What's the problem and how do we fix it?

I don't post much stuff on here but feel I need to get some stuff off my chest after watching yet another frustrating game where once again we had better players, but failed to beat another poor pub team.

Since relegation from the championship I've seen very few decent teams in this division. I haven't seen any at all this season.
I think most teams in this league would give their high teeth to have players like Pearson, Scowen, Winnall, Mawson, Crowley, Hourihane, Roberts.
, etc.

Yet there is a recurring theme this season where despite our superior pedigree we fail to beat very poor teams (Chesterfield, Donny, Shrewsbury, Crewe, Blackpool) who combat our better players and sophisticated tactics by working hard, and just doing the simple things. They don't even do them well. Just simply. And rely on us to have not much of an end product!

Now I like Lee Johnson. I like his passion. I like his approach. And I like the fact he can get very good players to come and join our little club. He s also a young manager who is still learning the managerial ropes.

And if today's result had been a one off no one would really be that upset. One of those games where we had a lot of possession but it just wasn't our day and we couldn't find the net.
But its happening far too often. I keep watching the same grounghog match!

As we have good players, who are fit and well coached then by means of deduction the problem must surely be tactics?

I see LJ as a football purist. He likes his football science and yes football has developed beyond all recognition in recent years. The advance of analytical tools, special diets, specialised training are all coming more and more to the fore.
Teams at the very top all focus of defence and play just 1 up front. Most (if not all) teams in the premiership play 4-2-3-1 and all the top teams in Europe do. Spain even won the world cup playing 4-6-0.
At the very top level games are won and lost in midfield.
I read in Alex Ferguson autobiography that when they played Barcelona he said however many men Man U put in midfield Barca put one more.
Man City had a disaster in Europe a few seasons ago when they played 4-4-2 in Europe and were taken apart by poorer teams with better tactics and more footballing nounce (all who only played 1 up top as well).

So I think if Barnsley were in the Prem and we had to face the quality of midfielder that turns out for prem clubs we would need to pack our midfield and try and stifle the real game changing quality payers who play at that level.

However we aren't. We are in division 3. And most...arguably all clubs in this league are poor.

I remember a few seasons ago listening to blunts fans phoning in to radio dee dah complaining about both David Weir and Nigel Clough about the negative 4-2-3-1 formations they played.

So the sophisticated theories have much less effect at this level, including playing 1 up front.
You also need a specific type of player for that role. A target man. And we don't have any of those.

So I think LJ should swallow his pride a little, compromise his principles and start playing 2 up front. Maybe 1 up front if away from home to a good team, but not at home against Crewe!

Personally I would like us to play 5-3-2. We have 3 good centre backs, two decent attacking wing backs, in smith and winnall we should have a good pairing there to worry any team in this league. Along with a plethora of quality central midfielders.
Bristol City, Swindon Town and MK Dons all played that formation last season and they did ok with it.
But I would be happy with plain boring 4-4-2. The old fashioned formation no one trendy plays any more but with the quality of our players I bet we would have picked up a lot more points this season than we currently have.

Rant over!

 

It should be remembered that if we had taken maximum points from the bottom five last season, we would now be in the Championship (probably in 24th place).

 

Hurray....first class post
Everything summed up there...
We are trying too hard too hard to put think this division and the teams in it
We have more than enough quality in our players to do well in this league.
One up front ......none up front....five up front...it's how u apply yourself
Over to you jonno
Well said Darrin tho

 

A very intelligent and quite understandable rant.
I agree with what you've said ,I wonder however if LJ wants the system and tactics to work would Michael Smith be better suited to being on is own up front ?

Winnall certainly needs a pal up there if not because on his own he's useless as a two maybe that would be different

 

Thats darton

 

Yes I think Smith would be better suited than Winnall. But there is no reason not to play them both...IMHO.
Radical but lets have two players on the pitch who can finish off moves!

 

johnson reckons we dont have the players for 4-4-2 but maybe its just him that doesnt know how to use it effectively.

 

Football is a simple game in essence. In spite of lots of theories/systems if a team passes the ball well, works as a unit, moves into space in possession and defends space when not in possession then if the players are ok you give yourselves a chance. I think there is too much over-complication in Johnson-speak. Football is a simple game....

 

At the moment watching Barnsley is like watching this!!!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2WlFD2rbRk

 

I'm afraid I disagree. I think I'll log into online chess next weekend.....!!!!