I hate going to the match when it's so windy

It's nearly always a poor game and today was no exception. Although we can't simply blame the conditions for some of the individual performances, which were almost universally poor. Anyone who thinks we don't need a new left back needs their bumps felt. Clearly we missed Butterfield and Drinkwater, which is obviously no one's fault, but it needs addressing as a priority.

Don't think I can shed any light on the contentious decisions. He may have been offside for the second, he may not, it was tight. As far as the penalty goes, me dad to my right didn't think it was a penalty, JLWBL to my left thought it was, I didn't see it. Even if it wasn't a penalty they had a nailed on penalty claim turned down in injury time of the second half. Anyway, blaming the linesman would miss the point. We were dreadful today.

Anyone who has been to every home game this season will have seen us lose 8 games at Oakwell. Two more than we've won. And one more than we lost during the whole of last season. We need to be a lot tougher at home.

 

The amount of home defeats, and the number of goals conceded in the games we have lost is quite a cause for concern, regardless of the undoubted positives so far this season.

 

Nail hit right on the head with those comments. However, I would also add the following.

Before the game, I said to my mate that it looks like we are going to miss out midfield. I was surprised that he was willing to sacrifice his principals, but I guess that a shortage of players capable of passing the ball will do that to a manager. And so it proved. The manager played 4-3-3 and tried to hit balls 40 yards in the wind. Is there any wonder the front players failed to control the ball 90% of the time. It was like stepping back 12 months. Davies was supposed to split left when the left FB had the ball but failed to do so. I agree that McEveley was poor he was not helped by the fact that he had no-one ahead of him. Bobby was meant to get forward to provide the width right, but I'm afraid poor Bobby's legs have gone. Our midfield has gone from Perkins, Drinkwater and Butterfield, 3 players who can pass the ball through the eye of a needle, to Perkins, Addison and Dagnall, a passer, a defender and an inside forward. Whatever the controversy about the first two goals, that lot were taking us to a goalless draw at best.

The change at half time to 4-4-2 still left us dreadfully weak in midfield and I remain convinced that Davies and Gray are too similar to play together. I thought that we improved marginally when Dagnall replaced Davies in that partnership, but the big improvement came when McNulty replaced Addison in midfield. I have consistently defended McNulty because he can pass the ball. He deserves a place in the team, whether it be at Centre Back, Left Full Back or Midfield.

 

If Hill wanted his right full back to provide the width and get forward he really should have played Wiseman from the start. That's Wiseman's strong point. It's not Bobby's and never really has been.

 

Agree again and said as much to my mate.