Collins ball

Since Collins came from USA with no football league experience he was up against it but he has a good squad of players for this league who should really be competing every game. Last season duff had us pressing from the front and devante and Norwood did that great and even tedic and watters when called upon. This season the press has gone its more possession based football even against 7th tier Horsham it was very slow and ponderous.

Collins has a good squad t this level like I said, when we come up against the lower teams our quality shines through usually, when we play the better sides we look well beaten and certain players go missing. Even schopp and ashbagi would get some results at this level with the squad we have.

A few points on players

Styles turns up 1 in every 4 games for a player who people said would be a stand out this season he's been disappointing. Unsurprisingly no one put up the release fee.

Watters looked lively at times off the bench last season, this season he must be doing something good in training because got knows how he keeps starting games.

J Williams shouldn't be playing at center back his best position is wing back.

 

I do miss the press. I’ve always much preferred us pressing and playing high tempo football. The results have been decent so far (mostly away) so I didn’t have such an issue. Something needs to change tactically though.

I like Styles but he was poor today. Although not alone. I think he’s played his best football this season in between the midfield and strikers.

Watters is a bit of a weird one as I wouldn’t say he necessarily did loads last season to earn us signing him permanently but I thought if we provide chances for him he’ll score. I still do think he’s a decent player inside the box and would finish chances but he’s so poor outside the box, it’s not worth it. His touch and linkup play is not up to scratch 9 times out of 10.

I’ve always thought Williams has been at his best where he is now and I’ll stick by that. His pace is useful there. I think the main issue is that neither of our current RWBs are consistent enough for where we want to be.

 

I suggest that our squad wasn't that great..made weaker by losing first teamers in the summer.. And that Duff massively over achieved with this lot ...from our 10-1 lost to Leeds the summer the writing's been on the wall..
But Collins mustgo to a back 4..we are not good enough to play 3 plus our midfielders are not the best at defending.. 4-4-2

 

A lot of people are pinning their hopes on Luca coming back.
Problem is we are also pinning our hopes on Collins getting the best out of him, Im nowhere near convinced he will

 

Our season and any success imho kind of revolves around getting Connell back and playing like he did last year. We still need someone else with physicality and the ability to get up and down quickly (more mobile). I would, in ideal world, sacrifice Benson and Russell to accommodate that player.
I am absolutely sure Collins sees what we do and the shortcomings of our squad. We need pace in the team...we have one decent striker and a defence just chucked together with promising hopefuls
.I think our coach thought Mcart would steady the back line but he looks poor. ....and we find ourselves overexposed against the good sides.

 

I'm with you alot of people pinning their hopes on one player coming back and changing the season are going to be disappointed. The ponderous possession based style reminds me of Lee Johnson.

 

I've been thinking about that a lot (likening him to jonno). I do believe like most coaches he has a style of play and believes in it.
This is third division football, you really don't need to be highly complicated to set out a decent squad with organization to win football matches at this level. Johnson overcomplicated it too much with his science and outlook, Collins undercomplicates it, with his tap around style.
I do believe Collins will be better with some better pace players and a more direct style. Johnson got out if jail with the arrival of Hamill...Collins may benefit from a couple of players of a similar standing (appreciate thats a big ask).
I want to give him more time and a better squad.

 

I think we have players good enough to be more than competitive at this level and when I go to a game I want to be excited and see something to get me off my seat. Last season we saw that this season the football just boring. I don't believe one player coming back will change much under the current style of play.

 

You miss the press? Absolutely. We were drip fed soundbites from the ownership that we identified a high tempo, pressing, attacking style and we would recruit coaches and players around that style

WTF happened?

If I wanted to watch crabs I'd go to Filey every other weekend.

 

When we beat Port Vale 7-0 I came on here and s I hadn't been excited by the game. Nowt changed much yet. As to one player, I assume you m ean Connell he showed more and shifted the impetus when he came on against Horsham. Our other midfielders are too ponderous on the ball but who knows Connell may invigorate them.

 

Maybe we miss Norwood more than you thought we would…

 

We don't press any more, people were on watters back after today but what did he have to feed off?

 

Callum Styles is the biggest myth at Barnsley Football Club.

I’m sorry but he’s just not very good. If anyone’s stupid enough to pay £1m+ then good luck to them. I’ve seen him have one good game this season & that’s it.

I’ve only ever seen him play well at wing back, I just don’t think he’s a central midfielder. He was shocking today.

I’m sure someone will reply telling me he’s good for Hungary but I can’t comment on that as I don’t watch them. I can only judge him on what I see at Barnsley & he’s nowhere near the standard required to be a top end league one / championship central midfielder

 

He's good for Hungary. (I didn't want to let you down).

 

This 100%. One of our most overrated players in many a year. Got zero fight in him when the going gets tough. Kane comes in for some stick but he left a big hole in that midfield today.

 

Spot on I think he is very overrated if I'm honest.

 

Even 7-0 at home I thought we were awful

 

Tbh you lost me at "he has a good squad of players for this league". He really, really doesn't. In fact I'd go as far as to say that collectively this whole bunch of 'defenders' are the worst I've seen in my time watching.

We have been carried by four players this season, Cole up front, Kane in midfield, Williams at the back and, especially, Roberts. We've lost Roberts for a while, had Kane suspended today, Williams has gone totally off it the last 3-4 games and even Cole is not where he was in the first couple of months of the season. It shows.

I get some of the 'dull ball' stuff but we are effectively playing with 4 central defenders, given where Russell usually positions himself, to compensate for the lack of ability at the back and yet still can't stop opposition attacks even with 4 against 1 or 4 against 2 - it's little wonder we are so outnumbered in other areas of the pitch and sometimes struggle to make headway. It also doesn't help that neither right-wing back can defend for toffee.

If Derby hadn't been playing Warne tippy-tappy stuff for the first half hour then we'd probably have lost by even more - as soon as teams realise we have a softer than soft centre they play it quickly down the middle or the channels between the centre backs and make merry.

It'll be great to have Connell back hopefully sometime soon but even then any opposition coach worth his salt is going to look at one video of us and know that all he needs to do is bypass midfield and throw balls at the heart of that oh-so-weak central defence.

 

Forget Connell coming back, I’m desperate to get Lopata and the keeper back. Watching this lot at the back is ******* terrifying.

 

Killip in goal has no presence whatsoever. Roberts is badly missed. We desperately need a no nonsense good old fashioned stopper at centre half too. Lopata is the nearest we have to that. The French lad has looked good against weaker opposition but got well bullied today by a physical and experienced Derby side. The full/wing backs on both sides have been awful last few weeks. McCart is terrible and Williams needs to be moved back to his natural position ASAP.
Apart from that we look pretty solid defensively….