2 more games

I think we've been very unlucky recently. Of the last 6 games, we've drawn two and lost 4, but, in my opinion, haven't deserved to lose any of them. Our overall play deserved victories against Cambridge, Reading and Bristol Rovers and draws against Wigan, Wrexham and Birmingham. Obviously, the stats in terms of results look bad, but we are good enough to get 4 wins and 2 draws out of the next 6 games.

 

I do not think Clarke should be sacked. I don't think it should even be discussed.

But I also think we should have more points on the board than we have at present.

This last handful of games, we've been worth a hell of a lot more than what we've ended up with. I don't think we're hitting par, I think we're a few strokes over, and I don't think it's a decent record. We should have scored more goals and got more points. But, crucially, I don't think that's Clarke's fault. Despite banging the drum on this, I don't think it's the recruitment team's fault either. We should have got a couple of strikers in, but the players we got in should have scored some of the very easy chances they've missed. I'd back myself at 52 to score a couple of them, at 21 I would have filled my boots. We're not doing as well as we should be because almost all our players are missing very, very easy chances. That's the problem at the moment.

 

McCarthy can't have felt very happy about it, but wasn't it down to a change of system to a 4-3-2 after they had taken the lead?

 

Was he involved in the player recruitment process once he arrived?

If so I'd question the following-

we have we got 1 recognised left wing back ( an inexperienced one at that) and no cover for him?

Who did the due diligence on Slonina?

O"Keefe Cotter and Lofthouse. 3 right wing backs. why?

Why are we overloaded with central midfielders?

Did we know at the time of his signing that Hourihane would call it a day as a player so soon in the season and is he being paid a players wage and a coaches wage?

Did all our transfer budget go on Keillor-Dunn?

 

Yeah but this garbage home record goes back a long time, before he/Clarke joined us.

 

https://x.com/barnsleyfcstats/status/1865449758078173679?s=46&t=j20zR706pmXrBtdI_7p-NQ

 

Thats interesting you say that. From a distance i find him like a Midlands Keith Hill. His interviews have a big hint of David Brent about them. Duff and Collins on the other hand i thought were extremely easy to warm to.

 

Some very good points there. Nwakali is clearly a class act, a class above any of our other midfielders, even though they have a fair degree of talent, which they show now and then. It is often said that you should never change a winning side, but Clarke seems not to want to change a losing one either.

 

Well, that's a worry. Worse than I thought.

 

Exactly what my son said today.

 

Whilst I agree with all that, and I don't want to see DC sacked, as I've stated elsewhere, I still think tactically (starting eleven, bench, substitutes and substitutions), even with the limitations he has to work with, he has to shoulder some of the blame.

 

Players really should be taking more responsibility as well, for their careless mistakes.
Its wrong that the Coach/Manager gets blamed, when they go missing clear cut chances up front, and giving the opposition clear cut chances at the back.
When was the last time that we took a 1 goal lead in a match. And we all actually felt confident that they would defend it well, and earn the win ?.
Its like we need to score at least 3 in games now, before we can start feeling confident like that.

 

For about 29 seconds today!

 

And that’s just the league games. Factor in defeats against Donny, Man United kids in the paint pot, and Bristol Rovers in the FA cup and it’s even worse.

 

As long as that ehh lol, it must be a record.

 

Your son is a very sensible lad.

 

Agree with all of this. Whilst I'd love us to be doing a bit better, I think anyone who expected a great deal more at this stage of this season was expecting too much.

If anything good is to come of the ridiculous decision to get rid of Collins in April, it has to be that we have a bit of patience with the next guy. Unless we finish bottom 8 this year, I'm OK with Clarke so long as the players look like they're playing for him, which they absolutely do.

January is shaping up to be important for the season. A couple of good signings (even if on loan) could tip the balance in a push for top 6. But it's a tough time to do business, so what I'd like to see is a signal that the scattergun approach to squad building isn't working, and for a few players to leave.

 

To be fair, I loved King Keith so maybe I’m not the best judge of character!

 

I loved Keith Hill but Clarke, especially these last couple of months, is 319374% less of a c.nt. I genuinely think he's a good fella & a good football manager.

 

I watched his interview earlier and Keith Hill sprang to mind too. Though I don't think he comes across as well as Hill did, despite a lack of attacks on the fan base.

He certainly doesn't strike me as a likeable bright clear minded thinker. But each to their own.