A few observations on being beaten by a better team

That is the first thing that has to be understood. We were beaten by a team better than us in all departments. Given their recent history and better budget situation it's not really surprising. I didn't go to the JPT game but I would assume that either we played a heck of a lot better than yesterday, or they weren't really bothered about it. Maybe a bit of both of those things are true.

Yesterday though was another in our long running series of defeats this season. It wasn't another Fleetwood, or Crewe, or Port Vale type defeat though. It was a comprehensive beating by a team who were expected to be in the top six all season and will, in all probability, end up promoted in May. The phrase "like a knife through butter" applied to most of their attacks. Let's face it, they made it look easy. Maybe that was our poor defending or their quicker thought processes. Either way, after the opening ten minutes, that game had only one winner.

We were surprisingly well on top during that opening ten minutes and could, and should, have scored at least once. There's one good reason why we didn't though - we didn't give their 41 year old goalkeeper anything to do. Headers from Toney and Winnall were about the closest we got in the first half but both went over the bar. Their keeper barely got warmed up. Maybe that was why he was reluctant to kick long throughout - he played virtually every goal kick to the edge of the area and we didn't have the speed or know how to stop him finding a defender with time to turn and play it upfield at leisure.

For all our early pressing we gave the first goal away and how many times is this going to happen this season? Some have criticised White for his positioning but I'd rather give him the benefit of the doubt and say that their move was just too slick and quick for us to do anything about it. True, their player was alone in the box when he curled it in, but it was beautifully made.

Contrast that to their second goal though - what a complete and utter shambles we were for that. Jääskeläinen, just for a change, decided to launch it upfield. Kevin Long collided with their man and the ball ran loose, seemingly for an easy clearance by Nyatanga. Instead he literally stood back and watched their man pick it up with Davies unconvincingly coming out to make the clearance. Whose fault was it? Have to say our experienced Welsh international defender was favourite but he left it, and two seconds later it was 0-2 and game over.

Aidy White correctly got the MoM award, but I would say that was only for his forward runs. He and Hammill linked well, again, but he is not the strong defender that we need. Neither is Wabara on the other side.

Our midfield were completely over run, as you would expect given the personnel we have against their greater skills and numbers. Pearson played another of his average to nondescript games and Hourihane could barely land a cross on target. When he decided to shoot he sent one weakly wide and another, a free kick, fizzed just over. Watkins gave yet another poor performance to add to his many others (how does he keep getting picked?) while Hammill had perhaps his worst game for us. The problem now though, with him, is that he is being found out and is bound to be less effective against defenders who double or treble up on him. Sure he got through a couple of times and got crosses in, but it was his least effective game for us so far.

Toney and Winnall were, pretty much, a waste of space - both of them. Having scored two lately Toney should have been buzzing around the area looking for another one. He's young though, like plenty more around him, and Wigan gave him no joy. Winnall had a shocker and that miss towards the end summed it up. Williams laid it on a plate for him but he needed an extra touch instead of burying it. Credit their defender with getting there to block it but it should have been flying towards goal before the tackle came in.

Jackson came on with too little time to make an impact. Ryan Williams though came on and showed us something of his form of last season but, again, he had too little time. It was clear as day that Watkins was off form (again) so he should have made way at half time for Williams. The Aussie looked fit and eager and scored a peach of a goal. Unfortunately he was fractionally offside when he ran on to it. His passing was quick and incisive and he looked interested again. He needs to start at Bury, definitely.

Nothing else to say really except to comment on the crowd. It was a very, very quiet Oakwell again for most of the match and when they scored in the first half there was an air of inevitability about it. I would hate to admit that both crowd and team know when they are beaten but that is the way it looks right now. We seemed to have started a little run of good results but then SLAP - back down they go!

Whether a change in management will make a difference is hard to tell. Maybe Burton and Heckingbottom, aided by the spectre in the corner with ginger hair, will take over and give us a decent run of results to at least take the pressure off. I stick by my season-long prediction that we will NOT go down, but things need to change, and soon.

 

bloody hell....when the happy clappers like PoR want a change....things must be bad!

but PoR is correct....change is needed.......and NOW

hth

 

The problem with the crowd is we all know that Johnson can't change a game. You know the games gone when the other team score first.

It's hard to get behind them when you feel defeat is inevitable

 

Agree with all of that, excellent summary of the game just as i saw it.

Although i have watched Williams goal at least a dozen times and am erring to him being just being onside, to me it looks like the central defender in the middle is playing him on. I have tried to freeze frame the action and the central defenders shadow is nearer the goal than the other players!

 

Thanks for your comment. I thought yesterday he was onside as well, from my seat in the ESL. I thought his speed had given him the advantage and it was a great finish. Our only shot on target I think! Not saying he would have been the difference between us winning or losing but I would certainly like to have seen him get at least the whole of the second half.

 

Im sick of hearing about teams with higher budgets and teams expected to be in top six

We have one of the highest budgets in the league, we were favorites at start of season to be in top six.

Just compare Wigans squad to ours, how many loan players have they and how many are there own players.
They have experiance where you need it.

They have a Manager/Head coach who believes in his players.

Change is needed and needed now. We will struggle to find experiance in January, The whole summer transfer policy was wrong and now BARNSLEY FC ,MY TEAM,OUR TEAM, ARE PROPER FECKED. All due to the wrong approach in the summer.

 

Well actually Wigan had 4 Loans in their squad yesterday! Donald Love, Alex Revell, Jordy Hiwula and Yanic Wildschut (Goal scorer!!). Also they have Francisco Junior on loan from Everton who is currently injured. They also let another loan return to his parent club earlier in the week. So it appears clubs with bigger budgets than ours also have to take loans as well!!

 

Good read Mr Prince

 

Exactly this. In the first 5-10 minutes yesterday the crowd were vocally supporting the team as they started quickly, put in a few dangerous balls and made a few good runs. But then Wigan came down the other end, had a similar spell of pressure and took their chance where we didn't. And, as usual, our players heads dropped and there was no serious spell of pressure from us after that. Nearly every home game since we beat Gillingham on 26th September has followed a similar pattern, 95th minute equaliser vs the Blunts aside.

As you say, how can anyone be enthusiastic when we all know how the game is going to pan out?

 

Just had some help from no1 son, here is freeze frame

 

Very unlucky to get flagged for that but it's not an exact science. Some you get away with, some you don't

 

So four compared to the i believe eight maybe 9, we have or had and have returned to their parent club.