We find ourselves in a real quandary, currently there’s nothing to suggest we’ll enter the play offs with any momentum & morale at rock bottom, we could even miss out the way things are going. We could therefore sack Collins & hope a replacement or Devaney could get a tune out of them, but there’s no guarantee’s so could be a huge waste of money. We could stick with Collins regardless, & take it on the chin if we don’t get promoted, but then again he’s barely got the fan base backing anyway, so failure to get promoted would be disastrous for his tenure at Barnsley beyond this season. But beyond Collins, it would be disastrous for the club to remain in League One, it would be yet again another big reset with players out of contract, & poor players under contract plus we just wouldn’t be making ambitious signings would we, more lower league gambles. With teams like Wrexham coming up, & the relegated Championship teams plus the underachievers such as Charlton & Oxford for example having more financial clout than us, we would be more likely staring at the league below rather than the league above. It is vital we get promoted this season if we don’t want to be left behind. The question is what do we do now to maximise our chances? We all know the answer, the board won’t sack Collins, which is fair enough, we are 5th after all, I guess we just hope we can turn it around starting on Monday. The board however could give Collins free rein on what tactics to play. Especially at home, as currently what he’s using at the minute isn’t working.
If people genuinely want Collins sacked can you explain how a new manager should set us up & how it would work? I asked earlier in the season on a post like this & didn’t get a reply.
Now: Keep Collins. Don't make play offs: Sack Collins. Lose in play offs: The chat still needs to happen. I would probably say sack. Get promoted: Back him to keep us up next season.
we have at least 6 players off the top of my head that are over 6ft. In fact we have about 6 centre halves that are. Cole, Watters and McAtee are all speedy. We lack pace in central defence and central midfield (where we have another 6ft plus player in Russell)
When we play at home amend tactics to be more fluid and attacking. Game management of the pattern and structure isn’t working change it. Change the system not the players. I’d be surprised if any vaguely competent manager would lose 7 games at home given the level of teams we face. Oh and organise a defence. For an ex CH the way our defence is set up is criminal
That is just the way of life now, other teams will offer more money and players that aren't local or have any affinity with the town or club will leave. Let's be honest there isn't anything special about Oakwell as a workplace. This season should have been as close to a nailed on promotion as it could have been, we received good money for two defenders and should have been able to recruit two top level league 1 defenders from the first kick off. Failed recruitment and a poor managerial appointment, again.
All the poor recruitment stuff is a bit of a nonsense. Of our first team we have 7 or 8 players that would walk into most other L1 sides. For the defence you can set them up properly regardless of personnel
I can see your point of view, and I can understand that some fans get frustrated - specifically with the home form, which let's face it is what 90% of the fanbase see. I'm just posting in a thread which is titled Sack Him Tonight - which I completely disagree with. I haven't taken your points the wrong way - I admire the passion and I'm not offended. I was also in 25 degree sun yesterday checking my phone, whereas you were sat at Oakwell watching us put in a poor performance and come away with a horrendous result. So I fully understand your position and your passion. I guess we judge it on the end of the season. If we go up via the playoffs, then it has to go down as a successful season. If we fail, then its a question to ask in the off-season.
There absolutely no chance he’ll be gone before the players are in Dubai, Malaga or wherever they are going but come the end of the season he needs to be gone.
We all want us to be more fluid & attacking but how do you do that without exposing our weaknesses? Change the system to what?
McCart & De Gevigney are very small for centre backs. Only 6 foot 1. When you look at our successful centre backs from recent seasons - Pinnock, Lindsay, Helik, Anderson, Thomas, Kitching. They’re all taller than that. Cole can’t win a header. He’s no use defending set pieces. True, we do have a bit of pace up front but that’s no use when stopping counter attacks. Russell’s probably the best we’ve got at set pieces bar Pines. There’s an argument he’s worth a start for that alone.
When I have watched IFollow the height of our Centre Halves has been highlighted more than once and it’s not like we give loads of aerial goals. Anything over 6ft is pretty tall
one that attacks more. Do we really need 6 defensive players at home to Cambridge. Utilise the pace of Cole and Watters when you play them. Drop McAtee into a 10. Very few teams play rigidly the same way and don’t adapt tactics or change things up. Disingenuous of you to think the way we play is the only option available. At home our tactics very clearly don’t work. Not changing them after a full season of failure is remiss
The annoying thing is we have sent better player's out on loan than we have kept, absolutely stupid, plus the question is who picked which player's to go, if Collins had anything to do with it, he is worse than i thought