Sollbauer stat.

Obviously it's not all attributable to Sollbauer, but the improvement defensively since he came looks remarkable.
Before he came we'd conceded 54 goals in 29 league games, averaging 1.86 goals per game.
Since then we've only conceded 8 goals in 11 games, averaging 0.72 goals per game.

 

I'd say it's very unlikely to be coincidence. As I've mentioned in another post, it's my genuine opinion that if he or any other experienced centre half had been signed in the summer, we'd be in mid-table right now.

 

And this is the idiocy of 'the plan' for the sake of investing in one it two key players that may be older, they may even on the odd occasion be dearer too, but it add millions to the value of the club in that midtable is millions more in value than if we suffer relegation.

Then add the odd one or two more and you may even get further. That's steady growth.

Alternatively you can buy young, cheap and sell high and be completely rigid about it.

You may even offend do many fans doing the latter that you reduce the long term fan base. One dimensional doesn't work

 

This, in a nutshell.

 

It helps that we’ve started playing the best keeper in the squad as well.

 

While this is true, the irony is that we started with the most experienced keeper, presumably to counterbalance the complete lack of experience in front of him. Unfortunately this plan was flawed, due to the fact that Radlinger appeared to be completely gash between the sticks.

 

It's almost as if everything every Barnsley fan said about needing experience was right. I don't even think Sollbauer is particularly good. He's OK, but he's a long way from outstanding. But his experience is invaluable.

 

Sollbauer is older, but he is not more experienced. He never played outside Austria before, and he never played at the standard of the Championship. He is a player with different qualities to our usual acquisitions but he is not more experienced. The most important factor in any Barnsley player acquisitions is that they are happy with a salary that is within our pay structures. Many players from the English leagues, and especially from the higher leagues are not. Hence we buy young and we buy from abroad, but under those circumstances, none of them are experienced.

 

He makes the young lads around him look more likely to be sold for the big money our board salivate about.

 

He is more experienced in that hes played Europa league football, was club captain and has played way more games. Well done to Herr Struber for twisting the boards arm on this one.

 

Depends what your definition of experienced is RR. He's played over 300 games so I'd argue he's certainly more experienced than Andersen, Diaby, Oduor, Thomas, Halme etc, none of whom had played more than 60'ish first team games prior to joining us I don't think. I agree that he didn't have championship experience but he has played a lot of games and therefore 'knows' a bit more about it. Rather than supporting the buy young and inexperienced policy if anything I think it illustrates the folly of it.

 

Also more time on the pitch, than say Anderson. He has more minutes under his belt and that is priceless. Yes he has to fit the wage structure but this is why, as a business we constantly struggle at this level.
We are far too inflexible in our attitude. The money between this league and div one is sizable, we need to alter short term goals to achieve the long term goals and that means getting 2 to 3 players with games under their belt to help the young lads errrrr and then sell them!!

 

Your last sentence sums up how I feel. I'm conflicted between supporting the club but absolutely not the dogmatic, disinterested in the fans approach of these owners. I haven't renewed as yet - been putting off a decision tbh. I have some thinking to do today.

 

Agree, I said at the start of the season Walton should have been the first choice pick over Radlinger, his performances were abysmal. Don't get me wrong, I like Collins, but the confidence that Walton's shown recently and his determination is just the kind of keeper we need. I'd hand him that number 1 shirt for next season.

 

Of course he’s more experienced.

Realistically we weren’t going to get someone to the club in a similar mould with championship experience.

He’s played about 300 professional games, mostly in the Austrian Bundesliga, which might not be a top, top league but will have plenty of clubs and players of championship quality or better, and he’s played European football.

He’s also a leader, a talker, and an organiser.

He isn’t a world beater, but these attributes make the defenders around him a lot better, they are in the right position more often, his presence lifts their confidence.

Signing of the season. Just hope it wasn’t too late. We might still go down but it is his presence which is giving us a chance IMO. Other players are playing well with him, but I don’t see us getting these clean sheets without him.

I never thought I’d say that after the Portsmouth game mind you!

 

I am assuming that you do not live in a mansion in 60 acres of grounds. The question that I need you to answer, assuming that my assumption is correct is this. Why not? If your answer to that question is, because I cannot afford to, then you have your answer to why our policy of buy young, improve and sell on policy is in place. The club lives within its means, unlike many who borrow in order to finance their life style. I have spent part of the lock down analysing the Financial Statements of clubs in the Championship on record at Companies House. I know this stuff is boring to others, but it is no less relevant for all that. If a club makes losses, it must find a way of funding those losses. Essentially, It must borrow, and it must continue to borrow. It is a lifestyle that none of us would advocate in real life, and yet we are quite happy to advocate it as a strategy for our football club. In other words, we are quite happy to spend someone else's money in order to improve our match experience. Well I am not into that, and I do not intend to get into it.

 

We might have been mid table but Stendel wouldn’t be manager, he’d have gone to one of the clubs he was was talking to behind the clubs back

 

Your definition of experience is different to mine.

 

I'm uncomfortable with all the high fiving and loving going on when we're still in the bottom three.

 

Sol's best moment for me last night, which exuded experience,was when Armstrong did him for pace down the left and burst into the box. Instead of 'trying' to keep up and lunge in, he simply made sure Armstrong kept left then cut a corner and met up with him again on the edge of the 6 yard box and robbed him. All in the blink of an eye, but he looked at ease in doing it.