But it wasn’t.Some of the posters on here are over-reacting just a tad. It wasn't very good, but probably should have been a draw. Conditions were awful. I'm not reading too much into tonight
But tbf Sam wasn’t ready for tonight’s game.Did Long really do that much wrong? Thought he had a few decent touches and got involved, was unlucky to be challenging on what was a wickedly whipped cross their striker would have likely put in anyway, then got an awful head injury.
To say he was the reason we lost tonight seems a little bit of a stretch to me.
No 7 was Nicky Cadden and showed why we pursued him but not hard enoughHe definitely wasn't the reason we lost but despite time apart, Stevens and him still looked poor together. The amount of time and space they gave that number 7 in the first half was criminal. He lacked pace but had a sweet left foot and they decided to just leave him free time and time again.
Got what you’ll always get from a young lad. He will have games where he shines and others where he looks like he needs a season elsewhere. Today was the latter, conditions couldn’t have been worse for Tyler and given the luxury I suspect we’d have overlooked him for this one. It was a day to get your best 1v1 wingers on the ball and put it in the box early, don’t overthink. Sadly you then realise we have precious little to aim for so it’s rather unsurprising when it turns out how it did which is rather hopeful football than proper patterns of play.My dad beginning of 2nd half ‘oh good we’ve brought Goodrham on’
Me ‘he was playing first half Dad!’
Too many ‘stars’ didn’t fancy it tonight , they know who they are.
We were closer to being good enough a couple of months ago..if you think we're good enough to go up then fair enough,thats your opinion.We are way off in my opinion.How can we be ‘nowhere near’ good enough if we’re 6th 27 games in? We’re currently near being good enough!
Some thoughts from tonight..
That chance in the first half and the one early in the second half that Harris had you would have expected a more accomplished finisher to put away. The one in the second half all he had to do was round the keeper but decided to chip it at him. I like Harris a lot but tonight showed his finishing up.
Bennett has been great for us and I hope it's not a serious one but Greg Leigh showed what we have been missing. He was excellent. He got very frustrated with Brannagan at times as he ignored him more than once when he was in space down the left.
I thought Smith was class tonight. He showed composure, great touch, drive and an ability to pass. On this showing, I definitely would like to see him in central midfield.
McGuane was not great tonight. A bit negative. Needs competition and JM isn't it. See Smith above.
We didn't get Burey into the game or he didn't get himself into it, I can't quite tell which.
That was Brown's poorest game with the ball I have seen.
I can see why he started Long but he and Stevens have never looked good together and didn't tonight, giving that no 7 so much space. Hopefully Long's head injury is not serious.
Looking at how Barnsley whip balls in, why does Brannigan float every corner and set piece in? Have we got nobody who can whip a ball into to vary it?
I thought second half was much better which makes sense with the conditions as they were. I'm not too down hearted as although our decision making let us down at times (Goodrham etc), I thought it was a tight game and a draw would have been fair. Second half there was signs of how Des wants to play. No need to panic. Barnsley will be around the playoffs but are no Derby or Peterborough.
Barnsley played with more intensity and more aggression. We struggled to compete after the first five or ten minutes.Barnsley were the more complete team in every area of the pitch.
We are still 6th.
Indeed - we had 27 points from the first 11 games. Since then 22 from 16, which is what - lower midtable form?We were closer to being good enough a couple of months ago..if you think we're good enough to go up then fair enough,thats your opinion.We are way off in my opinion.
You often forget that everyone is entitled to their opinion - even those who don’t actually happen to agree with you. And particularly those who were actually at the match last night.Yes I gave it the thumbs up, because I agree with it entirely.
Some of the comments are embarrassing with one describing it as "a dogshit performance". Barnsley scored and shut up shop, and fair play to them, they managed the conditions well. But we were far from awful and a draw would have been more than deserved, and a little composure and luck would have hot us a point at least.
We've got our scapegoat back in Sam Long, despite a number of players performing far worse. But his injury, and that of Bennett, limited the options to make other changes that might have been more effective.
No ones happy with a defeat, especially when Barnsley were nothing special. But 19 games to go, and we'll win plenty of them and will still be in the mix come April.
But misery loves company and some find a good rant quite cathartic, so fill your boots.
I thought he looked very poor, just hoping it was the conditions/first start etc, but don’t feel that’s the case. Let’s see!I thought Burey was ok - got back well to defend a few times. Going forward, not a lot, but that was no different to the rest of the team really!
But this ‘quite ordinary-to-good side’ is 5th in League One and is four points off top with a game in hand. So maybe they’re a bit better than you’re suggesting?It’s not “filling my boots” to suggest that we were beaten by a quite ordinary-to-good side who did a job on us and deserved to win.