I’m picking someone up from Manchester airport at 10.25am on the Sunday we play L**ds. Would you mind putting the game back a half hour to make sure I get to the kick off. I’m happy to send down a mix tape to keep my fellow supporters entertained until I get there.
Given that mathematical physicist, Roger Penrose, has come up with a theory whereby there is an infinite number of periodic big bangs which means that, despite death, you could exist again, can you explain why in this universe we carry on selling our best players in the latest transfer window?
Robert Zuk How do you determine whether the academy represents good value for money over the long term? In the long term, our present owners will wish to realise their investment in Barnsley FC. Is it true that the only way that they can do so is by selling the club on. Patrick Cryne took great care to find responsible new owners. Did he build anything into the sale agreement that would ensure our new owners will take the same care when they sell on? Have the new owners put anything into the business, or is their investment confined to the money that was paid to Patrick Cryne?
Given that investment in the academy is not classed in FFP rules, and given the owners stated aims to invest in young players, when can we expect the academy to be upgraded to tier 1?
For DS - Isn't it dangerous (in terms of opponents knowledge) to tell the press that we are going to play a passing from the back game, and this won't change. Doesn't it give the opposition the upper hand ? Also, Is it acceptable for a professional footballer to be so predominantly one footed, that they elect not to use their "weaker foot" (as suggested re Conor Chaplin) vs Carliisle ?
I have seen us beat, and comprehensively outplay, on multiple occasions against most clubs on the following list: Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle, West Ham, Aston Villa, Norwich, Wolves, Leicester, Southampton, Brighton, Burnley, Bournemouth, Sheff Utd, Crystal Palace, Watford, Leeds, Sheff Wednesday, QPR, WBA, Derby, Nottingham Forest, Swansea, Birmingham, Middlesbrough, Stoke, Huddersfield, Blackburn, Bristol City, Fulham, Hull, Brentford, Preston, Millwall, Reading, Luton, Wigan, Cardiff, and, other than Everton (against whom we've been very unfortunate a number of times) and Arsenal, any other English professional club you care to mention. I saw us promoted to our current division in '81 and not leave it until '97, and we went out of the top, not the bottom. I've seen us in the Premier League, I've seen us at both stadiums in Wembley, at the national stadium in Cardiff, I've seen us win the EFL Trophy, in the semi-final of the FA Cup and the quarter final of the League Cup. And I'm not that old, we had 90 years of history behind us before I started watching. Historically we're FA Cup winners and we've spent longer in our current division than any other club. Considering our great past, don't you think it's a little condescending to claim that losing a 'keeper with the record number of clean sheets for the club, selling our two centre halves, who helped us become the meanest defence in the football league, one of whom was pretty damn special, as well as selling our top goal scorer, then replacing them with kids, constitutes our most successful summer transfer activity in our history? I hope that you're right, but wait until the end of the season, and if we are successful shout it as loud and as proud as you possibly can. In the meantime, give the club and those that came before you a little respect. We've punched above our weight for well over a century and there are plenty to whom you owe deference for building what you have taken on.
To DS What were your half time instructions to the team against Sheffield Wednesday? Did the team follow them ? Have you heard of Nigel Spackman ?
If a horse and a bull were to have a fight which one would win? Have you ever seen a baby pigeon? Who picks up guide dog's poo? Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near?
For me a big concern is who we are losing players to. I don’t think anyone is surprised when we lose players to a club like Stoke with a much bigger fan base who are receiving parachute payments but can we expect to compete financially with clubs like Preston, Wigan & Brentford in the near future? It’s a massive blow losing your best players to clubs who are only getting similar crowds to ourselves. Do the owners accept at some point that they will have to invest money of their own rather than reinvesting what the club makes on transfers if the talk of trying to make the premier league is serious? I don’t expect the owners to throw money down the drain but Preston have pushed close to the play offs in recent years with the owners putting in £4m a season of their own money to try & make the top 6. Or do the owners believe that the current strategy can produce a top 6 side eventually?