Romared Match Thoughts---Bolton-v-Barnsley..Play Off Semi Final 2nd Leg

[SBRed48]

Good luck to the players looking to overturn a 1-3 deficit from First Leg.

Well done to the Barnsley fans who will be at The Tough Sheet.

Another season with Third Division income could prove difficult.

Are we the only club ever to go into the Play Offs having just sacked the Head Coach and feq'd up on his replacement leaving the team with no permanent HC ? I am struggling to think of another example.

[Shadrack the Red]

For us to pull off the miracle and turn this around I think we need initially to win the first half which I actually think we are capable of , this would put the trotters & their fan base in nervous mode similar to the last 20 minutes on friday, however we all know deep down that we are always likely to concede & that would be that , our record of late is that we have been going to Bolton and playing well and not getting turned over but by the same token apart from the cup match last season we rarely win there but every so often as with the owls last season miracles do happen but alas I no further than a draw . Regarding our owners latest cock up the least said the better , I have said it many times before that whilst I think they are decent honourable people they are simply business people and havn"t got a clue how to run a football club, they have made us a laughing stock and it is time for them to move on .

[BarnsleyWhites]

I think yes is the answer to your question 48, who else would be daft enough to sack their coach at that time without a replacement being ready? We are both where we are but how do you think you’ll line up tonight? Bearing in mind you need to win, meaning goals, would you risk a pretty low scoring lump like Cosgrove due to his presumed physical assets or a proven more prolific Devante Cole? Clearly one or the other will start and after Cole’s lacklustre performance on Friday my guess would be Cosgrove. If your intent is to wind Wanderers up via s—thousery tactics it would definitely be Cosgrove but if that’s all you’ve got it’s a pretty weak statement and I’d expect it to backfire. If I were you I’d pick your best attacking eleven and hope to catch us early to open the game up but either way we’re very strong at home, hardly ever fail to score and will be buoyed by a big crowd, including both ends with your support stuck up in the Gods as you did to us. I fear it could get nasty if you’re having no luck but I hope it doesn’t and whoever wins deserves it on football and nothing else.

[SBRed48]

First goal crucial.
If Bolton get it and it's 4-1 on aggregate we will lose our shape even more than usual and Charles, Collins etc will fill their boots.

If Barnsley get it then The Tough Sheet will begin to loosen as arses start twitching.

The Fat Lady is on stage filling her lungs but the first note is not out yet. Remember Huddersfield.

[renno]

I think yes is the answer to your question 48, who else would be daft enough to sack their coach at that time without a replacement being ready? We are both where we are but how do you think you’ll line up tonight? Bearing in mind you need to win, meaning goals, would you risk a pretty low scoring lump like Cosgrove due to his presumed physical assets or a proven more prolific Devante Cole? Clearly one or the other will start and after Cole’s lacklustre performance on Friday my guess would be Cosgrove. If your intent is to wind Wanderers up via s—thousery tactics it would definitely be Cosgrove but if that’s all you’ve got it’s a pretty weak statement and I’d expect it to backfire. If I were you I’d pick your best attacking eleven and hope to catch us early to open the game up but either way we’re very strong at home, hardly ever fail to score and will be buoyed by a big crowd, including both ends with your support stuck up in the Gods as you did to us. I fear it could get nasty if you’re having no luck but I hope it doesn’t and whoever wins deserves it on football and nothing else.

In fairness though BW - In the games I've seen us against yourselves in recent seasons those tactics have been deployed very heavily by IE. Your lad shouldve walked the other night and the ref shouldve been stronger - especially that those 2 have previous. Iredale shouldve walked for 2 bookable offences at your place in the league - both within about 30 seconds of each other. Then to top it off , Sheehan might aswell hand his legs in as he spends most of his time diving on the floor, this coupled with the numerous niggly fouls. Dont get me wrong I wish we were more like it! But you lot have 5hithousery in spades .

The one player I have been extremely impressed with is the lad Santos at the back and in fairness he looks a cut above.

I would go 3-4-3 tonight and just go for the throat - however I think we will lose 2 or 3 nil. Over the course of the season you lot deserve to go up so there'd be no complaints from me

[pass_and_move]

Personally I think the best approach to the game tonight is to put Cosgrove, Cole and McAtee in a 3 pronged attack. Luca with either Russell/Grant (no pun intended) both in the midfield holding role and the usual back 5 with the wing backs pushing on when they can in a 5-2-3 come 3-4-3 formation.

