DC Post match

I agreed with every single word of that interview with Darrell. FINALLY! a manager who says it as it is! At least now we know that he can see the deficiencies in our game, he can try and address them.

How many managers have we had that would just lie straight down the camera lens and say we were really good, played well, or unlucky?

We don't want that nonsense, just speak the truth. He'll be successful here, I can feel it.

 

He's got pace. Pace scares defenders. They don't know how easy he is shugged off the ball.

 

This is what a summary should sound like, true to what happened on the pitch.

One of the big things last season, Collins put too much emphasis on us for instance not breaking down teams but never did owt about it.

Clarke IMHO see what the majority of supporters see and rightly critical even though we ended up with 3 points. If we reach his standards, I will be a very happy supporter.

 

If there was a right time to sack Neil last season, it should have been done then. For example, I was thinking it after losing away at Stevenage.
Definitely not though, after our penultimate league game, and with one game to go, and with us still hanging on to a Play off place.
And then the fans quite rightly ask, if the owners even have a clue what they are doing!.

 

I think that's a fair assessment. Although at the time I thought bringing Russell and Marsh on were both the right moves. I thought we needed more control in midfield, because Connell and Phillips were both having an off-day. And I thought that having Marsh's pace would help us when counter attacking. In hindsight DC should have probably taken one of Connell or Phillips off, but I can certainly understand why you'd leave both of them on, and Phillips proved that with a sublime through ball to Cotter which should have probably brought a 3rd goal. Interestingly we lost our momentum against Mansfield when Matty Craig went off as well. It looks like he's pretty vital to our shape and cohesion.

 

I could only see the first 45, I understand things went downhill a bit after that. But I quite enjoyed the first half, defence looked better than last year with Craig in front of it, he is making quite a difference. It's always been clear to me we needed a good defensive midfielder.

MDG still has more than one error in him, makes me nervous.

The strikers did what they could, chasing loose balls and closing down, but were just feeding off scraps, because we were getting pressed and closed down in midfield and didn't have tbe creativity down the wings to spread the play a bit. I thought Lincoln's physicality and pressing in midfield was better than ours.

But Lincoln are a strong team at this level, lots of physical threat and pressing, so we can't have it all our own way.

 

Very good observation. I was surprised at the subs which weren't needed IMHO

 

Thing is, what do we actually want, a manager like last season who just stood and watched a lot of the time? Or one who tries to improve our performance during the game?
Alright by all accounts his subs didn't work out as he hoped this time ( they did in the first game) but you can bet your life he would have also got some stick if he hadn't tried to sort things.

 

Fair point but I can see why he made them. I never felt like we were fully in control because we weren’t playing any football and kept giving the ball away. The pressure was bound to come because of it regardless of the subs.

There was one moment in the 2nd half where we had the ball about 25-30 yards from goal, played it back into midfield, back again to Pines who then pass it to the keeper. It was then hoofed upfield and we lost it. That typified what was happening.

He must of thought Russell may have kept the ball better - he didn’t. He must’ve felt Marsh’s fresh legs would have had an effect - it didn’t.

I was sat there at one point and checked who was on the bench. There just looked so few options to go with other than changing defenders or wingbacks. We have very few options up front which we need to address. But for saying we seem to have so many midfielders on the books where were they?

 

I didn’t think things needed sorting. We were 2-0 up and under no pressure. After the subs we were under constant pressure.

 

I hope we disintegrate to a similar score next week

 

As long as the manager/coach tells the truth and doesn't hide behind platitudes and spin then he'll have my backing, I've just listened to the interview and was pleasantly surprised to hear him tell it as it is, this not only negates the supporter's frustrations but more importantly sends a message to the players that he will not tolerate substandard performances.
The hope now of course is that the owners back him, this next 10 days are massively important not just for Darrell Clarke, but, for everyone connected to Barnsley FC.

 

We had a brilliant record last season of getting results after subs were made.

 

Yeah, weren't we one of the best teams in the entire English league for points gained after substitutions or something? And second half goals and coming back from behind. Although that was our fault for conceding.