Back From The Game - Barnsley

[Southbank Old Boy]

I've been away - is it possible for someone to update me in a non-condascending way on why Doyle wasn't in the 16 and why Nunt went off 5 mins into second half? (No sneering responses please.)

I think Noel Hunt picked up a knock. But Doyle is a bit of a mystery. Maybe an injury but nothings been mentioned.

Its been mentioned that he has a knock hence not playing the other day too

[SLAMMED]

I've been away - is it possible for someone to update me in a non-condascending way on why Doyle wasn't in the 16 and why Nunt went off 5 mins into second half? (No sneering responses please.)

I think Noel Hunt picked up a knock. But Doyle is a bit of a mystery. Maybe an injury but nothings been mentioned.

Its been mentioned that he has a knock hence not playing the other day too

But to be left out of the squad completely, you think wewould have been told more about his situation.

[Platypuss]

I think Noel Hunt picked up a knock. But Doyle is a bit of a mystery. Maybe an injury but nothings been mentioned.

Its been mentioned that he has a knock hence not playing the other day too

But to be left out of the squad completely, you think wewould have been told more about his situation.

We knew he had been given an injection to his knee and had missed training on Thursday, so not really a surprise, surely?

[Smoking Kills Dancing Doe]

I can't believe it's come to this. We'll be lucky to make the play offs.

It's last season all over again, can't believe I didn't see this coming. Had faith in Coppell to change things, the last few months have been a joke.

The team has no confidence at all, never looked like they believed they could win, just like they knew they wouldn't at Blackpool. The manager has never turned round a bad situation like this, isn't going to do it now.

Why was Rosenior back in the side? Him and Hunt symbolise all that is wrong with this side. Players who think they are much better than they are, talk the talk to the media, then fail to back it up on the pitch at all. But we're stuck with them because the manager doesn't have the bollox to get rid and bring in new faces.

WIth Preston and Swansea's results it is going to be very tight, to be honest they deserve it more than us. At least they have shown some guts this season.

Funny how the same people who think things are gonna be alright, we're saying exactly the same things last season....

[Royal Lady]

I really cba to say much about yesterday's game, but what I will say is, SC himself alluded to the fact on radio Berks that the players weren't up for it, that some players weren't giving their all. My ex-professional footballer friend who was at the game said exactly the same - he couldn't believe how lacklustre we were, how no-one, with the exception of Armstrong and Tabb in his opinion, appeared to give 100%, no-one was running back, no-one was really trying to defend - no-one cared. Even in the days of Division 4 football, we had players who weren't technically that brilliant but each and every one of them gave their best, tried 100% and I never felt let-down by them, even if we were spanked 6-0 or whatever. But I do feel let-down. We all pay good money to watch this team, many of us travel hundreds, if not thousands, of miles to support them and yet for as long as I can remember this season, the players really do seem as they though they couldn't give a flying one. Well, I'd like to tell these prima donnas this: your lives as a professional footballer are pretty short in comparison to the rest of us plebs, you might be earning good money now and you might go on to forge another well paid career afterwards, but you'll be gone from here one day and when you are, WE will still be here and we'll still remember the good players and we'll still take the p out of the awful ones and there are a number of you here at the moment who will only be remembered for letting us down, not trying your best for OUR club and effectively sticking two fingers up at us fans, while you take your over inflated wages and drive your poncy great cars. You should be ashamed of yourselves. 100% effort and then a loss or a draw, I can take. Hardly bothering to break out of a trot, and not giving 100% effort I will not. Barstewards.

Sorry. Rant over.

[Royal Lady]

We'll never get rid of SHunt. No-one will pay his current wages. I'd rather he played for the reserves than sully our pitch ever again.

