Did I misjudge it OR was the defence last night on the verge of comical?

Only wathched the (extended( highlights , which clearly focus on the goals conceded to , as it happens , lowly placed Carlisle BUT the complete inability of the back three to win a a clear defensive header and/or close down a player and put in a defensive tackle appeared beyond comical. Someone who encountered the whole game(and perhaps Saturdays) PLEASE advise me that these were but two mere blips in an otherwise flawless defensive performance.

 

Conceded 9 in 3 games and we're somehow still in touch with the top 2.

 

Defensively, we looked a mess everytime Carlisle applied any sort of pressure, which was fairly infrequent to be fair between our equaliser and 3rd goals.

One player who really annoyed me last night was Corey O'Keeffe, with the outside of the foot passes and the stylish little flicks which rarely came off. It showed an arrogance that didn't go unnoticed by the Carlisle comms team, who were otherwise quite complimentary of us. He was similarly 'overconfident' at home to Horsham, and for me caused the first 2 goals against on that occasion. I don't know if he gets complacent against 'lesser' opposition or what, but it wasn't helpful in a game where we needed to just do the basics right in order to manage the game sensibly.

For me this season, our game management hasn't been particularly good. Last season, we'd hit the front early in games, and calmly slow the game to our tempo, pick our moments, and methodically kill teams off. This season, we've been very frantic. We just needed a few calmer heads last night. Credit to Mael De Gevigney again for me who did look like that calming presence at the back when everything else looked a little chaotic. And Cosgrove led the line really well. He'd be one of the first names on the team sheet if he put that performance in regularly.

 

That`s because we usually score more goals than we concede.

 

Not on the verge.

 

1st goal: MDG lost the aerial battle, then couldn't be arsed to follow the same man who carried on his run through no mans land, to place a weak shot past our keeper.

2nd goal: Williams misses the tackle, Earl's terrible positioning to allow their man through and then the keeper glitches and his legs fall off.

 

Went last night,the back 3 as a unit are so weak,i think Williams was beaten in the air for the first goal and didn’t win the tackle for the second goal,in between that he scored a goal anyone would be proud of.

 

As someone previous claimed their attacks were infrequent...but it doesn't matter .Every time they.... or anyone attacks you are waiting for horrible mistakes at the back.
We are very easy to play against like that especially the gap between wing back and cenre back.

 

It was balls over the top that got our defence turned that was the issue.

Not winning the headers and not following runners was the issue.

Pines will help resolve this.

 

Think it was MDG and Earl that missed the headers for the first goal.

 

I've never before seen a Barnsley defence make so many individual errors and concede so many goals with such little pressure from the opposition.

I've seen seasons where we've conceded far more goals but that's when every week is a backs to the wall performance in a desperate effort to prevent a better team overrunning us.

Most weeks this season we're the better team. The results and performances prove that. But we make it as difficult as possible by capitulating every time the opposition get in our final third. We look to be set up OK but are incapable of simple headers, tackles and clearances. I just don't think the personnel are very good.