'Star' overwhelmed by them Reds.

IT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE

THE first half was unspeakable so let's not talk about it.

The second was better but only from Colchester's point of view and ahead of beating Barnsley, they'd been pointless and slumped at rock bottom with Swindon.
Chris Iwelumo, wanted by Barnsley a couple of seasons ago gave Colchester their big moment.
His goal was a simple far post header on a Karl Duguid right wing cross two minutes after the break.
The best Barnsley could muster was a Gordon Banks v Pele type moment between Nick Colgan and Iwelumo so late in a garbage game that anyone with any sense was heading home.
Colgan's reflex stop with Iwelumo at point blank was the quality moment in dross not previously seen under Ritchie's management.
Ritchie was rightly angry. "Not acceptable, totally didn't play, didn't look as though we were up for the game, very lethargic, ran out of ideas... I'm just very disappointed, I didn't think I'd ever be saying these things after a game because we have got a good bunch of players in there but today they just weren't up for the game and we got what we deserved against opposition that we should be beating."
Barnsley made changes from the team that lost at Scnuthorpe. Paul Reid was back from injury at centre back.
Fair enough. But for some reason Ritchie elected to shift Antony Kay from the back four to right wing as Chris Shuker was dropped to the bench. Kay embraced the role as cackhanded as most centre halves would.
As expected Robbie Williams, back from suspension, reclaimed his place with Nicky Wroe among the subs.
Matt Carbon, who came off the previous game at half-time with a breathing problem, saw out the 90 minutes. Both were average in a team that stayed poor despite the addition of a third striker in Barry Conlon.
Shuker's appearance in the second half made little noticeable difference, either.
"We thought we'd come and be a little more solid away from home which probably made us a little less attacking," Ritchie explained.
"Chris Shuker didn't start the game, maybe that was a fault of ours, maybe we shouldn't have done that. Sometimes you do switch things around but I still didn't think we were in any great danger, I thought the game was very, very poor.
"I didn't think they were any better than us in the first half. In the second I felt we were just not at the races. We should have been better than we were. If we'd have had an extra 10-15 per cent we'd have come away winning. I was expecting to come here and win the game. I wasn't coming here for a draw. We are capable of winning."
It was Barnsley's third match in a week. Ritchie insisted that was no excuse. "We had good preparation, went down the night before and had plenty of rest so i can't put it down to three games in a week."
Phil Parkinson, the Colchester manager, had no complaints. "It was a tremendous performance to get our first three points. We were strong, the defence worked hard, the players were excellent."
'Tremendous?...excellent?'
Not sure I was at the same game as you, Phil.
15 August 2005
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More Barnsley Sport

 

sounded about right

and I also wondered about my sanity, staying till the end.

 

RE: sounded about right

THAT REPORT IS A CLASSIC

 

RE: sounded about right

I nearly belted it down the Motorway after work Saturday morning. Glad I settled for Jeff 'and the boys'.

Until we can cope with a cumbersome awkward centre forward and crosses/long ball played into our area, and also while I'm at it until the midfield start to pick up the 2nd ball either attacking or defending we'll struggle.

 

"dross not previously seen under Ritchie's management"

Yes it has been - at Port Vale.

 

We've got Kell to come back at Christmas

for the middle of the park and there's Barry Conlon who deserves a start you know

ff ff ff ff ff

 

yep...

and no surprise..same bunch of players who "performed" at Hillsbrough and Donnny last year to name just two

 

It's attitude mainly I'm afraid.

We (well the midfield)seem happy to stand and wait for the ball.

Also, and it pains me to say this, him being a Barnsley lad and obvioulsy loves the club, but Kay is not good enough to play centre half or midfield imho. He can't pass the ball either.

I hear Ritchie/Burns et al on the radio saying this year we will play at a higher tempo and close the opposition down quickly.

On what I've seen thus far that only applies if the opposition let us. If they are big and nasty and play the long ball then we go into our shells and cannot cope.

 

Colchester.

Sodding Colchester.

 

I agree..

We usually don't play at a fast tempo, allow the opposition too much time on the ball and when we have the ball often give it away cheaply

The manager is expected to make summat out of nowt. I don't envy him at all.

As for Kay, he's missing what Morgan missed: a decent player to play alongside him and learn from...plus a succesion of managers that don't seem to know where to play him

 

I thought Kay looked excellent in central midfield in the Hull game

And he played central midfield for the majority of the pre-season games. But come season opener and he's back to centre half, although I thought he played very well against Swindon. 2 games later he's on the right wing. It's no wonder the lad struggles sometimes. I reckon we've got an excellent central midfielder in Kay, but he's never given the chance to prove it.

 

Maybe so Jay

but we'd rather play Burns and McPhail. Kay played well in midfield at Alfreton and like you I thought he would start there...put no powder puff is back in

 

RE: I thought Kay looked excellent in central midfield in the Hull game

He cannot pass the ball. He cannot read the game. I would have thought he would be better at centre half, but after watching him v Scunny that confirms my opinion.

Like most of our squad, he looks alright when he's allowed to. If he gets closed down quick or challenged in the air, then it's a different story.

Still think a lot of it is down to attitude - thinking they are better than they actually are.

 

In that point Dirk, I think you have it...

I think a lot of our players believe their own hype, Mr Kay especially

 

I've still got high hopes for Kay

Just like to see him given a good run in central midfield without being moved when there's an injury to anyone else in the team.

 

RE: I've still got high hopes for Kay

I hope I'm wrong.

On a general note I can't understand how we can play the ball on the deck v Swindon,have the midfield picking up the 2nd ball but then go away to Scunny & Colchester and get drawn into a long ball shiteness.

 

''I've still got high hopes for Kay''

As a striker?
Go on Jay - tell us how good Kay would be up front.

We have a poor team.
Cack keeper, dodgy defenders, idle midfielders & not a single proven goalscorer.
Recipe for disaster.

In fact - if our squad were on a menu - they'd be either duck a l'orange or sticky toffee pudding.

 

Didn't see the away games so can't really comment

Can't say I'm surprised though. With the squad we've got I expected us to win more than we'd lose at home and lose more than we'd win away. We're more or less the same team as last season. I couldn't see things suddenly changing for the better for no apparent reason. We've a different manager, but our heaviest defeat of last season was away to Port Vale under Ritchie. I reckon the team we've got is more than capable of both beating and being defeated by every other team in the division.

 

That's where I'd play him!

and it has the added effect that the fans can't blame him for every goal we concede (cos they never see that goals can be midfielders' faults too)

anyway, Burns left midfield...WTF?

 

the same Kay who was best player on the park up front??

ok, one game it was, but the boy's being made to suffer for being versatile.

Give him central midfield next to McP. And give McP 6 more games before we f*** him off to the reserves. Cos if he's not far enough up the park to set summat up, what's the point of him?