Barnsley (H) match thread - Boxing Day

[Sam Kelly's Left Boot]

3 minutes ago, JRC said:

We kept Massey because he was under contract.  Worrall left because we offered him a one year deal to 34 and Barrow 2 years to 35. 

He should of got that 2yr deal. Regardless of age, he was 1 of, if not our fittest player. Rarely injured, always gave 100%... oh and he was better than anything we've got.

[worldsendvalefan]

It's rubbish to say playing wingback took 2 years off Worrall's career, he's 34 at the end of this season. How many attacking players are still playing at that age? We offered him 12 months,  Barrow gave him 2 years. So he'll be 35 when he ends that contract.  Whether he's played wingback, winger or centrehalf it's unlikely he'd be playing league football beyond 35. 

Okay, point taken. However, I still maintain he would have been in a lot better shape and more likely to be offered a two year deal. Had he been played as a winger. Instead of having to constantly charge from one end of the pitch to the other in the wing back role. Because he always gave 100%. I felt he looked as if his legs had gone a bit towards the end of last season.

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[philpvfc]

In hind sight we should have kept Worrall but I don’t disagree with letting him go but we needed to sign someone who was at least as good but we didn’t. Massey will most likely go once his contract has finished, in fact it will be criminal if we renew it. Clarke was a good signing, just unfortunate he’s picked up a bad injury.

on the let we had Benning who wasn’t good enough but we’ve replaced him with Grant who is a bit better but nearly always injured and that is unlikely to change so we have Worrall’s replacement playing out of position on the left and Massey who we are lumbered with on the right, with those 2 we simply cannot play a back 3 - they are no way good enough.

[man in the pub]

1 hour ago, JRC said:

We kept Massey because he was under contract.  Worrall left because we offered him a one year deal to 34 and Barrow 2 years to 35. 

Understand the why but can't help thinking both were bad decisions. Worrall lacking pace or Massey lacking effort, it's no contest for me. I would have tried to move Massey on despite his contract and offered Wozza a 2 year deal despite his age. He would walk into this team by just putting his usual amount of effort in.

[Jacko51]

2 hours ago, Sam Kelly's Left Boot said:

He should have got that 2yr deal. Regardless of age, he was 1 of, if not our fittest player. Rarely injured, always gave 100%... oh and he was better than anything we've got.

I wonder if the emergence of James Plant queered Wozza’s pitch?

[MBE]

6 hours ago, Devine intervention said:

If it wasn't Crosby it be someone else do you think the manager tells players go out there and play terribly it seems whatever he said at half time he needs keep repeating till we start winning games regularly as the response second half was brilliant .

My concern with Crosby is that he respects other teams too much and is more wary of them than what we can do .

Our home forms been shocking for many a year .

We needed have a complete clear out in summer and I think in Jan all be gone from past seasons of woe (mainly) .

Crosby will be out a job soon enough unfortunately for him, because I can see what he is trying to do but the 3 at the back leaves us wide open gamely especially when there's just the one up front as the top teams in this leagues defenders have that extra quality what counts to play balls what will turn us around and put  us in trouble .

Straight away he needs especially v the better teams 2 up front to block off there first phase of play .

Motivation should come from within each player who represents us .

I've seen it for years .

Askey asking the players wear the shirt with pride .

Really why should he  had have  to do that .

He is not the only one .

DC going through a hard time and some players  throwing him under the bus 

Should be a honour represent a club who have on the whole a excellent fanbase .

Yesterday as on many occasions the second half those who wore the shirt represented it well so how come first half some  of them didn't I don't get it .

Every single person on this earth should have there own motivation be the best at what job they are employed in .

If not then they should leave that employment and seek work elsewhere .

Playing Football is not a job and shouldn't be it's it should be a  privilege to be in a position where folk buzz off your efforts. 

If it becomes just a job then its  time move on 

UTV 

When you play football as a professional you’re playing for a career to pay your mortgage, put food on the table and provide for your kids. Football is absolutely a job. 

You shouldn’t forget that’s what it is to those making a living in it.

Edited December 27, 2023 by MBE

[MBE]

11 hours ago, Biddulph_PV said:

Can somebody with far more tactical nous than me explain why 3-5-2 is the modus operandi?? 

It’s a system that needs specialist wing-backs i.e. people that have the energy to get up & down the field and be inventive in attack and defensively solid. It strikes me that such players are rare as hen’s teeth, or am I wrong? Are they in fact more plentiful that traditional full-backs / wingers??

