James Bailey

Or the spreadsheet

Except it's only set to find scoreers

 

Our best player by a f.cking mile.

 

There's no question Baileys a talented footballer. He's the closest thing we've had to Mcphail who in my opinion has been the best of his type in the years I've been watching Barnsley.

But in this system Bailey just isn't working. For whatever reason the lad doesn't put a foot in and as the season goes on its costing us. Hourihane must take some of the blame as defensively he's just as bad. But in terms of the team Hourihane offers us a lot more.

As well as being a quality passer that position requires bundles of energy to close down, tackle and intercept. I'm not sure Bailey will ever give us that.

 

I am hoping that Danny will try to rebalance the squad in the January transfer window when the 5 loanees potentially go back, but it is notoriously difficult to work that window effectively. I am not happy that Cranie is right at full back, but unlike many, I do still think that he has much to offer as a central defender. I would be happy to sign Dudgeon if he is available.

In midfield, I would love to see Williams sign permanently and I think that you are right about the lack of width. Our problem is that we are weak down the centre of midfield if we play a flat four there. As good as Hourihane is going forward, his work is poor when we do not have the ball. There is a balance issue in midfield that I am not sure how to solve.

Up front, I think that we need someone capable of winning the ball in the air, if nothing else, to provide us some variety going forward and to act as a pivot when we are attacking and an extra header of the ball at defensive dead ball kicks. In the past I have suggested a 4-3-3 system which becomes 4-5-1 when we do not have the ball because the two wingers drop back into midfield. However, I struggled to find a place for Winnall in this system because he is not the sort of player who could play up front on his own and hold the ball until support arrives.

As I say, the team has many difficult balance issues which the manager must solve. I am glad that it is not my problem.

 

Elaborate......

 

Some right ******** in this thread. Very capable player.

The comparison to David Fox is laughable. It's as if someone's been waiting for his 1st major **** up to give him some stick.

Fox was all sideways & backwards, Bailey definitely isn't that.

The bigger problem is he's often left on his own against 2-3 counter attacking midfielders when the other midfielders & attacker all feel the need to join in attacks at the same time.

 

He does everything you claim to want in a midfielder - he goes forwards, he does put a tackle in & he grafts.

The problem is that the majority of that is missed because he's covering the midfielders and lack of wingers in front.

 

In - albeit short - spells of games this season, he's looked the dogs ******** to me. There was a period at Chesterfield where he was running the game. It was short, as I say, but that was down to - in the main - Cole's inability to control the football, and Hourihane having a bad, bad day at the office. JB was floating around midfield picking out passes first time, had so much time on the ball it was joyous to see. Unfortunately, he was garbage for much of the other periods of the game. Why? I dunno. Not really. But I don't believe the formation we've been setting up in is helpful. I think with a Bobby Hassell type, a genuine defensive/holding midfielder behind him, he'd be ideal JB alongside Hourihane further forward.

But because we've recruited so many forwards, and we've not one winger showing any kind of form or fitness, we're limited on that front I suppose.



Am I impressed with Bailey so far? Not so much. Do I think he's talented and capable of better? Yes, definitely.


******* hair cut wunt go amiss, mind.

 

*****************UPDATE********************

Still rubbish.

 

Fat too complementary

He is wan k

 

Far too complementary He is wan. K

 

Can't believe you can come out of that & try & blame Bailey.

He was left horrible exposed again, you don't go lunging in for tackles on the half way line when the other team are counter attacking you in numbers.

The likes of Hourihane & Cole were the problem last night