WBA

I agree we shouldn’t think we’re bigger than what we are, but Pearson wasn’t great for us at the time and neither was Elliott Lee, who dropped down into the national league with Wrexham. Am I right in thinking we had Pinnock & Lindsay as centre backs when we released Pearson, and he’d only played one season at championship level when he left us?

 

Remember Mowatt's debut (home against Wolverhampton), and that shocking red card challenge.
Our fans joked then, that he must have thought he was still playing for Leeds lol.
I was a fan of his in the Val season, when he gave us his best time as a player.
But he was always going, even if we had gone up to the Prem for half a season, he wouldn't have stayed here.

 

What, you mean parachute money from an ex premier club? What some history that may draw a player? Stop this thing about Barnsley being something they aren't. I'm 61 and Illey Out

 

That’s the worst thing supporting a club like ours mate. As soon as they’re up to a standard that you really look forward to watching them play, their days are numbered.

 

Yeah I know, and its the same with managers.
Again, I think that even if we had won promotion through those Play offs, Val (and Duff as well) would still have gone.

 

I'm not sure Val or Mowatt would have left mate. I think if other clubs in prem or elite league wanted Val he would have, been not sure if he would have dropped to championship straight away had we been promoted. And I actually think Mowatt definitely would have stayed... right up until we got relegated

 

I don’t want to get into an argument you’re having with someone else pal, and I haven’t said anything about Barnsley being something they’re not. I’ve just tried to suggest why I think Hudds were in a position to try poach our manager, if anything I’m agreeing with you, we’re not a big club.

 

Ive always thought Mowatt had made it clear to us that he wasn't staying.
Whether he got the big club offers he was hoping for though, I'm not sure.
It must have helped him choose West Brom though, with Val also going there.
But I don't think their fans took to either of them, not to begin with.

 

Yes I agree with you about their fans mate. They really didn't like Val, and Mowatt has certainly worked his way into being liked by them because i remember him getting a bit of stick early on, but just like when he was here, after a slow start, turned into a great player

 

Pearson was just unlucky with the timing really.

We had two centre backs who were proven for us in McDonald & Jackson & two new ones for the left sided centre back slot in Lindsay & Pinnock so he was always going to struggle to get a start.

I think he played more at right back than centre back as McCarthy struggled a bit & Yiadom had a knackered shoulder.

If he’d signed at a different time or one of the other deals fell through I think he could’ve easily still been with us now as he’s a Yorkshire lad but understandably wanted to play week in, week out.

 

It was never confirmed but I think all logic said that the only way we kept Mowatt was to get promoted to the premier league as without we wouldn’t get near to offering him the wages that the bigger teams in the league could.

 

Sadly though Frog I associate Mowatt's arrival here, with the very poor time when it all started to fall apart, under Hecky.
When he basically thought sod it, almost as a middle finger gesture to the owner.