I keep reading that teams found us out.We lost 14 games all season and part of those were in the first 7 games.Teams knew how we played but in my view very few found us out.
I just think we had the ability to steam roller any team that wasn't 100 per cent on it. Regardless of where they were in the table. I don't think we were sussed out. If we lost the opposition were genuinely better. We put in a shift all season.
I think the way to beat us was plain to see by many coaches. Some wouldn't change their way of playing. Of those that did, not many were successful.
I think all teams “styles” are known by the opposition and some teams changed their way of playing to stifle ours - thinking Derby, Brum, Millwall and we won 4 and drew 2 versus them (Millwall before Val took over). Then there were teams that played their usual style - Norwich, Brentford, Watford who all had enough quality to take points off us but we still managed to win 2 and Draw 1 against those 3 sides. The rest I don’t think particularly changed styles and for the most part we were able to overcome them even when playing poorly e.g. Rotherham I guess after 46 games you end up where you deserve and we were the 5th best. We lost out by 1 goal to the team in 4th so I guess it’s gone with form over the season. I do think Swansea, unfortunately, were the only team in the division who could mix the style of play and have the required quality to beat us
It was a massive compliment to Barnsley that many opposing teams changed their natural style of play in an effort to counteract the way we play. They knew that if they played their normal style against us they would lose. My concern, had we been promoted, I'm not confident we would have been successful with our game against quality Premier League opposition.
So you do agree that some teams did then? I imagine people are referring to games towards the end of the season. Derby, Wednesday, Preston, Coventry all got results by nullifying our threat an and pretty much playing us at our own game. And of course Swansea, who for me did the biggest job on us of the lot. I agree very few did. But they did, nonetheless, and did it doing pretty much the same thing.
Maybe not, but with the war chest that would have come with it, I'd have loved to see what our spreadsheet unearthed with millions behind it. That would have been a hell of a ride in the top division
I agree with the examples apart from Wednesday we had a legit goal disallowed, the scored from shocking defending and calum styles getting caught in possession in his own half tripping over the football and putting Wednesday through on goal. We had enough chances to win 2 games, just one of those games. As for been found out every team knew what to expect but we still went on a great run 2nd half of the season. The style of play will alway be a difficult one to play against.
The thing most teams who got success tried to exploit was the high line we play by playing balls over the top for the strikers to latch onto collins did a great job at sweeping up and in neither of the play off games we conceded a goal that way.
I don’t think we were found out , more just came up short on the goals front. With our style of play we needed to take advantage of more chances while we were pressing hard, ideally from different players making it harder for the opposition to judge.
Found out is the wrong phrase imo . Teams looked at how we played and tried different tactics just as they have done every team they come up against . Some tactics on the day were good enough to stop us and draw with us or beat us but on another those same tactics may have won through. Like all tactics there’s the basics to which you set out your team then theirs the tweaks to add for different teams and individuals . Being found out means your tactics are obsolete or becoming ineffective which isn’t the case with any tactics in my opinion it’s just finding the personnel to carry them out and adapting if some players aren’t as effective on the day either off days or coming up against a stubborn marker etc
Not sure they did tbh we created plenty of chances even against them . I’d say Rotherham at home where we were made ineffective Maybe Coventry away as well
I thought swansea were the better side in both league games. In the play off game they put there chances away we didn't. Heliks header, Britain's sitter, Morris hit cross bar, the through balls for woodrow were is pace let him down and woodman got there 1st, Morris free header 2nd game. Small margins they took there chances we needed two many chances to convert.