The issue is obvious

We are the league's 3rd highest scorers.
We have conceded more goals than anyone in the top 12.
Our defence has been problematic all season, which makes me wonder why we let defenders go out on loan.
I think bringing Pines in was intended to solve this problem and it looked a great signing. Then he got injured, I think if he'd stayed fit we would look far more comfortable with his commanding presence.
Trouble is we have to go with what we've got and it doesn't bode well.
Next season whichever league we're in we need to build a team around him

 

This is something people forget.
O'Keeffe, cotter, Williams, mdg, pines, lopata, earl, McCart, shepherd, McCarthy. I've probably missed some but that's 10 defenders we've had available this season and they still haven't got a clue what the best lineup at the back is

 

I agree with the defensive point.

Given Cole & McAtee will leave, who do you play with Jalo up top? We are totally threadbare as a squad. I pray we don't get Cosgrove back on loan. God knows what Watters is doing. Shaw & Dallas have not even done Debbie.

 

Got some bad news for you mate, Cosgrove was a permanent signing.

 

I've got bad news for you. Cosgrove is our player for another year

 

Big personality though he is, I saw nothing to suggest he is anything to build a team around.

 

OMG.

 

L1

 

The defenders mentioned above plus cosgrove/watters/shaw/dallas as attacking options is horrendous

 

The defence isn't good enough, simple as. We've yet to see enough of Pines to judge. I can't see us getting past Bolton so it will be a complete rebuild in the summer, not what we want - it could be years in this league if we don't bounce straight back up.

 

We need to abandon the everyone back for corners and set-pieces tactic. It isn’t working for us and we’re certainly not comfortable with it. I know there’s stats that show we don’t concede many goals from these, but those stats don’t show how many times opponents get the first and second balls even though they don’t score. Just 1 player left further up the field makes all the diffdrence

 

I have been watching Barnsley nearly 50 yrs and and I can't remember our centre half's being so poor.
We can't defend corners or set pieces what the f is this zonal marking all about .
Just man mark

 

Cut and pasted from sonewhere ...
Throughout all of Arsene Wenger’s time at Arsenal, they had one of the worst defensive records from corners in the league, due to their usage of zonal marking.

 

at least 6 of them are not good enough for this league.

 

They also went 49 games unbeaten one time..won three Premiership titles and 7 FA Cups.

 

I've been watching the Reds even longer than you, and I am in total agreement with you. Historically, centre-backs have often been our main strength. We have no commanding presence in central defence. In very recent times, Mawson and Roberts, Pinnock and Lindsay, Helik and Andersen have been excellent for us. Now, we look a complete shambles at the back and repeatedly get outmuscled by opposition strikers.

 

Was John Saunders this bad ?

 

easy misconception that defending is only done by defenders, it's done by every outfield player, defending starts at the forwards pressing their defence. On corner kicks and set pieces forwards and midfielders have to defend too, you can train very very ordinary players how to be good defending it relies on everyone doing their job and everyone being in an organised position to defend space, unless you have a guy getting done one on one over and over it isn't an individual problem

 

No because he had Macca at his side.

 

They did, but I'm not on about that.
If a team with top class defenders can't defend corners due to zonal marking what chance have we got?