[SLAMMED]

I really cba to say much about yesterday's game, but what I will say is, SC himself alluded to the fact on radio Berks that the players weren't up for it, that some players weren't giving their all. My ex-professional footballer friend who was at the game said exactly the same - he couldn't believe how lacklustre we were, how no-one, with the exception of Armstrong and Tabb in his opinion, appeared to give 100%, no-one was running back, no-one was really trying to defend - no-one cared. Even in the days of Division 4 football, we had players who weren't technically that brilliant but each and every one of them gave their best, tried 100% and I never felt let-down by them, even if we were spanked 6-0 or whatever. But I do feel let-down. We all pay good money to watch this team, many of us travel hundreds, if not thousands, of miles to support them and yet for as long as I can remember this season, the players really do seem as they though they couldn't give a flying one. Well, I'd like to tell these prima donnas this: your lives as a professional footballer are pretty short in comparison to the rest of us plebs, you might be earning good money now and you might go on to forge another well paid career afterwards, but you'll be gone from here one day and when you are, WE will still be here and we'll still remember the good players and we'll still take the p out of the awful ones and there are a number of you here at the moment who will only be remembered for letting us down, not trying your best for OUR club and effectively sticking two fingers up at us fans, while you take your over inflated wages and drive your poncy great cars. You should be ashamed of yourselves. 100% effort and then a loss or a draw, I can take. Hardly bothering to break out of a trot, and not giving 100% effort I will not. Barstewards.

Sorry. Rant over.

You call that "not much"?

[Royal Lady]

You want to hear me when I have something to say!

[SLAMMED]

Nope

[Rex]

It possibly seems there is a split within the team again. Highly paid underachiever in one camp. Everyone else in the other.

[Mr Angry]

If it wasn't for the fact that the game fully lived down to all expectations, I would have been seriously disappointed by yesterday; as has been said, too many players out there simply gave the impression that they weren't bothered. I know they care, genuinely care, about playing their best, but yesterday was poor.

As someone sat near me said yesterday, anyone who has seen us play more than once this season can get an opposing team to nullify our game, because we ONLY have a Plan A; play a 451, nullify the midfield, double team the wingers to stop any service to the forwards then hope to snatch a winner on the break.

As long as Coppell persists in playing his utterly predictable 442, which leads to the sot of results we have had a home since the end of Jan, the more frustrated everyone will get.

IT ISN'T WORKING FFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If something doesn't work, and continues to not work, then bl**dy CHANGE IT! We started 2 games this season employing a 451/433 formation: result? an away win, and an away draw, no goals conceded. Play 5 in the middle - Cisse, Karacan and Marek, Tabb on the left, Kebe on the right and NHunt/Kitson up front. It is worth a try because ITS DIFFERENT.

Everyone is moaning about SHunt and Kebe, but the fact is that by the time they get the ball, they usually have 2 players on them - the wide man and the inside midfielder from that side; no wonder they can't do anything with it! Playing a 5 man midfield will help address that and will give our wider players more options.

I think we will make the play-offs, and after that, who knows?

[weybridgewanderer]

I can't believe it's come to this. We'll be lucky to make the play offs.

It's last season all over again, can't believe I didn't see this coming. Had faith in Coppell to change things, the last few months have been a joke.

Are you snowbalol in disguise?

[Victor Meldrew]

If it wasn't for the fact that the game fully lived down to all expectations, I would have been seriously disappointed by yesterday; as has been said, too many players out there simply gave the impression that they weren't bothered. I know they care, genuinely care, about playing their best, but yesterday was poor.

As someone sat near me said yesterday, anyone who has seen us play more than once this season can get an opposing team to nullify our game, because we ONLY have a Plan A; play a 451, nullify the midfield, double team the wingers to stop any service to the forwards then hope to snatch a winner on the break.

As long as Coppell persists in playing his utterly predictable 442, which leads to the sot of results we have had a home since the end of Jan, the more frustrated everyone will get.

IT ISN'T WORKING FFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If something doesn't work, and continues to not work, then bl**dy CHANGE IT! We started 2 games this season employing a 451/433 formation: result? an away win, and an away draw, no goals conceded. Play 5 in the middle - Cisse, Karacan and Marek, Tabb on the left, Kebe on the right and NHunt/Kitson up front. It is worth a try because ITS DIFFERENT.

Everyone is moaning about SHunt and Kebe, but the fact is that by the time they get the ball, they usually have 2 players on them - the wide man and the inside midfielder from that side; no wonder they can't do anything with it! Playing a 5 man midfield will help address that and will give our wider players more options.

