My take on today (along with ratings)

Set off at 8.30am, got to Swindon at 11.30am, had some lunch and a look round the McArthur Glen outlet, got to the ground by 2pm. Fairly standard stuff. And for the first time in ages, I had a bit of hope going into an away game. We'd won our last two games comfortably, had key players back including Winnall, and were facing a Swindon side who had lost 2-0 at Brammall Lane last time out. Ideally, we'd keep the same line-up who had performed well in the last two wins but swap Hemmings for our top-scoring striker Winnall.

Boy oh boy was my slight optimism misplaced. The 269 Reds fans making the 180 mile journey were instead rewarded with a 20 year old striker making his 6th professional appearance on his own up front. Along with an 18 year old academy left-back playing at left-midfield, to go with the bizarre decision to bring Digby back from the dead and chuck him into midfield where his role was unclear, other than to be utterly awful and give away a penalty. Oh, and our top two scorers of the campaign on the bench. Winnall was injured near the end of the warm-up and unable to take his place on the bench, but that is where he would have ended up had he not been injured. We were set up to sit back and play for a 0-0 draw against a side who had ****ted us at Oakwell, and were currently sitting 3rd at this stage of the season.

The first half Swindon should have been 3 or 4-0 up, and would have been but for a fantastic penalty save from Turnbull to go along with another one-on-one stop. Not one Barnsley player showed any intent to get forward at any point except Lalkovic, regularly allowing Swindon's keeper to jog 10 yards out of his box with no pressure and pick a pass at his leisure. When we received the ball it was lumped forward to Waring, lost, and came back at us with vigour.

The second half Hourihane was brought on and immediately found Pearson with a great ball, who dragged his shot miles across goal instead of slotting it in at the near post. Jennings was also brought on at half-time, and all I will say is he's looked good in one game this season, Chester away, and that I believe is the level he'll be at within a couple of years. After Ramage missed a sitter from a corner, and Kiwomya elected to ruin a 4 on 1 situation by passing the ball to the only Barnsley player being tracked by a defender, Swindon killed the game and were kept at bay by several more fine saves from Turnbull. He was at fault for the second goal, but had prevented 3 or 4 more during the game.

So overall, Jamo and 268 others travel 3 hours down the M1 and M5 to see us set up to draw 0-0, lose 2-0 and barely venture into the other team's half for the entire game. After 5 similarly energetic and committed performances away from home previously. Terrific stuff.

Here's my ratings:

Turnbull: 8, MOTM - Our motm for the 3rd away game in a row, all of which we've lost. That tells it's own story. Loses a mark for letting the ball squirm under him for their second.

Nyatanga: 6 - Never overlapped and stood off his man too often, but probably

Ramage: 5 - Not much worse than the rest of the defense but missed an absolute sitter second half (headed wide of an open goal) and almost cost us a goal with a wayward header at the other end, so loses a mark

M'Voto: 5 - Won everything in the air as usual, but was beaten several times on the deck and had to be bailed by Turnbull twice.

Cranie: 5 - Went off injured first half, so gets a 5 by default

Smith: 6 - Tried his best in an unfamiliar position, put in a few crosses and won a few tackles when moved back into defense.

Pearson: 6 - Full of energy but never had anyone to pass to going forward so ended up giving the ball away periodically

Scowen: 6 - Fantastic against Oldham and busy today, but like Pearson had no options going forward so ended up giving the ball away too often.

Digby: 3 - He's had some shockers for us, but this was by far the worst. Feigned to shoot on the edge of Swindon's box, feigned again and lost the ball, from which Swindon bombed up the other end and would have scored but for a great save from Turnbull. Won nothing in the air. Gave away a penalty with a hilariously mistimed challenge. Hauled off at half-time. Terrible.

Lalkovic: 6 - Yet again our only player who looked like he might create something. The only player to close down Swindon's keeper. And yet he was hauled off for Kiwomya in the second half.

Waring: 5 - Great against Port Vale and Oldham, poor today. Won too little in the air for a guy his size, gave the ball away more often than not and didn't look remotely like scoring at any time. Totally isolated though and I feel for the guy as it's the same every away game he plays.

Subs: Hourihane (6), Jennings (4), Kiwomya (5)

Wilson: 3 - Totally rehashed a team which had won it's last two games, went with an incredibly negative formation, and instructed them to sit back and invite one of the best teams in the division to attack at their leisure. The fact that when we did have a 10 minute spell we missed two absolute sitters suggests that with two up front, or the same team as on Tuesday, we might have got a point or three. Got it totally wrong away from home, again, for the sixth game in a row. Barely 300 could be bothered to go today. We've got Crawley, Gillingham, Leyton Orient, Colchester and Bristol City to come that are all further to travel than Swindon. I've been put off going next week by today. I wonder how many more will? This negativity away from home is why I'm not sure Wilson is the man to take us up from this division. Successful managers don't set up to draw every game away from home. Successful managers don't generally change a winning team. Wilson did both today. I remain in the position of not wanting him sacked because we've done it so many times before and ultimately ended up here. That patience continues to wear thinner every time I see us lose away.

 

Thanks, appreciate the feedback. It's deeply frustrating as I go to most home games as well and whilst we've not been great this season, we've at least managed to string some wins together after a poor start at Oakwell. I just can't understand why Wilson felt the need to change the team that won the last two home games, and why he sets us up the way he does away from home. In fact, bar the Yeovil and Reading games last season, I would say we've failed to take the game to and outplay the opposition in any away game in Wilson's second spell at the club. We've ground out wins at Crewe, Rochdale and Sheff United, all of our winners coming from set pieces, but we've been very defensive in all of them. It's horrific to watch. I'm glad to hear that Matt and Adam on Player shared a similar view to me today, as I've been fairly blunt in my assessment but that's how I saw it.

I realise I failed to finish my little sentence for Nyatanga. Should read "But probably our best defender on the day".