"One player short of the right blend" says the manager

An attacking midfielder to add to the squad next week, and that will complete his set of players for the run in. Now, like any football fan, seeing new players coming in is exciting and stimulates interest but you can go too far. It's as obvious as obvious can be that the squad we had was not good enough for this league - the table doesn't lie. Simon has now given them a massive shake up and not before time. The question now is, as he says he wants, have we got the right "blend"? Much bigger clubs than Barnsley have splashed millions on talented individuals and failed (hey, BARNSLEY have had a go at that too, and failed!).

All we can do now is trust in this new management team and this (almost) new team, if they all play, to get us up the table. I believe that we have got the players to more than match others in this league - it is just a case of can they play together? Never mind any language problems, are they on the same wavelength when that quick through ball is provided or demanded? If the answers to those questions are yes, we will win more games than we lose now until the end of the season and then we can have another go at it next season. If the answer is no, then back down we go. We've been there before, often enough, but I don't want them to go there again just yet. I think we will be ok

 

Agree with all that. Just very frustrated that Ritchie had the nucleus of a quality squad and had them playing superb football, and there seemed to be a fault in the working relationship twixt him and the board which stopped us strengthening which led to him being dismissed rather than cajolled into working with the board. But being on the outside of the club that is all pure speculation and just how I see it.

 

Don't suppose we will ever know what went wrong

Ritchie might just have been one of those lucky managers who got success with an average squad and then sat back and saw them playing some sparkling stuff - not necessarily because he was a good coach, but because they suddenly saw themselves on much bigger and brighter stages (well, APART FROM Layer Road) and responded accordingly. Then of course things started to go wrong and footballers who previously showed they could play suddenly stopped playing (I will never know why that happens - it is their living after all!).

I'm open minded about this new setup. I've been watching them long enough to know that there are good times, then there are bad times, and then sometimes even worse ones. If they can pull it off, brilliant. If they don't, we go back down and start again. Not the end of the world if that happens, just hope it doesn't.

 

RE: Don't suppose we will ever know what went wrong

We're fans so we support them. As long as those in charge allow people to do the jobs they're paid for.

 

One player short?............what about central defence?

Attacking midfielder would be great
But I would like to see more competition in central defence
So its two short

 

RE: One player short?............what about central defence?

Ah but....what about our inter-changeable defenders? Full backs who can play centre half, or on either left or right; centre halfs who can play midfield (alledgedly). Some competition would be good, I agree, but the manager hopefully knows what he is doing so let's give him a chance...for now. There are young lads coming through as well so who is to say one of those might not get in and stay there - Atkinson, for example, could do just what Mick McCarthy did, and Eric Winstanley and Pat Howard if you want to look even further back.

A Chris Morgan type would be welcome but we probably can't afford him, even if they would let him come back.

 

Good post Gloucester Red. Let's hope you're right but...

...I think we've needed a commanding centre half who can boss the defence for a while. Kay does his best and Reid's far too quiet. I've got high hopes for Atkinson for the future but I'm still a little concerned about the here and now. I'm excited about the new signings but a little apprehensive that we haven't strengthened at the back.

Up the reds anyhow.

 

If the two new boys do the business up front the defence won't be needed!

Other teams will be so worried about our rampaging attack with Devaney and (maybe) Reid bombing down the flanks, Brian "New Ronnie" Howard dancing his way through the middle that the pressure will be off our defence for a change. Hang on though....big flaw there. Kay and company relax, start Beckenbauer-ing the ball around in midfield and whoops, we concede a goal

 

One word.

Dwaine Mattis.

 

Yes, but now we've signed 2 guys no-ones ever seen play

so we're all happy. They'd better be good.