Ritchie keen to maintain progress (BBC)

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="629" border="0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="3"><div class="mxb"><div class="sh">Ritchie keen to maintain progress </div></div></td></tr><tr><td valign="top" width="416"><font size="2"><div class="mvb"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="416" border="0"><tbody><tr><td valign="bottom"><div class="mvb"><span class="byl">By Pete Oliver</span></div></td></tr></tbody></table>
</div><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="203" align="right" border="0"><tbody><tr><td><div> <div class="cap">Ritchie wants to ensure his players stay focused</div></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Boss Andy Ritchie is happy to be leading a quiet revolution at Barnsley but is not getting carried away despite them being fifth in League One.

The 44-year-old, who won the October manager-of-the-month prize, is keeping his feet on the ground. </p>

He told BBC Sport: &quot;I'm very pleased, although we are not shouting from the roof tops about anything. </p>

&quot;We've done it before and let ourselves down. We have to keep our heads and not go overboard with the plaudits.&quot; </p>

He added: &quot;We can still do better and the thing is not to let it slip now. We have to guard against complacency, that's the big thing. </p>



We have often talked about it this season and the biggest thing is that we have to make sure we keep our consistency levels up.¿ </p>



Barnsley are unbeaten in five league games but will now have their mettle tested with back-to-back Yorkshire derbies against Bradford and Rotherham. </p>



Ritchie's men face Bradford again in the FA Cup next month and with Huddersfield and Doncaster also in League One, pride as well as points are often at stake. </p>



It seems like there is a local derby every three or four weeks, which is good because we know we have got to keep our levels of determination up,¿ said Ritchie. </p>



After a spell in the doldrums, football in Yorkshire is stirring again with Sheffield United, Leeds, Huddersfield and Barnsley all pursuing promotion campaigns. </p>



For Barnsley it has been a long road back with relegation from a one-season stay in the Premiership in 1998 leading to a tumble down the league and financial problems. </p>



Ritchie, the club's eighth manager in as many years following his appointment in March, has stopped the rot and is keen to bring the good times back. </p>



He added: There are a lot of clubs around this area, who are very well supported as there are so many. </p>



We get great crowds and I'm sure that if we can get even more consistency they will get even bigger. </p>



The club has had financial problems and has not long been out of administration. The new owners and chairman deserve credit for that and have got the club on an even keel. </p>



Hopefully if we can keep ourselves going forward on the pitch we can help that situation as well.¿ </p>



While Ritchie hit the heights as a striker with Manchester United, Leeds, Brighton, Oldham and the England under-21s, his managerial teeth have been cut the hard way at Oldham and now Barnsley. </p>



Not surprisingly then, his recipe for success is built around honest toil. </p>



We have been more resilient and with the results players have been believing in themselves a bit better. But hard work is the key,¿ he said. </p>



The work ethic has been excellent and if we keep doing that we feel the rest of it is not too bad. </p>



If the players take that on board and keep working hard for each other we can keep getting results.</p></font></td></tr></tbody></table>

 

Eight managers in eight years?

Keep up the good work. Once a year. About the same number of times I get a shag. Well, the same number of shags I get per year providing we take the one year I was dead lucky as the point of reference.

 

Jay should be our next Manager.

He'd then be our 'After Eight Mincer'.

That is the poorest thing I've ever seen.
Did you break into my post & write that?
You must have.
It's ****.

 

RE: Jay should be our next Manager.

He should. Then when we play Sunderland you could hear the microphone near the dugouts pick up both Mick McCarthy and Jay's booming masculine voices.

 

The next time we are out ...

... I want Jay to say the magic words ''ooohhh, chase me'' just once.

He's like Brian Blessed.
On gay helium.

 

'gay helium'

helpless

 

Nope, Still Gaz....................

Even though he is now offically **** and not funny

 

Yep - it's still Gaz.

We are talking about 'Cow Pie eating champion 2005' here aren't we?

Gaz is actually the Baaarnsli version of Craig David.
His facial hair is beautifully maintained.
And it's there to cover his 3rd, 4th & 5th chins.

I nearly said chintz.
Which also wouldn't have been funny.
At all.

 

Jay and The Chipmunks

perfect harmony, like aural silk

 

Still Gaz, however fat

Knocked off 7 pints at dinner time me.
Off now for a drink prior to getting a train back for the other halfs birthday meal, her and about ten of her friends - expect the following comment:

"Oooh, I see Scarthys **** faced again"

 

Dirk taking the piss out of my voice I can take

The gravelly Barsteward can strip paint wih his voice and at the side of him Freddie Trueman saounds gay. TFP is on dodgy ground like, but when you join the ruck there's stones and pots and blacknes and glass houses and kettles all over the place.

 

Pah, Jay

Get a mans voice

 

No ...

... get a straight man's voice.

 

Brilliant.

Your entire life is like watching George Best on a free 10 year all-inclusive holiday on the Island of Fitbints.

7 pints at lunch & I would be having a piss in the corner of the office whilst telling the sales girls how I was once in the group 911.

Between you & Jay - 10 pints were quaffed at lunchtime.
Just thought I'd point that out.

 

I'm not fat.

I'm close up. It's a perspective thing.

 

RE: Brilliant.

But Scarthy's was ale. Not Mr Almond's tipple of choice.

 

RE: Brilliant.

Home made ginger beer I'll bet with a big slab of Aunt Fanny's fairy cake.

 

RE: Brilliant.

Nettle wine and bearded clam

 

Jay is in training.

He had 3 pints of his favourite protein drink.

Spofftastic.

 

'kin 'ell

What don't you all come round tonight and kick f*ck out of me.