Johnson and Wilson

Because of past glories, fans kept crying out for Wilson to be given more time despite giving up on away games with 4 centre backs and 5 centre mids and leaving substitutions until far too late.

Because Lee Johnson doesn't have a history here, some are wanting him to be sacked just 6, yes 6 league games into the season. Sure he has made mistakes with subs/tactics but he is a young manager who is still learning the traade himself and the ONLY way this club is to move forward is by giving a manager a fair amount of time.

All I know is from where I'm sitting, LJ has shown more promise in his short tenure than Wilson did in the 14 months he had in charge. Yes Wilson did a great job getting us to the Premier League all those years ago but he wasn't the right man for the job second time around. If LJ got sacked tomorrow he'd find a new job pretty much straight away, Danny is still waiting.

 

Johnson's sacked off the academy lads & brought in 6 loanees to go for a quick **** or bust gamble back to the championship.

Wilson seemed to have a long term plan & blooded about 7 or 8 academy kids last year whilst dealing with the struggles of Cranie, Jennings, Nyatanga, M'Voto still been on championship wages & then lost Winnall & Ramage for half the season.

That's why I had a lot more patience with Wilson.

 

Name the 8 academy lads please he sold rose Clark and rnl?

 

Genuine question - which of the academy lads would you honestly see making a difference, or some impact, in this team? And do you not think Wilson 'blooded about 7 or 8 academy players' because of the Championship wages hindering our recruitment?

 

Holgate, Bree, Smith, Cowgill, Oates, Maris, Abbott, McHale

 

3 Holgate bree and Smith the others were never given a proper run and we're either loaned out or left in u21s

 

I'd be playing Bree & Smith, both offer more at full back than Wabara & Nyatanga in my opinion. Far more in Smith's case.

Digby would be more involved because I wouldn't have signed Rothwell or Crowley. Digby could be very useful in this division. We saw that in the home game against Walsall last season & there's plenty of physical sides in this division.

I'd have kept Oates instead of bringing in Wilkinson & he'd have been our 4th choice striker & would've had some game time

Cowgill 4th choice centre back & wouldn't have played yet due to form & fitness of other 3 centre backs.

 

I'm sure Johnson gave Cowgill more game time than Wilson did. Likewise with Maris and Oates. McHale had a run out in the cup, under Wilson, and he left when Wilson was still here. Abbott looked average in his few games under Wilson. Holgate, Bree and Smith have continued to play, until Holgate left, and Smith fell out of form.

 

Bree, Smith, Digby and Templeton have all had game time this season. Smith was burnt out thanks to Wilson last season along with Bree who picked up a long term injury. With Digby, managers can't win. Play him and he's get called crap and the manager gets slated for playing him. When he doesn't play, I see people saying how is he not playing when the England U20 setup use him.

The only thing that will get fans back to Oakwell is a promotion challenge, if we don't get back to the Championship soon we never will. You can't blood in 7 or 8 academy players and expect a promotion challlenge.

 

Well at least that's a thoughtful post. With more than a measure of sense to it.

 

Smith burnt out? He broke his toe, went on loan to build fitness & then got played.

Bree had a back issue. 1st choice under Wilson.

I agree, which is why I'd have 3 involved. Bree, Smith & Digby.

No one on this forum knows how good Digby is because they've not seen enough of him. Folk will play experts one way or the other but none really know.

All I know is if he's good enough for a trial at Man Utd he should at least get a run of games so we can see if he is up to it

 

I didn't want Wilson appointed. I didn't want Wilson sacked. I didn't want Johnson appointed. I don't want Johnson sacked.

Anyone who says things are better is basically just lying to themselves. We have fewer points than last season. We have worse results against all teams we played against last season than this season. after the little purple patch playing Wilson's side at the start what is it 4 wins in about 20 games. I Last season we were playing our own young lads this season we are playing other people's. Smith is clearly a better left back than Lewin. The Holgate saga would have been handled better by Wilson. The football is much of a muchness. We have put ourselves 12 months further back by sacking Wilson. Admit that to yourself and you will feel better.

 

that's a helluva statement because Johnsons results record since he has been here is appalling, not saying we should get shut or owt because that would be daft, just saying that the statement is hard to justify

 

Yes Wilson who left us in relegation trouble who set us up every away match for a draw like I said Wilson wasn't good second time round he still isn't now Lee Jay has lost a few

 

Without getting into a pointless debate as DW is gone and that's that, he said that Bree should be rested and "someone" decided he should play for the kids. He then got injured.

 

Another starting 11 with no home grown players another defeat.

 

LJ has shown me sod all. Looking like his first 6 games that were all wins was more from Bunny and Hecky sorting it out and LJ getting lucky. Not done much since. But the meeting with the happy clappers looks to heve bought him some time.

 

Agree with this.

The only good Johnson performances came when a player Wilson had chased for 7 months (O'Sullivan) was here on loan

 

Relegation trouble my arse.

We'd just lost away at Bristol & Swindon.

We'd recently signed Scowen, had Winnall & Ramage returning from injury & had a much easier run of fixtures coming up.

At the time virtually no one on here thought relegation was possible & it was pretty much unanimously laughed at as a reason for Wilson getting the sack

 

Fantastic post & you absolutely nail it