Quite an interesting summary on Sky Sports blog

It didn't come as much surprise to Barnsley fans that Simon Davey has left the club, but in our correspondent Simon Gaskell's opinion it could be the start of tough times.

So Simon Davey has finally run out of lives.

It was another home game, another capitulation and another prickly atmosphere in which fans' frustrations boiled over. It has been an all too familiar tale since even last season and in truth it's astounding that Davey has lasted this long.

His legacy will, of course, be the unforgettable FA Cup run in which the Welshman provided a small town club with eternal memories of conquering Anfield at the death, and of defeating, and outplaying, the millionaire prima donnas of Chelsea.

However, as fans rejoiced, they did so with the players. Davey himself was never popular. He was up against it from the start. His appointment was not the fans' choice and took everyone, possibly even himself, by surprise.

Indeed fans were still reeling from the hasty departure of Andy Ritchie when Davey was announced his successor. Though he was already employed by the club, many supporters had not heard of him, and he was not the 'name' that they craved. They were sceptical from day one.


Paranoid
Davey did not help himself either. He banned supporters from watching training in an apparent fit of paranoia that the ten retired miners that had turned up for years were secretly working for opposition clubs.

Where Ritchie possessed charm and charisma, Davey patently did not. He refused to take up the challenge that Patrick Cryne put to him to take his case out to supporters and build up a rapport. His dismissive manner when questioned about fans' concerns pushed the relationship beyond repair.

Cryne was fiercely loyal to Davey right to the very end. Even in the statements given announcing the decision, there are lines about 'regret' and the club being 'in much better shape'.

There is no doubt that if results had been even marginally better, then Cryne would have delayed taking decisive action. However, the results on the pitch speak for themselves and can only be masked or spun for so long.


History
As I said in my opening blog of the season, we needed to see progress. We have not. Though the club claim otherwise, in the two and a half years of Davey's tenure we have stood still.

We have had a massive turnover of players, only a handful of which have had a sustained impact and are still with the club. The lack of continuity and recruitment of players with Championship experience, or experience of English football at all, has given us a ramshackle side with ramshackle results.

To the outsider looking in, it may seem incredulous that our run to the FA Cup Semi-Final was not enough to give Davey more immunity. Perhaps it would have been had he not dined out on it so much, using it as a subliminal defence at every opportunity he could.

I will certainly always be grateful to Simon Davey for those wonderful weeks in which every paper you picked up or sports channel you watched was covering us and championing our incredible story.

However, that run served to show that we had the technical ability to be a good team and highlighted how poor our bread and butter form in the league was.


Worries
Looking forward, we are now left with a very difficult scenario. Simon Davey has spent the majority of the Summer transfer budget. It is his team; they are his players. Persuading a decent manager to take on that team with limited expenditure of his own may prove difficult.

Aidy Boothroyd is one name that is already being spoken about: a manager that wouldn't cost us any compensation, with good experience at this level who is from the area.

I would also like to put Mark Robins' name forward. He strikes me as a particularly ambitious manager and I believe that we may well represent an attractive opportunity for him to jump up the leagues and further his career.

I am in no doubt that Simon Davey had to go. However, I can't fail to recognise he gave his absolute all for Barnsley. For that, thank you Simon, and good luck.

 

Not much wrong with that

About sums my feelings up.

 

RE: Not much wrong with that

Yeah... I don't doubt his effort either, but he'd had enough time and support. The board made the right decision.

 

Bloody good article that nt

 

He lost me when he put forward Mark Bobbins nt

 

Pretty much spot on that.

 

RE: Not much wrong with that

Agreed. The board clearly don't want to be in another relegation battle for a fourth season and after such a poor start they obviously felt that the change of manager was needed sooner rather than later. And based on the results and performances in the home games, you couldn't disagree.

 

Spot on

Agree with all that (clap) (nodding2fingers)

 

I just hope some of the rumours are wrong

ie Adams (as they have said it is not true), possible Director of Football etc.

If they employ someone unproven they might as well have kept Simon to be honest.

Jewell/Curbishley/Ince possibly for me are people we should be speaking to. If they don't want to come, fine, but I'd rather know for certain before I go for a League Two manager.

 

refreshing to read such an articulate accurate report

a million miles away from the report yesterday that suggested it was like watching Brazil all over again with sleek passing football.

 

Whose blog is it?

 

Simon Gaskell - Barnsley FanZone

http://www.skysports.com/fanzone/blogs/story/0,24015,16626_5525489,00.html

 

Robins wouldnt have much banter with the fans either,quiet and miserable looking,PR rating 0,we need a club seller.

 

(Y) good read