has rested on his reputation as "a great shot stopper" for too long. Well if he's that frigging good, how come he could have stopped both of their goals, but didn't? I'm not willing to have the "oh but if the defence was any good..." argument any more. Colgan is a goalkeeper and if he's not good enough to keep goal - why are we playing him? Am I the only person who'd have dropped him weeks ago? Am I alone in thinking that it's all very good and well having "a great stop stopper" but has nobody noticed that the rest of his game is absolutely f**king appaling? Two piss poor weak goals lost it today. Still - I bet Davey plays him next week. And along with countless other Barnsley fans, he'll be quick to point out that a few Colgan saves kept us in it - yeah mate sure. Shame we'll be 4-0 down by that time Disgusted.
The defence particularly full backs are the problem. Yes i agree Colgan could have done better with the first although the second was a decent shot and i reckon Colgan was unsighted. But going back to the first goal it all stemmed from Kyle Reid losing the ball on the half way line. They then strung our midfield out all over the pitch. Paul Reid and Hecky were pulled all over the place and Hecky was out of position allowing a pot on goal. i think tiredeness set in for the other goal as some of our players looked knackered as we had been chasing the game. If you wanna drop Colgan fine (though i dont think Lucas will improve matters) but also think about both our full backs who constantly struggle, a winger who cant get past a man, a Hungarian who has been virtually invisible for the last two games and several others who look out of their depth in this league. If Lucas is picked and he lets several in then who you gonna complain about?
RE: The defence Moose - I wouldn't have dropped him weeks ago I'd have dropped him months ago. McCarthy - I agree that the defence must take their share of the blame but it isn't an either/or option. Perhaps you are playing Devils Advocate with that post, but just because of the obvious flaws at full back doesn't mean the goalkeeper is helpless. At the end of the day, it is the keepers responsibility to help out and organise his defence, not the other way round. The amount of times in games that you see the defence look at Colgan is anger and/or confusion suggests to me they have no confidence in him at all. Yes, i'd give Lucas a go, and if he aint good enough either then it's the fault of both managers for not identifying this problem sooner. Colgan has suffered extremely poor form for us before, when Paul Hart deemed him not good enough for League 1 and shipped him out on loan. With the centre half and left back problems, SD has tried to find solutions. Lucas is supposed to be his solution to a struggling keeper, so if he's not good enough then why did he sign him?
Some of our players looked 'knackered' from your comments from chasing the game. I think the half hour warm up at a frantic pace did them no good at all. As I mentioned from about half an hour Devenay was utterly knackered.
Im certainly not saying Colgan is faultless. I think he would agree he could have done better with the first, but i honestly think he cant be faulted for 90% of the goals conceded this season. I think the defence notably Reid earlier on in the season and more so Hecky now have been the biggest culprits. I'd really like you to view all the 60 odd goals conceded and be honest about if you think Colgan should have saved them. The keeper is the last line of defence. In my opinion the captain should be the most commanding player. He should be organising. I think if taggart was still in the side we wouldnt have half the problems we do now regarding organising and communicating. I think as for faith in the other players, from Colgans point of view maybe he thinks whats in front of him isnt up to much. He like McPhail believed the squad should have been improved last summer and lets face it thats true. The quality of strikers finishing is much more clinical in this league (Huckerby last week for instance). I also wonder how good Lucas is. Colgan played out of his skin when Flinders was challenging for his shirt. Like any position on the pitch if there is serious competition for places it ups players performance. I dont think Colgan is playing particularly well along with quite a few other players this season. I do however believe he is a Championship class keeper and probably in the top 6 in this league. Maybe if we had signed Sullivan or Kiely on loan when they were available we would have two cracking keepers by now. In any case i think Colgan will be gone in the summer along with a lot of others. lets just hope we are still in this league when they do leave.
