Barnsley (H) match thread - Boxing Day

[Diego Maradona]

16 hours ago, johnjeffersfanclub said:

Players are playing for the manager. Crosby in.

That's the problem. The players are playing according to the the instructions from the manager. Sideways, backwards, defensive mistake/launch it up field in hope!

Signings needed in January to be able to transform the squad from playing 1 up front to playing 2 up front.

We need to be more pro-active in games, especially at home!

[DazFred]

14 hours ago, Raveninblack said:

I know WIlson can’t last a whole game and he is a class player but play him to half time and then substitute him and allow him to help get us in front and for once defend a lead but Friday isn’t going to be easy against Jordan Rhodes et al

We know Rhodes will score

He'll either have a free header at the far post or be in acres of space from a pull back

Our defending is so predictable and poor

[darren1810]

15 minutes ago, Diego Maradona said:

That's the problem. The players are playing according to the the instructions from the manager. Sideways, backwards, defensive mistake/launch it up field in hope!

Signings needed in January to be able to transform the squad from playing 1 up front to playing 2 up front.

We need to be more pro-active in games, especially at home!

They have got to improve at home. It's our bread and butter.

Home form

Won 4 drew 0 lost 6.

For 11 Against 13 

5 of those goals in our last 2. So we had scored 6 in our first 9 home games. 

We also won our first 3 home games by 1-0. So 3 points from 21 in those games since.

People might counter argue our away form. Where we have scored 10 in 12 games and conceded 20. Obviously other than Barnsley our defensive record is ok away.

With continual double figure a season home defeats the crowds will dwindle. 

So far we have played 4 of the top 7 at Vale Park and lost the lot. 

 

[Biddulph_PV]

I was hoping that Crosby’s post-match interview would at least provide something to cling onto but to be talking about players lacking pride 1st half was concerning to say the least. Why, when he’s the guy that is supposed to motivate them??

[Osh]

That was so disappointing yesterday.

I can take us losing a game but the manner in which we didn't put any performance in at all in the first half (same as against Borough) and then to come out and with the kids from the Academy to turn the match on it's head is so annoying. 

Really pissed off 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Biddulph_PV said:

I was hoping that Crosby’s post-match interview would at least provide something to cling onto but to be talking about players lacking pride 1st half was concerning to say the least. Why, when he’s the guy that is supposed to motivate them??

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 

[The man in the pub]

I think Jan will see movement in the transfer market with the likes of Smith out of favour on the move , is he being rested as the deal is already done. Could well imagine him going to Cheltenham as DC is an admirer of both him and possibly Conlon going also. Perhaps we could do a buy 2 get a 3rd one free, Loft ?

Edited December 27, 2023 by The man in the pub

[worldsendvalefan]

4 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?? 

This is spot on. The only players we have had over the last three seasons who can play wing back properly have been

1. Benning - who was not good enough for league 1

2. Gibson - who we sold and was prone to injury

2, Clarke - who would be very good, but currently injured

3. Worrall - whose efforts to play the role, probably took 2 years off his playing career

Yet why we continue to persevere with this system is beyond me. It didn't work last season and it isn't working this season.

[The man in the pub]

Why did we keep Massey and let Wozza go, yes he had lost his pace but was always a 7/10. Also noticed Whitfield is sticking them in for Barrow. We didnt think he was good enough for us but that was before we saw our current offering.

[Biddulph_PV]

13 minutes ago, worldsendvalefan said:

This is spot on. The only players we have had over the last three seasons who can play wing back properly have been

1. Benning - who was not good enough for league 1

2. Gibson - who we sold and was prone to injury

2, Clarke - who would be very good, but currently injured

3. Worrall - whose efforts to play the role, probably took 2 years off his playing career

Yet why we continue to persevere with this system is beyond me. It didn't work last season and it isn't working this season.

Well I fear it’s not Crosby, but orders from Flitcroft given that’s how his (expensively-assembled) Bury team won promotion. But why 3 at the back? It’s such a specialised system that you have to have the right players to do it properly. Great if you have billionaire owners who can sign 18 players in pre-season (and still get it wrong) but I’d argue not so clever if you’re a struggling L1 team trying to survive on 6,000 - 7,000 gates. And is this the formation the junior teams are playing, surely it can’t be???? If it is, then that is just utterly bonkers if you ask me.

[Vale till I die]

16 minutes ago, The man in the pub said:

Why did we keep Massey and let Wozza go, yes he had lost his pace but was always a 7/10. Also noticed Whitfield is sticking them in for Barrow. We didnt think he was good enough for us but that was before we saw our current offering.

Yes I agree . Wozza. Always gave. 10/10 . And worked hard . For the vale 

[Biddulph_PV]

44 minutes 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 .

I agree completely with your 2nd point but not the 1st. The 2nd half “turnaround” was because they eased off, resting their best players. Yes we were better - we could hardly be any worse - but Barnsley were coasting at this point. After Shorrock scored, did we even get near their box??? Yet if it had been roles reversed, we know exactly how it would have ended. 

[Jeffporthill]

I have just seen the highlights. That third goal was a stunner, no goalkeeper should be beaten from 40 yards. Ripley never even lifted his arms for the first, he did well with penalty kicks earlier in the season, but he has got to start walking the walk now.

[JRC]

1 hour ago, worldsendvalefan said:

This is spot on. The only players we have had over the last three seasons who can play wing back properly have been

1. Benning - who was not good enough for league 1

2. Gibson - who we sold and was prone to injury

2, Clarke - who would be very good, but currently injured

3. Worrall - whose efforts to play the role, probably took 2 years off his playing career

Yet why we continue to persevere with this system is beyond me. It didn't work last season and it isn't working this season.

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. 

[JRC]

1 hour ago, The man in the pub said:

Why did we keep Massey and let Wozza go, yes he had lost his pace but was always a 7/10. Also noticed Whitfield is sticking them in for Barrow. We didnt think he was good enough for us but that was before we saw our current offering.

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.