You could make the same argument about Centre Backs, as the system needs the wide CB’s to not only be tall to be able to be able to defend balls into the box, but also be good footballers to link up and join the play and have pace to cover the wide areas when the WB’s are caught out of position. Again, are these types of CB’s plentiful?? 

I could really bore you with the tactical detail why 3-5-2 is in vogue without the ball and how it’s actually very similar to variations of 4231 & 433 in attacking situations with the ball but what your actually saying is we don’t have WB’s who can play 352 or CB’s to do it.

Our CB’s are the issue rather than WB’s. Out of 6 CB’s we don’t have a physically dominant one.

 

[CambridgeDon]

11 hours ago, darren1810 said:

I've called out the likes of Pep for this.

It's filtered down the leagues where players aren't capable of this style. Passing around at the back is alien to them. Hence Smith struggles.

It cost us the 2nd killer goal v Boro . And whilst I can't recall many calamities you feel one is around the corner because most of our defenders aren't capable of one touch tippy tappy stuff. 

4-4-2 doesn't have to be ridiculed as Big Sam dinosaur football. If you have not got the personnel to play wing backs then why the hell persist with it .

Smith is at his best in a back four alongside a bigger, more dominant player (like Leon, who won everything in the box but who we've never replaced with a L1 version). As it is we've shoehorned Smithy into positions he can't play and now he's struggling he's found himself left out. The whole system needs a change but, if DF is wedded to 3-5-2, Pete Wild plays it at Barrow to great effect and I guess there are plenty of other managers out there who could make it work. Unlike the present incumbent at Vale Park.

[jeffers]

3 hours ago, Jacko51 said:

I wonder if the emergence of James Plant queered Wozza’s pitch?

Why… AC plays him on the left

[Guitar Ray]

Probably already been mentioned but watching the “highlights” just reinforced how bad our marking has often been this season.  Too many players just ball watch.

[blackdog]

11 minutes ago, Guitar Ray said:

Probably already been mentioned but watching the “highlights” just reinforced how bad our marking has often been this season.  Too many players just ball watch.

Thats down to coaching staff to rectify..................................

[darren1810]

7 hours ago, Guitar Ray said:

Probably already been mentioned but watching the “highlights” just reinforced how bad our marking has often been this season.  Too many players just ball watch.

The first goal was atrocious. Just statuesque. 

The 3rd whilst not directly Lofts fault. His truly abysmal control led to it. A Vale player possibly Garrity gave him a hand slap as though to say unlucky old chap. It's on the highlights. I'd of thought an absolute rollicking was more the order of the day  .

[JohnDoe]

While the second half probably helped AC a lot, i wonder how much of that was down to them taking the foot of the peddle and making numerous changes to give people minutes. 

Wilson has come on twice in the last two games and made it crystal clear to anyone watching what a difference a capable forward makes to our game plan. He created more options and movement up front in 1 minute than loft has managed int he last two games. The fact he is starting is mind boggling as he wouldnt get into most national league teams on these showings. Not even worth putting on the bench. 

The wing back issue is only an issue because crosby is unable to find a plan B. If plan A fails then we are screwed. We have players more suited to a back four currently, at least until Clarke gets back and we find a left sided centre half. Smith isnt left sided of an three and out of form, Lowe I actually like in the centre, and the Yak isnt a league 1 centre half. People saying we should have given worrall a 2 year contract is ridiculous. There’s a reason only league 2 clubs were willing to give him a 2 year contract. It was correct to offer one year, we just didnt recruit a back up left wing back properly, and wont change a system when we have injuries. 

A lot moan about DF, though we definitely have a better squad than last year. The blaster, Devine, debrah, ripley, have all been outstanding signings, and chislett and grant have been good (assuming grant doesnt get injured again). The issue has been in two places, strikers and left wing back. And the fact AC seems unable to change his tactics regardless of who is injured. 

Important few weeks in jan. Colon and class and maybe one more will go, and we have to sign a striker as back up to Wilson as loft and uche arent good enough. And a left back. It eels that with the right tactics we arent far off being a good team. We have seen how they can play, especially when most are fit. 

[Guitar Ray]

7 hours ago, darren1810 said:

The first goal was atrocious. Just statuesque. 

The 3rd whilst not directly Lofts fault. His truly abysmal control led to it. A Vale player possibly Garrity gave him a hand slap as though to say unlucky old chap. It's on the highlights. I'd of thought an absolute rollicking was more the order of the day  .

I can live with the third goal, it was a wonder strike and possibly even a hint of a foul on Loft from that camera angle.  Worst of the lot was the second.  Debrah initially at fault but the goalscorer is standing in the middle of four white shirts, non of whom seem to care.

[Diego Maradona]

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