"We've sacked too many managers, so we shouldn't sack this one"

Cracking post. Totally agree with everything you have said. The whole situation is crying out for us all to be patient.

 

The worry is for me that after the Crewe game the manager in his radio interview said he saw nothing wrong and that we were unlucky . I think he genuinely meant it. It was the most featureless and uninspiring game I've seen for years and the crowd almost fell asleep. If he cannot see there is something wrong then there is no hope for him or the club.

 

You have no problem mocking your mentally balanced fellow fans and calling them "happy clappers" or something, but you can't take any of the "abuse" back? Perhaps "miserable moaner" would be a more appropriate term.

 

I'm not sure how much value we should put in the post match interviews of football managers. I don't care a jot for either Man Utd or Arsenal, but some of the stuff Ferguson and Wenger have come out with over the years, after their team has performed badly, has had my back up. If they'd said similar as Barnsley manager my blood would be boiling. They'd have the meat ripped from their bones by some on here.

 

Can't I ?

You really do make me laugh!

It's called a frank exchange of views

And I my friend would not dish it out if I couldn't deal with the bullets fired back!!!!

 

It's always the same people who want the manager sacked. Every single time. That's what I don't get. How they repeatedly think the manager is the problem, people who go on to be successful elsewhere. I'm only just starting to get over the club sacking Wilson. Can't believe people are suggesting we do the same to Johnson.

 

I have heard it said LJ won't be the only one to depart. Does that suggest Ben would go? I don't think that would change an awful lot. Maybe people refer to PC leaving but how is that going to happen?

 

Why?

 

I agree. The other thing that narks me is that those same people never offer up a constructive alternative solution. The encouraging thing on this board at present is that there seems to be a healthy proportion of people who don't want him sacked. People who can see that that would just perpetuate the problems we've had over the years. Patience and support is what he needs.
Personally I don't think we're that far away from creating something. It really would be crazy to get rid now.

 

Much unrest behind closed doors HR.

Something will give

 

One big problem this time is that the style he is hell bent on enforcing on us is so boring, if he keeps it up we won't have that many fans left to explain the meaning of patience to!
If he upped the entertainment value a bit and was showing some steady progress rather than ploughing on regardless it might help, that andhis substitutions when he tries to change mid game are sometimes mystifying borderline panic.
Always a worry when peoples best argument for not getting shut of a manager is that it hasn't worked before, surely that's more a sign of **** choice in previous managers, other clubs seem to make it work in the main.
Hope he turns it round but the signs aren't very good.

 

How many times have we seen players go into the box but instead of having a shot at goal they choose to pass the ball. Is it a lack of confidence or is it bad tactics.
In every game I've seen this season we just haven't put the chances away. You can't blame the manager for the chances they have missed in front if goal.
In all the league divisions every team who are between the top 6 and above the relegation zones must be having the same problems with winning games.
The fans need to get behind the players and the players need to be more positive in the opponents box.
Changing the manager doesn't mean our players would create more chances. I believe our players have the ability and belief, but they just need to be more ruthless.
There's still a long way to go and I think they will turn it around in the second half of the season.
Call me an optimist !

 

The only change I can see is a potential takeover, I thought PC had decided against this.

 

Totally agree that we've sacked managers too often and often too quickly. Most of us therefore have an inclination that this is having a damaging impact and probably needs to stop. I agree with that but sadly LJ is not the one to end the trend with - the merry-go-round does need to stop, but we need this guy off it before it does.

Personally, I'd have kept Danny longer, kept Mellon longer and possibly Flitcroft (season 1 version) but they were jettisoned despite all having more pedigree than this guy. I've seen nothing in LJ to see why he merits being kept longer - that includes last season as well as this.

There is no identity to the team, no vigour, no drive, no force, no hunger for goals, no plan B or C, a confusing plan A, players who don't fit plan A and no plan to fit the players we have, damaging rigidity in recruitment policy and little/no/poor back options. Substitutions are generally delayed too long and at best counter-productive, at worst baffling (cf Doncaster).

LJ should be managing the situation, not bemoaning the youth of the players he has largely recruited. He needs to quickly:-

1) Send all current loanees back where they came from;
2) Use the freed slots or free agency (until January) to:-
- get an experienced back-up to Davies
- once and for all sort the full-back positions
- get some central midfield sh!thousery (I doubt very much whether the 'effin spreadsheet would ever have given us a player like Darren Sheridan) but our tippy-tappers are out-muscled every week in this area (don't give me Everton as they didn't include Barry and McCarthy in their team that night)
- beg, steal or borrow JOS or another winger with some actual end product.
- get a striker who will win and hold some ball for Winnall to play off.
3) Adopt a system which promotes serious sustained threat to the opposition penalty area and gets numbers into the six yard box - I'd prefer 4-4-2 but it's less about the system and more about the mindset and attitude.

Things need changing very quickly, either from within or ultimately by swift replacement. I've been to every league game this season except Millwall and am a former happy-ish clapper.

 

Now you are an Unhappy Flapper

 

We need a Manager not a Head Coach.

 

We need someone who has a clue as to what he is doing!

 

That is probably the best post I have ever read on this forum. Articulate, intelligently written and logical. Take a bow.

Like everyone else I have opinions of the formation we should be playing, the tempo we should be playing at, who and the type of player who should be in the team, signings we make, etc. But I'm just a fan with limited knowledge of players and tactics

You have hit the nail on the head with your call for patience. Unfortunately in the modern game patience usually extends to 4-8 games, not 2-3 seasons! And if we are perceived to be failing then the obvious answer is to of course sack the manager! Do not for heavens sake let the man learn his mistakes and do something about it. Just get rid of him. Bring in a new bloke in who will make everything right......only he wont!
Like others I can get frustrated watching Barnsley and I expect immediate results. But in reality that's not always possible.

Like all managers LJ has made mistakes. I'm am sure privately he would admit that. He is a young and inexperienced manager. But he is like our players, promising but lacks experience. He will only gain that experience by adopting strategies, seeing them succeed and seeing them fail and then learning and adapting accordingly.

Unfortunately the time allowed to learn (not just at Barnsley but at 99% of football teams all over the country) and adapt isn't 2-3 seasons its closer to half a season which is no time at all to see how competent anyone is.

 

A few years ago the football league used to publish how much money had been spent on agents fees and we were always one of the high spenders presumably because we constantly havr to pay an agent to arrange the 100+ loans since PC took over