has with his left foot wand. Gloriously looked-up and found Sam for the first and set Ryan Kent away to set up our third. He was also strong in the trenches in the second half, with numerous key tackles. I think he enjoys having both Morsy and Scowen around him as Josh comes narrow when we don’t have the ball and we effectively have three battling in the middle which means Conor doesn’t have to drop so deep all the time.

Josh Scowen – Special mention to Josh who for me was the unsung hero and has been terrific all season. What an engine this guy has. For the second goal he set Kent free on the half way line and then was up in the box when Sam scored. For the third he burst a gut to run the whole length of the field to be on the end of it. He was also right up there behind Ryan Williams when the fourth went in. Won tackle after tackle and free-kick after free-kick throughout the game. Distribution good and the piece de resistance in the second half when he danced round their left back on the outside and left him on his backside by the dead ball line, old-fashioned stylee.

Marc Roberts – An absolute rock. Yes, he may have been beaten a couple of times on the first and third goals but in between was outstanding. We were up against a team with four guys of six foot three or more whose tactic was to bombard us with long-balls, crosses and long throws. Robbo is our only real dominant aerial power and he took it and gave more than he got all game. Indeed despite the pressure we were looking increasingly comfortable at the back thanks to him until their second goal went in.

Adam Davies – They say keepers mature after 30, so this guy has the potential to go far as he’s pretty good already. Yes, his kicking sometimes is wayward and he’ll make the odd mistake but the league’s top shot-stopper showed once again why he’s one of the best we’ve had in this position.

Andy Yiadom – Probably our most consistent performer this season which is not bad considering he’s had to play out of position for a large part of it. I can pay him no higher tribute than to say that given the almost universal scratching of heads that went on when one of our heroes George Williams was released just a few months ago, Andy’s performances on both sides of the defence mean George is now rarely mentioned.

The Rest of the Team – It’d be improper not to mention the rest of the team. I didn’t see any weak performances on Saturday. I did see thirteen talented blokes fully committed to the cause determined to get a positive result by playing good football and defending for their lives when needed.

Fans – The Reds fans were excellent once again and deserve a special mention. The atmosphere was great and as at Brentford, Birmingham and, to maybe slightly lesser an extent, Hillsborough, it felt like we ‘owned’ the ground. Not until 3-3 did the home fans seem to raise a whimper. Loved the use of the ‘Ronnie Moore’ song for Colin Wnaker!

Hecky – We all love Hecky and rightly so. He is ‘one of our own’ not just by birth but by his clear, cogent, down-to-earth, relevant and realistic speaking, by his work ethic (he must be the epitome of the working-class manager) and by his commitment to football being played the way it should be.
He’s always learning and I can see him going from strength to strength.

Two moments from Saturday demonstrated the class of the man. Firstly, despite his fine general performance mentioned above, Josh was culpable in the second Cardiff goal. Hecky could see that Josh was distraught and quickly had a word, getting his mind off the error and switching him to central midfield right in the thick of things.

Secondly, at 3-3 Hecky might have shut up shop and when I saw the sub board go up I half expected we’d be bringing Jackson on as a third central defender to cut our losses and keep the point. Not a bit off it, realising that we had lost our main ball carrier out of defence when he took Kent off, Hecky put Ryan Williams on, reverted to 4-3-3 and the rest is history. Magic, Hecky.

Work Ethic and Determination – This group clearly work their proverbials off both in training and in preparation, as well as on the pitch. And they work for each other. Loved the comment from one of them about it being an extra two days to the next game meaning two more days work, which they love. In the face of the Cardiff giants, we’d prepared a whole range of set-piece options to avoid playing the ball in towards them (some worked, some didn’t). Determination was summed up by Marley’s run at the end, simply bursting through their defence by just simply wanting it more than their players.

Spirit and Togetherness – To the adversity of going behind early on and to being pegged back level at the death our response was to shrug our shoulders get on with it and play more football, not less. I love this team and their attitude. Josh looked positively mortified when their second went in – he visibly wanted the ground to swallow him up but any number of the others gee’d him up and got him going again. And the most tremendous image of all, the sheer unbridalled genuine joy of each and every one of them for Ryan Williams in the celebrations of the winner, for him personally and for the team. It was as if they’ve all been through that journey with him every step of the way and knew just how much it went.

Style and Intent – What is particularly exhilarating about this team is its style and brand of football and its attacking intent. The second and fourth goals in particular were lightning sharp rapier thrusts with quick direct ground passing. It was absolutely exhilarating to witness, Barca-esque. We swarmed forward with lads busting a gut to get forward. When Sam put the second away there were 7, yes 7, Reds in an around the box, a moment after being on the defensive at the other end. For the winner, there were 6 of our lads up there, 6, in the 95th minute, just after losing a two goal lead. Terrific.

Elation – The only word I can use to describe the aftermath of the fourth goal. Topped off by the reception for a team that knows how to genuinely share in its celebrations with warm appreciation for the fans.

Sustained Joy – Through the whole of 2016 watching Barnsley Football Club play has been an absolute pleasure. It’s been a rare and precious diamond of years and within the context of other things in life, pure gold.

Thank You to Hecky, Patrick and All the Players.

Merry Christmas to All and (for once) I hope for a footballing New Year just like the last one for us.

PS – Santa, all I want for Christmas is half a dozen contract extensions, please!

 

How refreshing to read this. Great post!

 

This is the world I'm living in football-wise at least.
2016 has been **** for the loss of so many great musicians, which is my main sphere.
Hecky and the team have been stupendous.

 

What an absolutely brilliant post. Well said, old mate.
'Like'

 

What superb prose, brilliant stuff. Maybe you should join Whitey in the media department?

 

Great post and read. Onwards and upwards. COYR

 

Lovely piece of writing, Im in love with you and think we should move in together.

 

I love you man.

 

A post of extraordinary accuracy, eloquence, passion and warmth. Thank you for taking the time to post this, mate.

After missing most of 2016, recovering from a stroke, that was a joy to read. Took me over half hour, but a joy nonetheless...

Please adopt me...

 

Great post

 

Superb post. Just hope all the players and management at Oakwell get a chance to read it.

 

They don't need to. But I know a man who won't anyway.

 

Enjoyed that!

 

This!

"Sustained Joy – Through the whole of 2016 watching Barnsley Football Club play has been an absolute pleasure. It’s been a rare and precious diamond of years and within the context of other things in life, pure gold."

 

That is an excellent summary of a wonderful performance. It has given me a taste of your joy and satisfaction.

Can I make a suggestion. Would you take Hemsworth with you to the next game and try to show him what the game is about, both emotionally and technically, because I am fed up of reading both his nonsense and the abuse it attracts.

Many thanks

 

Cracking read that . Thanks . I couldn't get to game because of works xmas doo , so brilliant to read a report like that .

 

Now that is a post!


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Racist



#TeamsLikeBarnsley

 

Great post.

I liked how the interviewer in Hecky's post match interview, tried to complement him on his 2 substitutions effectively combining to win the game, and he played it down by pointing out that taking Kent off allowed Cardiff back in the game in the first place.

He's such a humble down to earth guy.

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