Season so far, player review - what do you reckon?

Bit of a summary:

Colgan - Improved a hell of a lot from last year, a little bit iffy on crosses but to be fair has kept us in games when with some awesome saves. A lot of clean sheets!!

Flinders - Big future. Hope we can hold onto him.

Hassell - Carried on from the end of last season and happy with the fella. I reckon he plays best at centre half and his readiong of the game is excellent.

Austin - Erratic. Lunatic. Sometimes good but sometimes way out of postion.

Tongue - Progressing well. This lad could have a big future.

Williams - Very disappointed. Overweight.

Reid - The rock. Quality player, great leader - and his reading of the game has improved a hell of alot. I heard someone mention playing him in centre of midfield - no way, he hasn't got the legs to get up and down the park.

Carbon - Quite like this guy but injured too much.

Vaughan - Please get rid of him. Just hope Stockport keep him.

Kay - Hmm, not sure. Sometimes good, sometimes dodgy. But useful that he can cover a range of positions. I thought he would progress into a truly great centre half - maybe suffered from being played in too may positions.

Watt - Not sure about him. He must be good to be rated by Chelsea (Rocastle though!!)Good in the air but gives away too many freekicks and hacks from behind - liable to be sent off.

McPhail - A big relief that in my opinion the most gifted midfielder we have had for years is finally turning good. More steal has been added to his game and that doesn't mean diving in like an idiot with piss poor timing it means holding players off and retaing possession or forcing the opposition into a mistake. Creates time and space for himself and knows to spread the play. Him and Howard were class against Bradford. Needs to continue making his presence known - if he does I think he can be the key to us challenging at the end of the season.

Howard - Really rate this guy, I was a bit concerned about his steal to play in the centre of midfield but proved me wrong against bradford. Not a holding midfielder but more of a playmaker. Dodgy diving in for tackles though - a bit like Scholes. Overall fantastic touch and awareness. Links very well with McPhail and will score a few with late runs into the box. Would now play in the centre rather than out wide.

Shuker - Gone quiet over the last couple of weeks - not sure why. Even when he isn't having his most creative game he never lets the team down with workrate. Can score goals and that is definitely needed. Rather have him playing for us than against us.

Burns - Really impressed over the opening couple of months and looks more comfortable supporting the forward line than in the past. Bit quiet against Rotherham but most were.

Kell - No idea, but am hopeful. Shouldn't expect too much too soon. Will take a fair few weeks involved in the first team to get up to speed.

Devaney - Improved a hell of a lot. Entertaining and dangerous. However, sometimes erratic and puts his head down and dances when he should put the ball into the box.

Wroe - All perspiration and no inspiration. Not good enough for the first team but has looked better than last year. I would probably give the lad another year or two just in case he turns good, but would not be cheesed if we got rid.

Conlon - Good touch but always 40 yards from the goal. Not the type of player we need. Hopefully can get shut in January if his injury is sorted.

Nardiello - Could be and should be a great player. Really hope he doesn't turn into the lazy sulking git Lumsden ended up. Pull your finger out Danny - we really, really need a goalscorer.

Hayes - Fantastic touch. Hilarious watching him jump to head the ball - doesn't want to mess up that lovely hair do. When playing alongside a striker with movement can be a great link between midfield and attack and I reckon will score more when he has a partner that can play one-twos. Intelligent and retains possession. Could be worth a few bob in the future. Has started to put himself about more but was quiet against Rotherham.

Richards - As someone else said - 'he punchers above his weight'. Aggressive and works hard - decent touch and was well impressed v Bradford. Goalscorer - not convinced. But better than Conlon for our style of play.

Jarman - Not the finished article but looks lively and looks to have a good touch. One for the future.

Ritchie - Rate him. Sured up the defence got creative midfielders in and has the lads playing some decent football in a division that likes to whack the ball rather than pass it. Enthuses the players and has their respect (unlike Hart). Reminds me of Danny Wilson in his style and straight talking, getting young players involved in the first team is a good thing. Got and still getting rid of some of the crap Hart left us with and balancing the squad better than Hart who had loads of defenders and attackers and hardly any midfielders.

Overall verdict - the future is brighter than it has been in the last few years.

