I came home today feeling utter dejection and angered. I stayed until after the full time whistle to make sure of the Lincoln score only for a kid who has sat at the side of me talking me on the shoulder feeling over the moon. I asked him why he was so happy and he replied "cos we've made playoffs". I then said to the kid that this should have been nailed around 3 or 4 games ago and said that I was disappointed in us as we have severely limped downwards into 6th and only 2x teams below us not winning has kept us in. We couldn't beat a team that wasn't interested today until the last 10 minutes. I apologised for not getting as excited as him. I then looked down at the lower ponty towards the east stand with around 40 or 50 people jumping up and down. I had no excitement in me at all. A solemn numbness to it all. I felt so disappointed with today and honestly thought we'd had a massive escape. Don't get me wrong, a team over 46 games deserves to finish wherever they end up. We've obviously accumulated enough points to cross the line. I will be there on Friday with new hope as it's a clean slate. 2x cup finals then hopefully another. The one thing we need tho from now is to "believe". I don't think this comes with the current setup so I'm hoping we have a fresh manager in with a fresh start.
I think this shows how as adults we tend to over complicate things with life experience and knowledge, of how things aren't black and white and how much grey there is in the world. Yes we've achieved what many in our fan base thought wasn't possible at the start of the season, but we achieved it with boring football and we've achieved it by dropping from 3rd to 6th and whimpering into the post season competition. But through a child's eyes we've simply finished in the play off potions, we have a chance to go to Wembley and another chance to get promotion, it is simply that black and white for them. There's beauty in childish simplicity and I think it's a shame that simplicity gets snatched away in adulthood.
Is it Collins and his football that has left fans feeling this way? If so the board took action and sacked him, so hopefully we can look forward to the playoffs and see how it pans out.
It’s been such a bad end to the season. 2-0 up against Bolton, with a breath of fresh air in Pines and I thought we might just do it.
It sounds really strange to say it as we’re in the play offs with a chance of promotion, but to me it’s been one of the worst seasons to watch I can remember. Desperately hoping we do it though..
I feel totally dejected. We're 5/1 4th favourites for the play offs and rightly so. If we lose out to Bolton then I'd like Oxford to win it. Got family connections down there and they seem like a decent club.
I know there's been some comments that we're not ready to go up and that we'd get smashed in the championship but let's cross that bridge when we come to it. If we don't go up this season, then IMO, on paper, it's going to be a much stronger league 1 next season: Stockport Wrexham Rotherham Huddersfield Birmingham (I think they will finish third bottom in the championship). Reading Wigan I've listed 7 teams but excluded those teams who are unsuccessful in this season's L1 play offs. Appreciate some teams may not do as well as predicted but it just feels like it could be a lot tougher division next season!
Walking through the East concourse, the car park and Oakwell Lane you'd have just thought we'd been to a funeral. Sooooo different to years before.
Hid my scarf on the train home in case anyone asked me who I support. Didn't fancy getting into any conversations. On the way up I had a chat with some Blue Noses on their way to Huddersfield had a good laugh.
Here we go.. been waiting for these 'if it's still 5'hit we can still blame Collins posts' .. Tell Devaney instead of trying to rev the crowd up.. try it with the players.. the crowd is just a mirror of what they see
Whilst I don’t blame Collins completely, D D does have a point - I know I’ve had the life drained out of me as a supporter. It wasn’t all Collins’ doing, he only had the hand of cards he was dealt and it wasn’t the greatest. But his approach was turgid and those who regularly attend the home games will all be feeling that. As it is, assuming the other results went the same way, we’d have got into the playoffs yesterday even in defeat, so sacking Collins hasn’t achieved anything - yet. I’m not confident going into the games v Bolton but we’ve been more than a match for them this season, nothing is granted, and whilst we’re second favourites in the tie it wouldn’t be a huge shock (to people outside of Barnsley at least) for us to progress. I would have given us almost no chance under Collins as I really felt the side was struggling under him. Under disco or a new coach? A slightly increased chance. So it’s possible even if not massively likely. We saw yesterday you can’t change much in a few days, the first half was moderately altered and arguably slightly improved on recent weeks but the second half was what we’ve seen all season - another week with someone else might get more positivity, as will the fact we are in the playoffs in the first place. We could get through. Then it’s a cup final and it’s about who turns up on the day. We’ve had more bad days than the other sides recently - but on a good day, if both teams turn up, I’d fancy us at Wembley against Oxford or Peterborough. The trouble is I can’t remember the last time we did actually turn up. First hour v bolton at home probably.