Barnsley vs Sheff Wed 4-2

Given we were bound to have a weaker defence this season, than last, it made it all the more important to make sure that we were not weaker in other areas.

I don't the know specifics of why Norwood left, but unfortunately, whoever was in charge of recruitment felt we'd be better off bringing in Watters, Dallas and Cosgrove, presumably based on some data analysis. Hopefully the use of a sporting director will help put some better scrutiny onto this data before we make these decisions.

 

Remove the back 3 and keeper of any team and renew in full, and you’ll see that team struggle for a while.

Thats where we are at currently. I don’t blame the club for the defence going, but I do think they could have done better with recruitment. Which they have admitted to the other week, and a new centre back is the priority.

Also, we don’t know who we tried to get in, and who didn’t want to come. As the club have rightly stated - players want to have to come to us, or we’ll not sign them. I agree with that.

January will answer a lot of questions for me.

As for Norwood - he wanted to go, and if he stayed, he blocks Jalo and Marsh whilst sitting on a big wage. Can’t have it both ways……

 

I get what you're saying but if we'd kept Norwood we wouldn't have signed Cosgrove I'd imagine.
Hope I'm wrong but I really don't see Marsh challenging for a place in the first team if I'm honest.

 

Given what he was rumoured to have been offered at Oldham, I disagree. We'd only just got free of Oulare, and are still paying Iseka. Had we offered him an improved deal, on a longer contract, and he didn't at least perform at the level he did last season, then it would have been a waste of money.

I don't disagree that the recruitment otherwise in that area of the pitch hasn't been great, though I'm confident Cosgrove will improve with more game time, and I think we're getting a lot out of McAtee now he's had a run of games.

 

True - but Cosgrove is a better player for me, and gives longevity. Just needs to find his form. And that’s why we probably didn’t pay Norwood more for longer - latter stages of his career.

Agree with Marsh, and to some extent I also think Jalo is some time away too from being established. He looked like a kid against men on Saturday at Charlton, not doubting him, but I do think there’ll be some teams where there’s no point playing him against.

 

Jalo would be better in a front 3 where he'd have more freedom.
Also think it suits him best to come on when the game is stretched like at Reading. It suits his pace better.
When a defence is sat in he's going to find it hard to make an impact.

 

Me neither. He’s shown a few bits of skill but not enough to push for regular match day squads. It’s a pity but there it is

 

We could do with spending a bit of brass (we aren't that skint surely) on a loan defender to steady the ship. Sollbauer/Long/McShane type