Matthew Craig

For me

Gaga - poor send back replace
Smith - one for future
Gent - good signing
Humphrys- good
DKD - for the money we paid jury still out
Nwakali - injured when we signed looked good little we have seen
Craig - i think hes a good player but not suited for us as similar to what connell offers. May aswell go.back.
Roberts - good
Conor - pointless

 

It's as much as what we didn't bring as what we did bring in.
No out and out number 9 despite repeatedly saying a striker was our top target and having best part of 6 months to prepare.
Gent being the only option to play at wingback being brought in and losing Cadden and Williams just smacks of a mend and make do approach.
We haven't owned a number 1 keeper since Collins 2.5 years ago, we've been lucky Killip has stepped up.
Squads massively inbalanced and top heavy in midfield and yet we signed 3 more in the summer.
Not sure why we signed a number 10 to then play him as a striker.

The whole thing just looked cobbled together on the back of a *** packet.

Big window in January, Clarke already making noises he wants activity and a big shake up, let's hope Mladen has done his homework and we're not chasing pointless or unobtainable targets for 30 days.

 

I ain’t holding mi breath we will sign an out n out striker this window mate.

 

I don't get why though? Yes he was supposed to be a bit part player, but why is he any different to just bringing a coach in? We claim we have the best midfield in the league and have better fringe and youth players before Hourihane. Why is he a pointless signing as a coach?? I dont get the hatred he's been getting.

 

Can't believe I forgot about DKD mate! Yes, I'd agree he's not impressed quite yet. Jury defnitely still out on him, especially considering the money we paid for him, which isn't a lot really, but it's a heck of a lot for us to spunk on 1 player.

 

What experience as a coach does he have?.....if he had never played for us he would never be here

 

I haven't seen much improvement in our set pieces.

 

It’s not hatred at all, get a grip man, it is the fact that he’s been a virtual non event as a signing, surely you can see that?

 

Me either, it's not the window historically for large wholesale changes

 

Two of us driving down. We’ve still got a good away record, albeit against mostly poor teams, so I’m hanging on to that, in the absence of anything more positive.

All we can hope for is that we’re on the front foot and don’t invite too much pressure onto our weakened defence.

COYR!!

 

Bizarre to me that people are so worked up about the Conor signing. It was explicitly clear in his signing video that his focus would be upon coaching and he was looking towards the next chapter in his career.

 

I use hatred colloquially. Is every coach we sign a non-event then? We have no idea what's happened or why he isn't playing. If it's Clarke's choice not use him and he really likes him as a coach, should the club force Clarke to play him? In his little cameos this season he's been very poor, albeit as I say, in a very short amount of minutes.

People acting as though he'll be on huge wages and he really won't be.

 

I agree, I thought he'd play more but that's before the signings of Nwakali & Craig, and wasn't sure whether Vimal would play. I also thought we'd lose 1 of Connell or Phillips, and with Kane leaving too, I figured he would get game time. Clearly that's not the route we've gone down though, and so he's been utilised as a coach, in which if it's true he's the set piece coach, I think he's doing a good job. We don't always get the execution right but we've had some really good efforts at changing up play.

 

It’s never easy down there. Think we lost under Duff didn’t we, after the initial postponement. And nicked a win in the last minutes last year.

I think Doug (Chronicle) called it right today. It’s about getting through the next handful of games with as little damage as possible. Already three wins behind where we were the last couple of seasons, in poor form, injuries biting. Let’s be hard to beat and reassess post-Wrexham.

Safe trip tomorrow bud.

 

Slonina - Send him back he's too costly with the goals he's at blame for, can't keep a clean sheet and hates to catch the ball.

Smith - No idea because we won't play him.

Gent - Looks OK but it's his first proper season of Football. Scottish Football doesn't count.

Humphrys - Looks better off the bench rather than starting, but a good freebie. We got him in the building far too late so he was playing catch up.

DKD - Looking poor value for money so far.

Nwakali - Barely played any minutes yet and can't buy a start. Probably play tomorrow only because of a suspension, otherwise he would have been on the bench again.

Craig - Not up to League 1 standard and needs to be sent away.

Roberts - Alright freebie.

Conor - Getting a salary from two job titles, but only doing one of them. Poor return.

So of nine signings there has only been Marc Roberts who we got signed up in good time, is a first team regular and playing consistently.

 

All these folk saying CH was bad business

Ok, we hoped he may add something on the playing side, but we also all knew he’s not the player he was - we’ve all witnessed it.

However, we’ve signed a passionate coach, well experienced, good at set pieces and loves/cares about the club.

Sorry, we should be glad to have him involved - he had plenty of options elsewhere but came where his heart is. To get someone in any job who cares for his work is a real gift and should be welcomed.

 

How do you know this please? I've only ever read about 2 player/coaches who spoke about their salaries and both of them only got paid for one job. It's like the old pay-as-you-play contracts. I'd bet my last penny Hourihane isn't picking up two wages and it's just something people make up from thin air to help their agenda. Though I have no idea. Nor do you. I imagine he'll be on roughly the same wages as the other coaches & maybe we're even paying his coaching badges, and whenever he does ever play, he'll get a bonus or something like that. Still though, I have no idea

 

Cheers mate. I don’t know how I managed to post that on this thread? It was meant to be a reply to the Exeter one

@admin could you move it for me please?

 

The manager repeated over and over that he needed strikers. We didn't sign any meaning that we now play with a wide man and an attacking midfielder up front and have the option of Sam ******* Cosgrove as backup. A man who's career at Barnsley is summed up by him shoving a keeper over

He is responsible for the philosophy and tactics we play and signed players to play them. That means that we are very one dimensional with absolutely zero plan b because we didn't bother to sign anyone with ANY variation to their skills at all. We don't have a single midfielder capable of putting a challenge in and grabbing a game by the scruff of the neck, all we have is 27 pretty footballers who can stand still and pass a nice ball. That's great but we don't need about 10 of them

 

There's a difference between picking up two separate wages which he clearly isn't and getting paid for having multiple job roles which he will absolutely be getting or he's an idiot.