Werer you one of the ones calling for Mark Crossley a few weeks ago? I remember quite a few posts suggesting we should have snapped him up on loan. Is anyone prepared to admit to this? David Lucas (like Crossley) has a good reputation, but he hasn't really played many competative games for some time. I'm wondering how sharp / fit Lucas really is. Any idea if he has been playing in the reserves?
one of a few weak links colgan is just one of a few weak links,i definitly don't think he is good enough for the championship no matter who made mistakes leading up to the first goal colgan should have taken that easily but as i say he is one of a few not good enough
Maybe he'd backed Sunderland to win 2=0 and thought he'd better give them a hand. Having seen both goals again on the Championship this morning i think he should have saved both, neither were particularly well hit shots but then again both players were allowed to get shots in so maybe its not all his fault.
Top 6 keeper............... I think not! Birmingham- Maik Taylor Burnley- Danny Coyne Cardiff- Neil Alexander Coventry- Andy Marshall Crystal Palace- Gabor Kiraly Derby- Steve Bywater Hull- Boaz Myhill Ipswich- Lewis Price Leeds- Graham Stack Leicester- Paul Henderson Luton- Marlon Beresford (best keeper we had in ages darn at oakwell!) Norwich- Tony Warner Plymouth- Luke Mcormack Preston- Andy Lonergan Q.P.R- Simon Royce Wednesday- Ian Turner Southampton- Kelvin Davis Southend- Daryll Flahvan Stoke- Steve Simonsen Sunderland- Darren Ward (id have gone missing aswell if Ritchie took me on trial to be Colgans back up!) West Brom- Dean Kiely Wolves- Matt Murray now u still sure he's a top 6 keeper (chinny)
RE: Werer you one of the ones calling for Mark Crossley a few weeks ago? NAH, AS FAR AS I'M AWARE IT IS LETHERAN WHO HOW AS BEEN RESERVE GOALIE, SO SEEMS AS IF LUCAS IS JUST BENCH WARMING!!
RE: Top 6 keeper............... I don't think it was AR who scared him off, try a bit higher up and think cash!
Thanks. I can't see how Lucas is anywhere near ready then It's difficult to see how Davey could even consider playing Lucas under those circumstances.
RE: Top 6 keeper............... Nowhere near a top 6 goalie in this league. From the list I would have most in front of Colgan. Maik Taylor, Neil Alexander, Gabor Kiraly, Steve Bywater, Boaz Myhill, Paul Henderson, Marlon Beresford, Tony Warner, Luke Mcormack, Andy Lonergan, Carlo Nash, Simon Royce, Kelvin Davis, Daryll Flahavan, Steve Simonsen, Darren Ward, Dean Kiely, Matt Murray. If Southend go down and we stay up we should try and get Flahavan for next season.
I didn't post then But this very morning I suggested that perhaps he was a player we could have looked at. I haven't seen much of him at Weds but he was excellent when they played at Oakwell and appeared to me to be a shining example of some of the features so obviously missing from Colgans game. I don't know if Lucas is the answer but I'd certainly give him a shot.
RE: I didn't post then Hi Riley, I think Crossley's problem was that he hadn't played all that many games - he made a few judgement mistakes at S6 and lost confidence. By all accounts, he's back at Fulham trying to get his game together. David Lucas is in a similar position to that of Crossley. Astonishingly, he hasn't played a full game in over 12 months. Mr Davey doesn't even seem to be playing him in the reserves, so is he ready to play in the first team?
RE: Some of our players looked 'knackered' I read the other day (was it in the Chron?) that Davey has changed the fitness regime - Tom Little seems to have disappeared from the scene - and the claim is that the players are fitter than ever, which is noticeable in the final stages of the games.</p> Well here's one who hasn't noticed that at all, in fact quite the reverse!</p>
No it wasn't in the Chron it was on the official site.</p> Instead of a fitness coach we now have a 'sports scientist' - ffs!</p>http://www.barnsleyfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/News/InsideOakwellDetail/0,,10309~991393,00.html
Colgan is a very poor keeper and there's just one reason why; No command of his area whatsoever. This for me is the most important part of a keepers game because he could take much of the pressure off our already overworked defence and does not. Every team we play now knows the weakness and plant corners right into the six yard area. Colgan stands on his line and even if we get a good header out, chances are there's another cross or shot coming back in. Many of the great point blank saves he's made only because he didn't come out and catch the cross in the first place! And as for being a great shot stopper, you only have to look at yesterday's performance to realise he isn't.
