I have an idea some might see it as simplistic

I don’t think they can, for example, play for Pogmoor, but I’ve been watching them play in English Schools competitions for Horizon (they are in the English Schools elite final at The Hawthorns in May, and they are also in the South Yorkshire schools final). I believe that the Barnsley Schools team is in a national final as well. Some excellent young players.

 

Can’t afford them or unwilling to adjust wage budget depending on league we’re playing in?

 

I'd go totally opposite.

10 years ago a very good group didn't reach what it should have. I would say the age profile of that team been so high would have been one of them.

The problem today, is the club isn't getting Footballers to 18 that are good enough because if they do then they would slot in with zero problem.

 

The 18 bit is what I was saying TBH

 

Thats nothing new though is it we've always had to compete with bigger clubs to sign players but in the past we were prepared to go the extra mile to sign the players now we employ a scatter gun approach and just hope something comes off

 

I think we should go all in in the summer, players are greedy b's generally so if we better what Salah, De Bruyner, MBappe are currently being paid they will come here.
John Stones may comeback as he is a Barnsley lad.

I know they are top level players but we deserve them.

We may need to back these up with quality championship players try a few from Derby or Reading, they may come after a tough season, I'm sure if we pay them £40 k a week.

I don't want to go too far though signing 15 players that are the standard we need may cost a bit too much.

I'm sure also Poya may learn from Pep and step down to assistant coach to work under him so it's worth a cheeky offer.

If it all goes tits up and we go in to administration at least we can blame the owners of mismanagement but we will still have the good old days to remember under Dennis, Cryne and don't forget Doyle.

 

On the whole I don’t think the policy is too bad, save for there needs to be a blend of experience. Solbaeur made an enormous difference to the development of the defensive players. It seems fairly obvious to me and would actually fit with their plan of buying young players and selling them on as I think it would increase the younger players’ value.

the Man Utd team that cleaned up (you don’t win anything with kids) still had a spine of experience in it.

 

If we end up in admin anyway we may as well have had a good season watching those players! I think our CEO would have achieved his dream of a full stadium as well!

 

As it stands the stadium could be full of empty seats .

 

And Journey men also .
Keith Treacy example

 

Wasn't Hendrie known as a journeyman?

 

Him and Redfearn were talisman that season. I still think you need two to have a decent crack at promotion. That's what we missed last season. Mowatt had a stormer but we just needed a bit more finesse at times. It would have been interesting to see how Bassi or Quina would have fitted in last season picking up the second balls in dangerous areas.

 

So was Neil Redfearn, Helen.

 

I remember when it was announced he was being brought in. I was shocked. He'd had an unbelievable season at Oldham smashing them in from all over and there we were, struggling after a poor start to the season, it just didn't seem we had a chance of getting someone like him.

I vaguely recall Machin played him in quite a defensive midfield set up and his goal contribution was pretty nominal at first. How that changed! And what a journeyman!

 

Hendrie, Wilkinson, Redfearm were all journeymen. Neil Thompson hadn't had as many clubs, but was well into his thirties.

Sadly, a Hendrie or a Redfearn type signing would be well beyond us financially now. Maybe even Wilkinson and Thompson.

But, if we are going to get experience in the side, we are going to have to make the odd signing that wouldn't really excite the fans (probably be tagged as a has-been or a journeyman), or give longer contracts to one or two of the younger players that have a lower percieved ceiling.

 

Very true.

 

I was looking, for instance, at Cameron Dawson, on loan at Exeter City from Wednesday. He's 26 years old and I have no idea what his contract situation is at Wednesday, but most Exeter fans will tell you that he's the best keeper in League Two (and probably League One as well). He's the sort of player we have scouted previously and who has come good and would strengthen the side, especially if one of the keepers were to leave. I was also looking at Joe Ironside at Cambridge United as a target man-striker, who would do the Aylott/Shipperley stuff well and free the likes of Morris and Woodrow (if they're still here) to get the goals, but he's well above the age at which we sign players. I think that we need a balance of youth and experience, but could keep the current philosophy with an emphasis on the youth side, but we need to do better due diligence and scouting than over the past two seasons on the whole. We also need to appoint a manager in whom the likes of Herbie Kane and Jack Aitchison will have some faith and trust if they are to come back and to perform at their best.

I am okay with the youth policy, providing that it is balanced with experience on the pitch and a coach who knows and understands the league in which we will be playing next season.

 

He was a bloody great journeyman, but I would suggest we have had more bad than good.