Barnsley - The verdict.

My thoughts:
-That was pretty much as dominant display as you could expect to see at this level. The way we functioned as a team both with and without the ball was a joy to watch. The moment we surrendered possession we pressed aggressively and in packs, everybody seems to be buying into the project and it’s very pleasing to see. We moved the ball around incredibly crisply and carved out a number of opportunities, it could quite easily have been at least double three. Everybody played well but some honourable mentions:
-Gary Cahill: absolutely oozed class. Read the game so well and was constantly barking orders at his team mates and helping them through the game. A clear upgrade on Cook.
-Zemura: best attacking full back performance since Franno in 14/15. It was ridiculous just how good he was today. He has it all for a modern day full back. NEEDS a new contract now. So silky on the ball, he is also pretty good defensively.
-Lerma: that is the Jeff I wanted to see last season. I was very critical of his performances last year but today he was immense, box to box it was like having a number six and s number eight in one, literally played 2 roles. The amount of times he won the ball back today was very impressive.
-Pearson- very very classy. Offered a superb shield to the back four, some of his passing was also very impressive.

Cahill is an upgrade on all our central defenders. Levels above tbh. It's a case of who's the best partner for him.
 
First few minutes Barnsley huffed and puffed but after that the game just got easier.

did Travers have a single save in the game?
Brooks / Smith pretty awesome first half.

Bloody loved it.

Believe the stats Barnsley only three attempts on goal ,none on target.
 
So happy to criticise Dom, who again worked his socks off, got his goal, the one in the first half looked like a good save from the keeper and the one in the second half was drilled between his feet as he came in but no mention of the similar difficult chance that Lowe could reach? Neither of them were easy.
You watched a different game to me then. I thought Dom was average today. Certainly didn't run his socks off. In fact I saw more running across and pressing of their defensive line from Billing. His goal was a two yards tap in which went in off the post. His miss in the first half was where he lacks that ultimate goal scoring killing instinct. Good ball across to him, time to settle and he should've buried it. However, you crack on son and pick me up on any negative Dom post I put up. I'm sure there are a few out there who'll ruffle your hair ,say good on you and make you feel part of their gang. Me, I'll say it as is as because I don't need to agree with everyone to make me feel good. Dom was average today.
 
You watched a different game to me then. I thought Dom was average today. Certainly didn't run his socks off. In fact I saw more running across and pressing of their defensive line from Billing. His goal was a two yards tap in which went in off the post. His miss in the first half was where he lacks that ultimate goal scoring killing instinct. Good ball across to him, time to settle and he should've buried it. However, you crack on son and pick me up on any negative Dom post I put up. I'm sure there are a few out there who'll ruffle your hair ,say good on you and make you feel part of their gang. Me, I'll say it as is as because I don't need to agree with everyone to make me feel good. Dom was average today.

One thing I am definitely not is your “son” so no need to call me it. I have no desire to be in anybody‘s gang, and as for ruffling my hair, you are about twenty years too late. You have your opinion and I’ll have mine.
 
Thoroughly enjoyable game but was sat somewhere different today so made some of different observations, mainly about the coaching team.

On the pitch, the real difference was Cahill. Yes Zemura is a real threat and probably deserved his MoM but Cahill looked capable of playing any pass when the ball was at his feet, which pretty much destroyed their press ( a real contrast to Kelly who needs to use his right foot if he will reach his true potential).

Lots of hometown bias against the Ref. Billing yellow was a definite and needless one. It's a yellow because he leaves the ground and goes airborne which makes a certain yellow regardless of winning the ball when the contact occurs. The players are too strong and fast to allow that sort of challenge. But Phil didn't need to make the challenge when others were already tracking. Kelly's yellow, again, this time so high and dangerous that I suspect the card can be given despite no contact looking to be made, the sheer need for opponent to avoid that and the need to deter those challenges makes it yellow, with a certain red if he catches him.

My final observations were on the dugout. It looked more like a group of U12 coaches at time. We have a team that includes internationals but there seems a reluctance to let the team use their brains to play, with so much puppetry from the sidelines, continual instructions. Even when you do your initial coaching badge you're taught to keep the instructions to a minimum and always off the ball, yet even 3 nil up and minutes to play we are still not trusting the players on an attacking corner so much that the coaches are still shouting at Pearson. Ironically the team looks well set up and balanced so there is a need to let them get on with it. Certainly shouting across the whole field so their opponents can hear that he wants the long ball to Christie because he's unmarked seems very naive. Save that for the debrief and training.

