Academy Report 1/11/08

Barnsley (1) 2 v Sheffield Wednesday (1) 1
4:4:1:1 4:4:2

Sorry, there were no teamsheets again, so no Wednesday names.

Barnsley Team:

1. Danny Free (yr 2)
2. Martin Grundy (yr2)(14. Michael Tieman (yr1) 52 minutes)
3. Kieran Scargill (yr1)
4. Connor Branson (yr1)
5. Shawn Reid (Trial)
6. Tyrone Crapper (yr1)
7. Alastair Taylor (yr1)
8. Hibbert (Trial)
9. Steven Bennett (yr1)(15. Reuben Lazarus (U16) 66 minutes)
10. Jamil Adam (yr2)
11. Tom Mellor (yr2)(16. Jack Watts (Yr2) 52 minutes)

Unused Subs
12. Daniel Fearnehough (yr1)
13. Liam Reffin (yr1)

Although Barnsley have not had a great start to their season, they have accumulated 8 points compared to a winless 3 points for Wednesday. If they were expecting an easy win, they would be disappointed. After his meteoric rise, it was surprising to see Reuben Noble-Lazarus start from the bench.

The Reds got off to the best possible start when Adam scored after just 2 minutes. Taylor played in a short pass from the right. Bennett laid it off into the path of Adam who hit it from the edge of the box past the keepers right hand and into the top corner. We sat back and waited for more but as both sides entrenched, chances were rare. Both sides were restricted to long range efforts and it looked as if there would be no further scores before half time. Then Wednesday struck for the equaliser. They won a free kick 40 yards out and fairly central. As the kick was being taken, Hibbert ambled forward and was less than 10 yards away when he blocked the kick. After a referee's lecture, the kick was retaken from 10 yards closer. A hastily assembled 2 man wall was insufficient and the ball was driven low past Free's right hand for the equaliser. The Reds woke up and Hibbert hit the Wednesday post after a good run. He repeated the feat with a shot that was half blocked 5 minutes later, but at half time the teams went in level.

Barnsley re-established control after the break, not without the ocassional alarm. However, the winner did not arrive until 75 minutes. Adam sent over a free kick from the left that was met by Branson's head at the edge of the box. The header was partially blocked and the bouncing ball meant chaos in the heart of the Wednesday defence. Reid swung a foot at the ball and missed and Wednesday half cleared to the left where Hibbert turned an struck a sweet low shot across the keeper into the opposite corner. There was still time for the ref to award an indirect freekick to Wednesday 9 yards from the Reds goal after Free comically picked up a back pass. The comedy continued to the final whistle as an injured Wednesday player hauled himself gingerly to his feet, only to be hit by a full blooded clearance by a teammate and put right back down again.

Hibbert and Adam played well in patches, as the same could be said for wingers Taylor and Mellor. Bennett held the ball up and laid the ball off bringing Adam into the game, but for me the player most at the heart of the action was Reid who as well as his own defensive duties found time to help out those around him who were struggling. Mention should also go to Michael Tieman who played his first 40 minutes of academy football at right full back and who has a prodigious throw for a 16 year old.

 

Easing lazarus off a bit. Adam getting close to 1st team involvement. Top report as always

 

Think that's a fair assessment of the game and I agree with your choice of motm. With Branson having his full squad available again, there will be competition for places all over the pitch except at centre half, where his son plays. Based on today's team, Grundy must be concerned about his future at right back with Tieman replacing him early in the second half when he had done nothing wrong! Watts must wonder what he has to do to start a game! Lazerus may wonder why Davey can select him for the first team but Branson has him on the bench for the academy! Fearneough must wonder how Branson can select Crapper and Hibbert ahead of him in midfield and Reffin must wonder if he will ever kick a ball! I wonder if Branson has the ability to recognise and nurture the right talents within his squad?

 

again a fine report nt

 

You go to the games a quess so give us your slant on the players in the academy and what players would you pick and why?

 

Looking back at red rains reports it seems its not only branon who plays every game?

 

<font size="2">Rodwell is a typical Wenger target &mdash; athletic, comfortable on the ball and versatile. from News of the World
</font>
<font size="1">How many players at the academy have have the same quality or are they all one dimensional ?</font>

 

re You go to the games a quess so give us your slant on the players in the academy and what players would you pick and why?

I wouldn't want to do this as I only see the boys when they are playing in Yorkshire. I do not see them in training each day and I am unaware of their attitude which is important.
There are players who play every game and that isn't a problem for me if they have earned their place. If they have not earned it, then it only serves to highlight their weaknesses with the extra exposure on the pitch. I believe this has happened with several players who's limits have been exposed. I am unsure if Branson can see this or chooses not to act upon it?
The limited number of professional contracts traditionally available at Barnsley affects all the players across the team and not just the centre half. Branson may have been wiser moving away from running his son's team to avoid accusations of conflict of interest!

 

In my view, this week the coaching staff expected to win. Wednesday, for whatever reason, were not very good and the half time team talk to their lads did not convince me that Wednesday expected to win either. I think that the changes that we made in the second half were planned before the game and were more about giving players a run out than they were about replacing tired players or improving the team. With this in mind, I was pleased to see Tieman for the first time, but surely Watts is a striker, not a left winger. As for Lazerus, perhaps we needed to ground him again. My guess is that the other players you mention will be rotated during the season along with a couple of lads that you have not even mentioned from the year 1 intake. I do agree about Branson though.

 

There is no-one at the academy who is likely to interest Arsene Wenger. That does not mean that there is no-one at the academy who will play league football at a decent level. It is difficult at this moment to say with any certainty who might.

 

Not implying wenger having an intrest in any player just which of the lads fit into that mould

ie Athletic 2 footed comfortable on the ball good vision
or are as you have mentioned before glory hunters playing for themselves and not the team

 

RE: again a fine report nt

Nice day out, watch the Academy team, then Oakwell sandwich shop, then have a natter with Aida,then the super reds at 3 pm,then home.

 

re ---- as you have mentioned before glory hunters playing for themselves and not the team

Which players do you both have in mind, who are 'glory hunters' ?

 

In previous reports by the famous red rain (NOT) he implied that bransons team hadnt won a home game in a year, now they have won 3 on the bounce he still finds negatives in everything. As i see it the boys seem better all round and there looks to be a great team spirit surley this means that theyre doing something right?

 

The results are only part of the picture as anyone involved in Academy football will testify. Yesterday's Wednesday team were by far the poorest academy team I have seen this season, yet they still managed to comfortably control the midfield. OK, Barnsley won the game in the end but I will be very surprised if Branson was genuinely happy with that performance although his official blog tomorrow will no doubt infer otherwise.

 

Am not saying the results are be all and end all but red rain commented on bransons record! just putting him straight on that one .As for saturdays performance thought it was scrappy and nobody really had control of the game and thought the best chances fell to barnsley.

 

re lardarse
No, Im not involved in academy football but I don't need to be to know the aim of an academy is to produce players for the first team, not win '3 on the bounce'. Branson should be looking for improvement all the time from his players....remember they have got to get from this level to first team level! The fact that they won was incidental. I think red rain's comments were realistic rather than negative as suggested in an earlier post.

 

Surely, if you do not want other posters to read my report, the better plan would be to ignore me, not rubbishing me. By rubbishing me you bring the thread back to the top giving my report a better chance of being read by others. AS for my comment about Branson, which was made after the Man City game, it was accurate at the time as is your comment that the academy has won the last 3 home games. Have I made any errors this week? BTT

 

You only do it to be famous anyway...</p>

Tell him to fck off.
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