From the star

Boss stays calm as skipper's ruled


By Simon Meeks
LOSE the game, lose your skipper, don't lose your head.


Barnsley caretaker manager Simon Davey didn't. Leicester brought the first defeat of his five-match management and he's facing the Christmas glut of games without Paul Reid, probably his best defender.
You'd be tempted to chuck tea-cups.
The club crockery's safe around Davey.
Win, draw or lose, Davey has so far sucked it all up. He just doesn't kick off. No point, he'd probably reckon, there's the QPR game next week. Until New Year's day the club will either sink further into relegation danger or swim with this squad of players.
He needs them onside. To be fair, they were that and more for two-thirds of the first half at Leicester.
But once Leicester had gone ahead 2-0 after 52 minutes there was no way back for Barnsley. They were lost and the worst half-hour of Davey's short management career followed.
Defender Paul Hecking-bottom commented: "After the first 15 minutes, we settled down. I thought we were the better team until they scored the second goal. We were on top, creating a lot of chances.
"Teams are always going to get chances against us, not too many, but once they'd scored two they were just killing the game off."
Grant McCann came on for Barnsley and perked things up a bit but there were too many no-shows among the rest of the squad.
Davey had kept the team that drew 2-2 with West Brom. Antony Kay remained on the sick-list. Martin Devaney got a run-out when Leon Knight was pulled off in the second half.
A crowd of 30,000 plus, thanks to a cheap seats offer, saw Leicester look wholly unimpressive for long spells before the break. Crucially, though, they didn't concede a goal and when Knight headed down and across the keeper after good running and delivery from Kyel Reid, alarm bells should have rung.
Get chances, take chances, almost no margin for error, has to be the way away from home.
On that score Barnsley fell short.
After Knight's header, Leicester's Stephen Hughes smacked a shot on to the woodwork and from there his team built.
They were lucky with the first goal. It was timed so there could be no Barnsley response other that the trudge in for half-time hot tea.
It was lucky too for Elvis Hammond - right time, right place was the case. Barnsley keeper Nick Colgan blocked Danny Tiatto's shot, the rebound offered up a chance so simple Hammond couldn't miss.
Said Heckingbottom: "They scored right at the death in the first half and it started from our attack. We broke out, Bri (Brian Howard) slipped and lost it through no fault of his own and they're back on to us. We maybe should have dealt with it better, it's just one of those things.
"The second goal was similar, it came an another killer time. For the rest of the second half they were just keeping the ball and we were chasing it."
During the interval it became clear that Barnsley skipper Reid's afternoon was over. On came Robbie Williams at lef- back as Heckingbottom switched to centre-half alongside Bobby Hassell.
Seven minutes later the new back four were down a goal. Neither Heckingbottom nor Hassell closed down Levi Porter in the box. He had time to spare before finally sticking in Hughes' cross via the crossbar.
It was uphill for Barnsley from there. Leicester did their party pieces, kept the ball, made themselves look a sight better than they are.
Hammond remained hungry for more goal action and forced a late save from Colgan while kids in the crowd amused themselves trying to mount a decent-looking Mexican wave.
Davey was as upbeat as he could be after tasting defeat for the first time.
"Goals change games and it was always going to be the first goal that would change the flow of this game. Unfortunately, we didn't get that first goal," he said.
"Fair play to Leicester, they've kicked on and moved forward and taken the three points."
Heckingbottom reflected: "The gaffer has said 'heads up, forget about it'.
"But you can't just forget about it, you've got to learn from it.
"We have to work a bit harder, stamp a few things out in time for the game at QPR, which is a massive one for us."



18 December 2006

 

"Paul Reid, probably his best defender"

Two words: Bobby Hassell

 

"....without Paul Reid, probably his best defender"

blessing in disguise. the gash on his ankle was the reason Hammond beat him to the rebound? or that he's just too slow?

3 new defenders and 2 strikers needed.

 

run around like a school boy for second goal

 

Haha, I notice we both had the whole article and yet picked out that little bit.

 

Reid is our worst defender imho

no coincidence that without Kay we're leaking goals. having said that, Wallwork is a big miss too. 2 clean sheets whilst he's in the team then 5 goals conceded, not good. fingers crossed we dont get another injury at the back or we'll be playing the Wendies with a balsa wood defence.

 

RE: Reid is our worst defender imho

I wonder if Hecko will manage a bit longer this time?

 

He'd better 'learn from it'

then again, I'd rather play with 10 men than have Williams at left back. our squad is embarassingly thin, whos to blame for that?

 

"Teams are always going to get chances against us"

So - basically, Hecky is saying we are **** at defending.
And he's one of our defenders.
Right then.
Doesn't that mean he's saying "I'm ****, me"?

We need Gaz at centre half.

 

RE: He'd better 'learn from it'

The one who could say as a pundit we need two centre halves but as a manger presumably could not?

 

Blame?

Oh aye.
We win & a draw a few ... basically with Ritchie's team - but you claim that Gord & Davey are the bee's knees.
We then lose one ... and it's Ritchie's fault for having a "thin squad".

Leon Knight - no goals.
Grant McCann - benchmeister.
Kyel Reid - not had the impact of McIndoe.

We have a decent size squad - but's it's full of Jarman's & Wroe's.
Our squad isn't thin - it's ****.

Lucketti, Chopra, McPhail & Tabb.

 

Did I miss two goals in the West Brom game?!

 

Probably too busy pretending to be a journalist at the time, it definitely finished 2-2

 

I've sent you a text today...ignorant.

 

I'm at work lad, will have a look!

 

What do you do work-wise these days? Anything interesting or is it journalism still?

 

So am i! That didn't stop me texting you! :$

 

Work for Eversheds Solicitors mate in Leeds, just some money recovery stuff.

 

Sounds good. And is this the job that's helping to buy the next round whenever I'm down?

 

2 better

my arse