And finally Parker, who I am admittedly on the fence for. He selected a good team, made good subs, and had the team well prepared. When we scored at times he was like a proud Dad at his kids school play, over enthusiastically clapping at any player who got a good or bad touch in the build up. But i think he summed in one instance why I am unsure - 1st half, Dom's chance, he hits the target, decent stop by keeper, we all think it's easier and should be buried, Parker's human so thinks same. So far okay, but Parker turns to face the crowd and passed a comment to the front row where spectators are sat, I don't expect him to betray Dom by saying very clearly "He's got to score that". I don't want to get down on him, but he's as inexperienced as some of the squad. So as the players continue to learn, I think he also has a lot to learn, but if he can, there is every chance he will take us up and could keep us up.

Good performance, good result, good reasons to believe there is more to come.
 
You watched a different game to me then. I thought Dom was average today. Certainly didn't run his socks off. In fact I saw more running across and pressing of their defensive line from Billing. His goal was a two yards tap in which went in off the post. His miss in the first half was where he lacks that ultimate goal scoring killing instinct. Good ball across to him, time to settle and he should've buried it. However, you crack on son and pick me up on any negative Dom post I put up. I'm sure there are a few out there who'll ruffle your hair ,say good on you and make you feel part of their gang. Me, I'll say it as is as because I don't need to agree with everyone to make me feel good. Dom was average today.
You are Vlad and I claim my five pounds
 
Thoroughly enjoyable game but was sat somewhere different today so made some of different observations, mainly about the coaching team.

On the pitch, the real difference was Cahill. Yes Zemura is a real threat and probably deserved his MoM but Cahill looked capable of playing any pass when the ball was at his feet, which pretty much destroyed their press ( a real contrast to Kelly who needs to use his right foot if he will reach his true potential).

Lots of hometown bias against the Ref. Billing yellow was a definite and needless one. It's a yellow because he leaves the ground and goes airborne which makes a certain yellow regardless of winning the ball when the contact occurs. The players are too strong and fast to allow that sort of challenge. But Phil didn't need to make the challenge when others were already tracking. Kelly's yellow, again, this time so high and dangerous that I suspect the card can be given despite no contact looking to be made, the sheer need for opponent to avoid that and the need to deter those challenges makes it yellow, with a certain red if he catches him.

My final observations were on the dugout. It looked more like a group of U12 coaches at time. We have a team that includes internationals but there seems a reluctance to let the team use their brains to play, with so much puppetry from the sidelines, continual instructions. Even when you do your initial coaching badge you're taught to keep the instructions to a minimum and always off the ball, yet even 3 nil up and minutes to play we are still not trusting the players on an attacking corner so much that the coaches are still shouting at Pearson. Ironically the team looks well set up and balanced so there is a need to let them get on with it. Certainly shouting across the whole field so their opponents can hear that he wants the long ball to Christie because he's unmarked seems very naive. Save that for the debrief and training.

And finally Parker, who I am admittedly on the fence for. He selected a good team, made good subs, and had the team well prepared. When we scored at times he was like a proud Dad at his kids school play, over enthusiastically clapping at any player who got a good or bad touch in the build up. But i think he summed in one instance why I am unsure - 1st half, Dom's chance, he hits the target, decent stop by keeper, we all think it's easier and should be buried, Parker's human so thinks same. So far okay, but Parker turns to face the crowd and passed a comment to the front row where spectators are sat, I don't expect him to betray Dom by saying very clearly "He's got to score that". I don't want to get down on him, but he's as inexperienced as some of the squad. So as the players continue to learn, I think he also has a lot to learn, but if he can, there is every chance he will take us up and could keep us up.

Good performance, good result, good reasons to believe there is more to come.
We win with perhaps the most convincing performance you could imagine at this level, and you choose to write 2 very long paragraphs detailing everything that the coaching staff are doing ‘wrong?’
 
Comfortable score line that should have been doubled but blimey if Barnsley were still out there now on their own they still wouldn’t score. The worst side I have seen in a long long time and yes you can only play what is infront of you but I thought we were slow and predictable and against a decent side might have come unstuck
 
Comfortable score line that should have been doubled but blimey if Barnsley were still out there now on their own they still wouldn’t score. The worst side I have seen in a long long time and yes you can only play what is infront of you but I thought we were slow and predictable and against a decent side might have come unstuck
Slow and predictable?! Genuinely can’t believe some of the stuff I’m reading on here.
 