The normal approach in our scenario would be to keep it tight, hopefully pinch a goal then push on for the last 20 mins for the equaliser. Unfortunately though, we are unable to 'keep it tight' as our defenders just aren't good enough and are too prone to basic errors. With that in mind, this leaves only one feasible scenario that may win us this tie in my honest opinion.

I feel that we must go with the 3 up top, go direct and get Bolton under pressure defensively with Cosgrove being the hold up/flick on type player with Cole and McAtee making runs off Cosgrove and our wing backs pushing on when we're in possession. An Ismael formation and it could do the trick. We go all out for goals.

We are in the shyte being 2 goals down to begin with. We have nothing to lose and expectancy is pretty low. However, we must really assert ourselves, get an early goal and the atmosphere changes. The two holding midfielders can be just that, just protect our back three and watch the ball sail over their heads when our defenders go long. The obvious drawback to this formation is that our front 3 will inevitably tire and we have no real effective replacements barring Phillips or the inexperienced Jalo and Marsh who could replace any of the front 3 and offer the same threat. Our Wingbacks will have to work incredibly hard too but they can be replaced like for like.

The league encounter earlier in the season at the Bolton stadium saw us really give Bolton some problems. They may be susceptible defensively if we apply the necessary pressure. I saw that defensive vulnerability in the League encounter where we should've won quite convincingly but didnt take the guilt edged chances that we created.

It's a very tall order but why not go all out for this. We may have to score 4 or 5 just to force extra time but it's possible. We just need to do something different to pull this miracle off.

Here's hoping

[POGGYWELL]

Good luck lads.

[animallittle3]

Personally I think the best approach to the game tonight is to put Cosgrove, Cole and McAtee in a 3 pronged attack. Luca with either Russell/Grant (no pun intended) both in the midfield holding role and the usual back 5 with the wing backs pushing on when they can in a 5-2-3 come 3-4-3 formation.

The normal approach in our scenario would be to keep it tight, hopefully pinch a goal then push on for the last 20 mins for the equaliser. Unfortunately though, we are unable to 'keep it tight' as our defenders just aren't good enough and are too prone to basic errors. With that in mind, this leaves only one feasible scenario that may win us this tie in my honest opinion.

I feel that we must go with the 3 up top, go direct and get Bolton under pressure defensively with Cosgrove being the hold up/flick on type player with Cole and McAtee making runs off Cosgrove and our wing backs pushing on when we're in possession. An Ismael formation and it could do the trick. We go all out for goals.

We are in the shyte being 2 goals down to begin with. We have nothing to lose and expectancy is pretty low. However, we must really assert ourselves, get an early goal and the atmosphere changes. The two holding midfielders can be just that, just protect our back three and watch the ball sail over their heads when our defenders go long. The obvious drawback to this formation is that our front 3 will inevitably tire and we have no real effective replacements barring Phillips or the inexperienced Jalo and Marsh who could replace any of the front 3 and offer the same threat. Our Wingbacks will have to work incredibly hard too but they can be replaced like for like.

The league encounter earlier in the season at the Bolton stadium saw us really give Bolton some problems. They may be susceptible defensively if we apply the necessary pressure. I saw that defensive vulnerability in the League encounter where we should've won quite convincingly but didnt take the guilt edged chances that we created.

It's a very tall order but why not go all out for this. We may have to score 4 or 5 just to force extra time but it's possible. We just need to do something different to pull this miracle off.

Here's hoping

I take the point I could be very wrong about tonight , it's football and you never know .

In my opinion there is very little belief , desire or even the b@llax to overturn such odds tonight .

There's quite a few Barnsley teams in the past who I'd have some faith in to turn this around but this certainly isn't one of them .

Nobody on or off the pitch tonight's really believes they can do it deep inside their soul , not one of them .

They are a complete busted flush , a mid table league one outfit who relied on three or four players all season to get the points , once those players lost form or were found out we capitulated .

Sincerely hope I'm wrong .

[pass_and_move]

I take the point I could be very wrong about tonight , it's football and you never know .

In my opinion there is very little belief , desire or even the b@llax to overturn such odds tonight .

There's quite a few Barnsley teams in the past who I'd have some faith in to turn this around but this certainly isn't one of them .

Nobody on or off the pitch tonight's really believes they can do it deep inside their soul , not one of them .

They are a complete busted flush , a mid table league one outfit who relied on three or four players all season to get the points , once those players lost form or were found out we capitulated .

Sincerely hope I'm wrong .

Wooa mate, thaz got to bear in mind that it's the only way I can see us getting owt. I don't really believe it

[NerfHerder]

We just can’t keep a clean sheet so will likely need to score at least 4 to give ourselves any chance.

Can’t see it myself. An early goal to make them nervy would help though.