The performance v Reading was better.

We were weak as **** on Saturday - woeful 2nd half.

Boro are the worst team seen at Oakwell this season apart from us.

On the plus side, COG continues to show what Dave Jones knows about football and Paddy McCourt joins Jacob Mellis as one of the very few Barnsley players that look comfortable with the ball at his feet.

A decent side would have done either Boro or us 5-0 on Saturday. We must improve or else.

 

Charlton were worse than Boro.

Wasn't the best we've played under Flicker but it was good enough to earn 3 points and that's all that matters.

 

I'd rather us play ***** and get some more points on the table.

It's more frustrating playing the other team off of the field and then not getting anything.

 

We scored a worldy, a deflection and a penalty. I don't recall any chances we created and again we looked ***** at the back.

Boro had more chances before we scored than we did all game. Mellis wasted out wide (still), lack of control in the middle and the worst left back in the league.

 

About time we had some luck - but for 20 minutes it was possibly the worst game of football ever - we started off just like we did v Watford.

Selection might have been hampered with Ramage missing, but is RNL injured ?

Not going to have a go at Fox cos he's hardly played so needs getting up to speed but we were toss in central midfield. If we played across the pitch we'd create bagfuls of chances. Whatever we do we must not go straight towards goal, always check back or inside.

Actually more worried now than I have been, purely because a fluke result looks like masking our shortcomings.

Dunno, might have been a blip, but not confident.

 

I said straight after the game on Saturday we've played better and not won. However, I'll accept the victory in our current situation.
If anything, it proves the mantra that winning is everything is not universally accepted by all.

 

3 points is important but do you seriously think we'll survive playing like that ?

We'll not play like that every week granted, but we've played like it more often than not this season.

 

Reading performance was best I've seen this season.

On Saturday, I would give us a 7 out of 10 rating. We were good in patches, but not really consistent for long enough spells. We had some luck, but have been waiting some time for Lady Luck to be with us.....long may that continue.

Dyson is bang-on in an earlier post, we must have the worst left back in the league, despite TK having a getter game than normal, he is nowhere near good enough at this level. The lad drops to sleep leaving us exposed and his constant checking back and turning inside loses the impetus.

 

No, we won't survive

However, I DO believe we'll survive, win more games and play a lot better (as self belief and confidence returns) with the likes of McCourt, Mellis, Pedersen, Cranie & O'Grady playing regularly in the same team.
Also, I glad I'm not on my own in rejecting the mantra spoken of earlier.

 

Re: No, we won't survive

There's too many weaknesses at the minute for me to be confident.

A lot depends how David Fox develops into his role. Because we are shocking in the middle of the park currently.

 

Re: No, we won't survive

I think Fox has done OK and will develop further. My worry is who should play alongside him, because Perkins has been well below par this season. I wouldn't change the formation, but maybe try Etuhu?

 

We've definitely played a lot better and not won. Reading, like you said, being a prime example. I said at the game that I couldn't ever remember us doing so little and being 3-0 up. But I thought it was the game that was boring and rubbish rather than either team. We cancelled each other out and almost the entire first half was played in the middle third. I've seen games just like that between Man Utd and Chelsea, never mind Barnsley and Middlesbrough. It wasn't that we were 3-0 up after being under the cosh, we were 3-0 after no side really doing anything at all.

Middlesbrough did miss some chances, but so did we. Their number 9 had a clear run on goal (he was offside and he controlled the ball with his arm like, but it was still a chance) but Pedersen was clean through in the second half, who also fluffed his chance. The same forward for 'boro also had a couple of really good headed chances (whoever was supposed to be marking him was doing an awful job) but he put one over the top and the other straight in to Butland's hands. Meanwhile, Mellis put one just the wrong side of the post while McCourt flashed one just wide with the outside of his foot.

I thought we were in complete control in the second half. My fears at half time that we were somehow going to throw it away seemed to be unfounded. I don't think Butland made a save worthy of the name until about the 70th minute. Then, for a reason I simply cannot fathom, we moved to 5 at the back. Our right hand side that had looked solid until that point with O'Brien and Wiseman coping with 'boro's pace, was suddenly left wide open. Instead of 2 on 2, Wiseman moved in to the centre and O'Brien had to deal with wave after wave of attack all on his own. Sometimes up against 2 or 3 boro players. From that point on we were murdered. The last 10 minutes was a nightmare. Without doubt it left a sour taste in the mouth after what really should have been a sweet victory, but until the point we adopted a stupid formation I thought we handled the game really well, played OK without ever really hitting our stride and were definitely worth the victory.

I would have loved to have seen what a physically well Paddy McCourt would have done to that 'boro defence, who by the time the third went in were completely demoralised. I think we could have been on for a cricket score.

 

Re: No, we won't survive

Hopefully, we'll see an improvement on the quality of our play (perhaps akin to the Reading game) on Saturday, another three points and we finally begin to move in the right direction. It's my opinion we have Championship quality players at the club who, when on form, can achieve the necessary results. This is provided we're selecting & playing them in positions which get the best out of them and causes problems for the opposition, rather than playing a defensive game which suits no one, achieves nothing and simply doesn't work for us.

 

Totally agree.

 

Re: No, we won't survive

Agree with that - Fox looks comfortable in a deeper role, Etuhu's mobility would be a decent foil for that imho.

 

A stronger side would have murdered Middlesborough - or Paddy on on his own...

 

You're probably right, but for a side rooted to the bottom of the league to be 3-0 up and coasting (before going all daft) when the players must be playing with a certain amount of fear, is a massive step in the right direction for me. Flicker is obviously a very good motivator, we all saw that last season, but confidence in the side must have been low after some of the results we've endured this season, despite what Flicker has been saying to them all week. We saw that in the last 10 minutes, but the fact that we held on, we won and we scored 3 goals will be a massive boost for the players. Hopefully they'll take that in to the next game. With Pedersen, O'Grady, McCourt and Mellis in the side we've got some proper Championship quality, maybe a bit above our level with some of them, and if they start to get some belief I think we can do OK.

 

Hope you're right - and hopefully COG's team mates will want to help him show Dave and Milan what fcukwits they are.

 

I really can't understand why Wednesday would want to get rid of a player of O'Grady's calibre.

We've had some brilliant players in the past, but you could always sort of understand why we got 'em. Depending which reports you want to believe, Glavin had been in some trouble in Glasgow, he'd been sent home when away with the national team and maybe a move away from Scotland was the best thing for him. That and the fact that we offered him a contract much higher than he was getting a Celtic which wouldn't have hurt either. Hignett was up in Aberdeen, thoroughly miserable, away from his kids, desperate for a move back to England and big mates with our manager. Ashley Ward was constantly injured at Derby and although he turned out to be a bargain, we did pay good money for him. Paddy McCourt has always had issues with his fitness and if you believe the stories about him, he makes Mötley Crüe look like a bunch of nursery kids.

I'm not necessarily saying O'Grady is of their quality, but he's a model professional and looks as good a centre forward as I've seen at this level. Better than we've had for a long time. For our local relegation rivals to be almost trying to give him away to us is just bananas.