I think we will make the play-offs, and after that, who knows?

Don't disagree with any of that Mr A except the doubling up bit.
I lost count of the times yesterday when Kebe had just the one defender to beat but he slowed down and allowed an extra player to get back and yesterday Barnsley didn't play 4-5-1 they matched us at 4-4-2 and generally passed the ball better.
If there was ever a game for Marek to play in it was this one as Barnsley don't flood the midfield nor do they have particularly strong or defensive-minded players in there.
The odds are still greatly in our favour to make the play-offs but there seems to be a strong feeling around that people hope that we don't.

[Royal Lady]

There's no point in going up - we won't stay there. Almost certainly a new manager, brings in new players - but Chairman won't want to spend much money and certainly doesn't agree with big wages, (except, curiously in the case of SHunt) - so we'll be embarrassing to watch week in, week out. I actually don't think I can bear to him Mr Mad roll out his usual "we intend to remain in the Premiership and will do all we can to stay there" - because he doesn't and he won't.

[Rex]

Playoff final; and lose is currently the realistic choice IF we are ever that fortunate.

[Jackson Corner]

We'll never get rid of SHunt. No-one will pay his current wages. I'd rather he played for the reserves than sully our pitch ever again.

Who would be daft enough to pay five million for him? He's not even good enough for this league let alone the premiership.

[North Somerset Royal]

I really cba to say much about yesterday's game, but what I will say is, SC himself alluded to the fact on radio Berks that the players weren't up for it, that some players weren't giving their all. My ex-professional footballer friend who was at the game said exactly the same - he couldn't believe how lacklustre we were, how no-one, with the exception of Armstrong and Tabb in his opinion, appeared to give 100%, no-one was running back, no-one was really trying to defend - no-one cared. Even in the days of Division 4 football, we had players who weren't technically that brilliant but each and every one of them gave their best, tried 100% and I never felt let-down by them, even if we were spanked 6-0 or whatever. But I do feel let-down. We all pay good money to watch this team, many of us travel hundreds, if not thousands, of miles to support them and yet for as long as I can remember this season, the players really do seem as they though they couldn't give a flying one. Well, I'd like to tell these prima donnas this: your lives as a professional footballer are pretty short in comparison to the rest of us plebs, you might be earning good money now and you might go on to forge another well paid career afterwards, but you'll be gone from here one day and when you are, WE will still be here and we'll still remember the good players and we'll still take the p out of the awful ones and there are a number of you here at the moment who will only be remembered for letting us down, not trying your best for OUR club and effectively sticking two fingers up at us fans, while you take your over inflated wages and drive your poncy great cars. You should be ashamed of yourselves. 100% effort and then a loss or a draw, I can take. Hardly bothering to break out of a trot, and not giving 100% effort I will not. Barstewards.

Sorry. Rant over.

RL you are spot on and have encapsulated my thoughts entirely. The capitulation at Blackpool was the final straw for me and yesterday I went expecting that we would put up the lame display we did and was not disappointed. The sooner we get rid of the current crop of overpaid prima donnas the better.

[Agent Balti]

There's no point in going up - we won't stay there. Almost certainly a new manager, brings in new players - but Chairman won't want to spend much money and certainly doesn't agree with big wages, (except, curiously in the case of SHunt) - so we'll be embarrassing to watch week in, week out. I actually don't think I can bear to him Mr Mad roll out his usual "we intend to remain in the Premiership and will do all we can to stay there" - because he doesn't and he won't.

...or a manager say that there aren't any available players that fit blah blah blah that are better than what we've got. That one really got on my tits.

[Royal Lady]

I'm really angry about it all today - they've thrown it all away, because they don't give 100% and that irks me so much, when we pay our hard earned money to watch it and they effectively treat us as if they don't give a flying one. I'd like a word or two with them all in the dressing room, that's for sure.

[PEARCEY]

Agree with you RL. They have totally thrown it away. Its been an abysmal 2009 so far. They potentially have an opportunity to turn it around in the play-offs if they make them. If w dont go up I worry about the future especially if some bigger clubs get relegated from th Prem and the likes of Leeds go back up into the Championship.