Barnsley stats

I'm watching them with an open mind. I'm so eager to see a bit of football to enjoy, to cling onto, to be proud of. But it's just not there.

And yes, we're cheating. Whether we benefit from that cheating is open to debate. But we're stealing yardage at throw ins (or trying to)... yes, just like other teams. And our goalkeeper is undoubtedly the worst timewaster in the game. I timed a point last night. The ball went out for a goal kick. He took him 48 seconds to ball into play again. Numerous times he had the ball in hand for nearly 20 seconds. There were times he had it to feet and he dribbled the furthest distance to a corner of his box as slowly as he could, before picking the ball up, bouncing the ball as he walked to as near to the edge of his penalty area as he could get away with.

If someone has the will to do it, it would be very interesting to see out of the full time available, how much time the ball is with Collins and how much time the ball is dead. Maybe thats one of the ways we get breathing space to allow pressing as intensely as we do?

 

As much as I loved Daniel Stendel and the promotion, l didn't particular enjoy Stendel's Championship experience of gifting the ball to the opposition at the edge of our box and going 17 games without a win, being bottom of the league. Neither did I enjoy Lee Johnson's tippy tappy along the back 4, hardly having a shot on target for 3 months worth of home games.

If that's what you like fair enough. I prefer more opposition in the opponent's box, shots on target, not getting hammered every week.

Valerien Ismael has given us an identity, a style, belief and much much more. Keep going Valerien, you're doing a great job, and I love you greatly

 

That's desperate.

If this was Stendels side playing his style I'd absolutely be loving it. As I did when we stormed L1.

The issues with the owners are still there. Just because we're winning with this awful style of football doesn't eradicate the issues we face and the actions they take.

 

With respect, the football we are playing is nothing like the managers you mention there.

 

Stendel was completely thrown under the bus. Johnson, I didn't see lots of that team, but there were still pockets, particularly when Hammill was brought in, that we had a very good side.

I'm not a fan of possession for possession sake. Just like I'm not a fan of not having possession, for not having possession sake.

 

I agree. It's worse.

 

When Hammill returned, the football improved. The 3 months before that were turgid - at best, capped off with a FA Cup defeat to a non-league team

 

Ok.

 

This^^ were really punching with the squad we have we beat Bournemouth who's goalkeeper cost them 11 million our whole squad cost probley half of that. Play to our strengths.

 

Probably. Does that mean that he can't tell his 11 players on the pitch not to pass it along the defence in our half of the pitch? He still dictates the tactics and formations, does he not?

 

Thankfully i didn't witness that. Bromsgrove back in the day was pretty appalling though ;-)

 

I don't think he instructed defenders to pass it to the opposition though, or McGeehan to gift the ball on the edge of our box.

I don't think we can compare the players he was given to the same players they are now, though there probably aren't that many left which says a great deal about how championship ready that team was.

Look at Mads. He's played what, around 80 games now? You can't compare that with a young lad who's hardly played competitive football up against championship forwards.

I'd love to see what style of football Stendel could turn out with these players now.

 

I think you deserve huge credit for having the guts to post this views when the chances are you’re going to be hammered for them; though the debate so far has been pretty considered.

I get where you’re coming from and there is no doubt that if we were playing the kind of free flowing football we’ve seen in some seasons, and being successful, then we would all be drooling over it. However, I don’t quite have your confidence that VI has the squad that can actually do that. Moreover I’m only interested is seeing that kind of football higher up the pitch. It drives me up the wall to see our Defenders thinking they are Franz Beckanbaur, who then lose the ball - we concede - we lose the game - we have a dreadful season.

I’m thrilled and delighted by what’s happening this season. I love the fact that we are getting under the skin of so many ‘bigger clubs’. I’m not fooled by some of the more positive and gushing comments we are getting from some pundits and opposition fans. We’re a novelty to them and if we we keep winning they’ll soon be turning against us and our ‘style of play’ and doing down ‘lil old Barnsley’. Bol|ocks to them.

These lads are working themselves to death to bring success to the Club this year. I’ve rarely seen the levels of commitment, support and encouragement that they give to each other ( I just regret we are not there to add to that) so I wish them every success and will be screaming my head off to the end of the season. I genuinely think if we make the play off, we’re up. Who wants to play ‘lil old Barnsley’ at the moment.

So, take each game as it comes, marvel at the energy and commitment these boys put into the shirt and enjoy it while you can. We don’t usually have seasons like this so I’ll be savouring every moment.

 

It makes a real change to watch a game knowing you've got a really good chance of winning the majority of games. And whilst there has been a lot of hoof ball especially from the back, I wouldnt say our play in the final third could be described as that. We've scored some really good goals and passed it really nicely around the opposition box.

 

Another stat is we've scored in both halves in five of our last seven games. It's been a really profitable bet and shows it doesn't matter who we start a game with, we will score again once we make changes.

 

Nice stat - I like it and yes, I agree, we can be as likely to score at the end of teh game as well. We're finishing games the stronger team. Testament to the hard work the players and coaching staff are putting in

 

Thanks for that, and even though the majority of people will disagree with me, I'm fine with that and I'm always happy to have reasoned debate with people who don't instantly reach for the cards of ridicule or abuse, who sadly, will always get a particular response.

I certainly don't think we're Brazilianesque in our abilities. But we have got some good passers, and many of these players are better than their contemporaries who preceded them who still managed to pass the ball to good effect. I omitted Sibbick earlier, another good passer of a ball. And we could certainly use the ball better than we do. But then the opposition would sit deeper and would we be able to have as much space? Maybe, maybe not. Seeing as a lot of our goals come from set pieces or putting the ball in the mixer. Its no surprise that Andersen is suddenly getting so many assists and Helik is getting into so many positions to score.

It's a welcome change to be away from the bottom. And we've got to give praise to James Crynes formula for finding UK talent with the European market now much more difficult to access and for the club recognising selling players this season would see minimal returns given the status of the collapsed market for hugely indebted clubs with pressures on revenue.

While I can appreciate much about what this team is doing. It doesn't mean its enjoyable for some. I don't like Lamb, many people do. Not everybody likes the same things and it would be a very dull world if they did.

 

I'm a big fan of Stendel, and thought the way he was treated at the start of last season was shocking (I hope we never have another transfer window with Conway as acting CEO), but I don't think Stendel would have this team anywhere near where Ismael has got them.

The Championship is a big, physical league, and if you want to be a technical, footballing team, you need to be much closer to Buendia than Bahre for ability otherwise you'll get eaten alive. Another factor is how Ismael is managing the players through a tough schedule. Yes, there's 5 subs, but under Stendel, we struggled to win a midweek game in League 1, thankfully there weren't international breaks to make up for in that division.

 

I agree with various facets of this thread and both sides of the argument. I remember another incident last night though when we were playing it about in the middle in a neat triangle, Dike broke free but the ball had already been hoofed by Mowatt (of all people). We could have scored the third earlier and been that comfortable he didn't need to dive into a tackle if he'd played Dike in on the left and we'd been 0-3 up.

I enjoyed the performance though and the result but I want to see us stop going long or aerial when we don't need to. We play percentages to earnt the right to play in the right areas. Don't gift the possession back to the opposition needlessly. Eventually there will be somebody with the tackle to hurt you/us.

 

I agree mate, but like I said earlier - it's a work in progress. VIs only been here 6 months and we've been playing 2 games a week most weeks. He's instilled belief and confidence into the team already