Automatic promotion - possible, but we need a goalscorer (Nardiello - sort your self out lad)
Playoffs - more likely.

Yoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo reds!!

 

Agree with all that. Fair summary. Someone said Robbie W was having problems of some sort which may explain his dip in form.

And it was me that said Richards was punching above his weight. A class comment imho.

 

Disagree about 'Sick Note' Reid. IMHO flatters to deceive. His balls forward are generally overpowered, and like Kay liable to make mistakes. As for Burns, he runs around a lot, makes a nuisance of himself, but other than that.... can't take a corner to save his life.

 

got to agree with most of that.

 

I agree with a lot of what you said.
Williams looked brilliant in pre-season at LM but has lost his form now.
Ritchie has got to be commended. Barnsley have the best defensive record in the league...when was the last time we said that. And this is in spite of having to change our back four for every game.

The players most responsible for our form have to be:

1. Burns (Mr Consistent)
2. Colgan (Most Improved player)
3. Nicky Wroe (Noticed how well we do when he's injured!)
ff

 

Some of what you say is resonalbe

Colgan - Improved a hell of a lot from last year, a little bit iffy on crosses but to be fair has kept us in games when with some awesome saves. A lot of clean sheets!!

Was never the problem, The Carbon - Vaughan combination was the problem, COLGAN was the scappegoat

Hassell - Carried on from the end of last season and happy with the fella. I reckon he plays best at centre half and his reading of the game is excellent

Often misreads the game leaving him woefully out of position. Distribution has continued to be awful which again leads him in no mans land. in Summary a truly shocking excuse for a footballer


Austin - Erratic. Lunatic. Sometimes good but sometimes way out of postion.

Needs to Grow up and get on with the game.

Tongue - Progressing well. This lad could have a big future.

Does a fantastic job considering we have never played him in midfield which is his natural position. not sure he would get in the midfield at the moment on for the future

Reid - The rock. Quality player, great leader - and his reading of the game has improved a hell of alot. I heard someone mention playing him in centre of midfield - no way, he hasn't got the legs to get up and down the park

A Good player but we need a leader in the mould of McCarthy or Taggart of Morgan

Howard - Really rate this guy, I was a bit concerned about his steal to play in the centre of midfield but proved me wrong against bradford. Not a holding midfielder but more of a playmaker. Dodgy diving in for tackles though - a bit like Scholes. Overall fantastic touch and awareness. Links very well with McPhail and will score a few with late runs into the box. Would now play in the centre rather than out wide.

Been really really good in the few games we have seen him, lets hope he can maintain that standard

Burns - Really impressed over the opening couple of months and looks more comfortable supporting the forward line than in the past. Bit quiet against Rotherham but most were.

Playing just the same as he has since he joined the club, but now seems to be getting the recognition that he deserves


Richards - As someone else said - 'he punchers above his weight'. Aggressive and works hard - decent touch and was well impressed v Bradford. Goalscorer - not convinced. But better than Conlon for our style of play.

Before the Rotherham game had gone from WHO THE ****, to first choice striker.

 

Hmm

Not entirely true IMO.
Colgan HAS improved.  He's overcome a crisis of confidence that did affect his form last season.  I am not suggesting that being behind a poor defensive partnership wasn't part of that but he made some serious bloopers last campaign that were down to him and him only.  But he's done his wound-licking in the close-season and come back stronger.  Good for him.

I find it interesting that you feel Austin needs to grow up whereas Burns is finally getting the recognition he deserves.  The way I see it is that Austin needs to grow up just like Burns has done.  When he first came, Burns definitely had some quality but all too often got himself in the book before he got himself in the game.  Now the quality shows through because he has developed the discipline to allow it to.  Austin needs to do the same.

Oh and Hassell is good enough for this level, no question.

 

there are questions about hassell

at centre back he is good but at right back he is nowhere near good enough for this league. Dale tonge embarrasses him week in week out.

Our best defensive line up is by far Tonge - Hassell - Reid - Austin

 

Do you think Shuker is not playing well because his mate Nardiello is not in the team at the moment.

 

the problem with shuker is that when hassel is playing RB he has to cover a lot more ground as i have lost count how many times i have seen him behind hassel defending

 

I agree