Slow and predictable?! Genuinely can’t believe some of the stuff I’m reading on here.
I must have been at a different game to you then. How many times did our wide players cut inside straight into trouble, how many times did we get caught trying to play out from the back. We could have been punished multiple times but Barnsley couldn’t even control the ball.
 
Thoroughly enjoyable game but was sat somewhere different today so made some of different observations, mainly about the coaching team.

On the pitch, the real difference was Cahill. Yes Zemura is a real threat and probably deserved his MoM but Cahill looked capable of playing any pass when the ball was at his feet, which pretty much destroyed their press ( a real contrast to Kelly who needs to use his right foot if he will reach his true potential).

Lots of hometown bias against the Ref. Billing yellow was a definite and needless one. It's a yellow because he leaves the ground and goes airborne which makes a certain yellow regardless of winning the ball when the contact occurs. The players are too strong and fast to allow that sort of challenge. But Phil didn't need to make the challenge when others were already tracking. Kelly's yellow, again, this time so high and dangerous that I suspect the card can be given despite no contact looking to be made, the sheer need for opponent to avoid that and the need to deter those challenges makes it yellow, with a certain red if he catches him.

My final observations were on the dugout. It looked more like a group of U12 coaches at time. We have a team that includes internationals but there seems a reluctance to let the team use their brains to play, with so much puppetry from the sidelines, continual instructions. Even when you do your initial coaching badge you're taught to keep the instructions to a minimum and always off the ball, yet even 3 nil up and minutes to play we are still not trusting the players on an attacking corner so much that the coaches are still shouting at Pearson. Ironically the team looks well set up and balanced so there is a need to let them get on with it. Certainly shouting across the whole field so their opponents can hear that he wants the long ball to Christie because he's unmarked seems very naive. Save that for the debrief and training.

And finally Parker, who I am admittedly on the fence for. He selected a good team, made good subs, and had the team well prepared. When we scored at times he was like a proud Dad at his kids school play, over enthusiastically clapping at any player who got a good or bad touch in the build up. But i think he summed in one instance why I am unsure - 1st half, Dom's chance, he hits the target, decent stop by keeper, we all think it's easier and should be buried, Parker's human so thinks same. So far okay, but Parker turns to face the crowd and passed a comment to the front row where spectators are sat, I don't expect him to betray Dom by saying very clearly "He's got to score that". I don't want to get down on him, but he's as inexperienced as some of the squad. So as the players continue to learn, I think he also has a lot to learn, but if he can, there is every chance he will take us up and could keep us up.

Good performance, good result, good reasons to believe there is more to come.

Not really sure any of this matters if we are winning.
 
I must have been at a different game to you then. How many times did our wide players cut inside straight into trouble, how many times did we get caught trying to play out from the back. We could have been punished multiple times but Barnsley couldn’t even control the ball.

If my auntie had a cock and balls my uncle might not have left her. Sure we could have been punished if they were better and we were worse... But that's not what happened.
 
I must have been at a different game to you then. How many times did our wide players cut inside straight into trouble, how many times did we get caught trying to play out from the back. We could have been punished multiple times but Barnsley couldn’t even control the ball.
Jesus. If you weren’t satisfied with the performance today I’m not sure you ever will be. We play out from the back, that’s clearly what we’re going to do. Of course we lost it a few times but the important thing was that we were so quick and aggressive to win it straight back when possession did turn over. You are dissatisfied because our wide players cut in and lost the ball a few times? Lol they are tasked with being creative, they need to take risks while in possession. Of course they will lose the ball on occasion. Barnsley are a more than capable side btw, I’m starting to get tired of everybody assuming we only won because they were terrible. QPR seem to be very highly rated on this board as challengers this year, well Barnsley totally played them off the park a few weeks ago for the majority of their game! I’m really not sure what you’re expecting if that didn’t satisfy you today.
 
Just saw the highlights. Enough chances to win 10 games! Will need to be more clinical against the bigger teams but great to see us carving teams open down the wings again.
 
Cannot underestimate the difference an actual right back makes to the team. We look balanced and a real threat down both sides today.

Also, Christie impressed and Rogers could be devastating for us – that turn of pace was lovely to see.
 
Just wish I could go and see the game live. Watched the extended highlights on COWS and was really excited with the performance. Good to see Brooks put in a performance and as for Zemura get him on a 5 yr contract asap please! Hope we can turn it on again vs QPR, a tougher game I suspect. Credit to Parker?
 

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