Been away a few days but just to state the obvious..

Can't have been a worse end to one year and beginning of a new one ever. I include in that the timing of the announcement of a new manager. Davey has my best wishes and I hope he can turn it round but never has a manager got off on a worse footing. I'd always assumed that a 3-0 home defeat against Wednesday would lead to an immediate sacking for a manager even if we were top of the league!! How times have changed.
It is clear though that someone (or more than one) has turned us down and so Davey's name has been rushed out so that we can start making offers for players in the transfer window. I'd bet that we haven't been willing to give a long enough contract for a guy with experience so we get interactive whiteboard man instead.
Just highlight a pet hate of mine that even some usually sensible posters on here have descended to... and that is lambasting the players for lack of effort or heart when we lose a game and whinging on about the players not caring as much as the fans etc..Most of these players are the same that have shown fight and been praised for it many times in the past. I don't believe that any of them wanted to lose on Saturday. They just made too many errors and we lost - dead simple.

P.S Happy New Year everyone

 

So the defeats to Sheffield Wednesday and Wolves

Had nothing to do with lack of commitment ?
Well if that's your opinion , you have every right to express it and I'll defend your right to do so . We'll just have to agree to disagree .
If you believe that the players care as much as the fans ( at any club , not just Barnsley ) , then yet again we'll have to agree to disagree .

 

RE: So the defeats to Sheffield Wednesday and Wolves

Isn't the obvious lack of commitment the players showing their disappointment in the appointment?

I expect that a number of players' agents are currently 'phoning round to find their clients a way out. I also do not expect that a manager of Mr Davey's experience and track record being able to attract replacements of a similar or better calibre.

As things stand, I expect that in summer 2008 I'll be looking at maps of Darlington, Rochdale, Bury and so on. I sincerely hope that I'm wrong.

 

The players are employed by Barnsley FC

And , as such , should give 100% in every game . If they were only to give 70% , would they be prepared to accept a 30% reduction in their salary ? If the answer's no , then they must be expected to give everything they've got whilst employed by Barnsley .

 

In theory that is correct, but....

if an employee is not happy they won't work to their full potential and will start looking for alternative employment. Look back at recent pre-managerial change performances - e.g. the Donny game at which Gudjon stood by the dugout, knowing he was going, as did the players, with PHart sitting in the stand; the Palace game earlier this season, when the players knew AR (how much are we missing him now?) was on his way.

 

I'd love to chat some more about this

But Crystal has told me that it's time for bed .
Not that I'm scared of her (!) Oh no , not me (!) (yikes)
Goodnight mate , speak to you soon .

 

Enjoy! nt

 

A bit late replying but

I didn't go to Wolves so I can't comment but against Wednesday I would disagree. It's one thing to say that a team looks poor and disjointed (Robbie Williams in central midfield for example) and when you are 3-0 down and the manager makes negative substitutions then there doesn't seem to be the desire to win. It's entirely another to say that the palyers aren't bothered and lack heart. Are you talking about all the players, just some, just those that you don't rate or what? Name specific players who lacked the desire to win against Wednesday.
People trot out this kind of stuff whenever we lose.

 

I too only went to the Wednesday game, and I too saw no lack of effort on display. A team can over achieve through additional effort only for about 6 to 8 matches per season. This is why lower division team can win in the FA cup. These feats are more difficult over Christmas when matches are played close together and the recovery period is much shorter. JLWBigLil does not usually make such frustrated posts and it probably simply misdirecting his annoyance and fear of the future.

 

Its easier to name the players that did show the desire to win, Devaney. Thats it! Saturday was the most spineless and gutless performance I have seen at oakwell since that dismal day against Norwich. Now I am not saying that the players meant to play that way, but how many of them rolled their sleeves up and got stuck in and how many let their heads drop. I'd say the ratio was 1:10.

 

Football is a team game

Therefore any praise or criticism is directed at all the players . I accuse ALL the players of lacking the necessary desire against Sheffield Wednesday , but this becomes even more accute with local lads who are supposed to have the same feelings for the club as the supporters .
I , nor anyone else , trot out this kind of stuff whenever we lose . We were humbled in our own backyard by our local rivals . Had Wednesday not taken their foot off the pedal at 3-0 , the humiliation felt by myself and other fans would've been even greater .
A negative post from myself is as rare as hen's teeth , so it takes quite a lot for me to write one . If you are happy with the effort of the players last Saturday then fine . You have the right to voice that opinion . However , I wasn't and I , too , have the right to voice my opinion . Judging by the replies , it would also seem I'm hardly a voice in the wilderness .
My original post was written from the heart and I stand by every word of it . If people don't like , or are offended , by my posts then they need not read them .
Kevin

 

Please do not be offended. My comments are not personnal and I usually read and enjoy most of what you write. My post was a personal comment which comes from a conviction that the performance cannot be explained away simply by a lack of effort. I think it had more to do with players playing out of position, general tiredness and a very poor tactical change for the last 20 minutues which saw our ineffective 3 man midfield battling for supremecy with a four man wendesday midfield whilst 3 forwards became isolated and saw so little quality ball that it appeared they were unconcerned. I blame the manager more than the team. However, you have a right to your opinion, even if I do not share it.

 

No worries , buddy

Of course there are going to be occasions when posters on here disagree with one another . It'd be fairly dull and mundane if everyone thought along the same lines . It's not often that one of my posts gets so many replies !!!
It just goes to show I can do more than post photo's of scantily clad ladies !!!!

 

OK, how about now?

 

Let's be quick

Crystal's reading !!!

 

I think it's your turn?

Replying to "happy employees make good employees"....

 

I've changed my mind

All the players have given 100% in every match and if anyone's to blame for Saturday's performance , it's me .

 

I had the wrong shirt on!!!

No, seriously, I think that it is quite likely that a side will under-perform (for want of a better term) when they know that their manager (in my examples, Andy Ritchie and Gudjon, to whom the relevant squads were loyal) is about to get the heave-ho!

 

I agree with you

Happy employees make good employees .

 

You're right

I agree with you .
It really annoys Crystal when I start agreeing with everything she says .