Romared Match Thoughts. Burton Albion-v-Barnsley

[NerfHerder]

We're 7 games in and have faced different types of opposition in each encounter. Each game has required a different approach to what tactics and players Clarke has decided to play in order to win the game.

It's too early to judge because not only have we had to change the team in order to try and win games, we've also had to make changes due to injuries.

Nudger always preaches that people don't listen to the club. Unfortunately he must not listen to Clarke because this head coach is as honest as the day is long and keeps telling in his interviews that it is a squad game. He also takes accountability when he got things wrong like at the Stevenage and Mansfield games.

It's foolish to judge what we're capable of after 7 league games. However, that's the modern day mentality in football. How can you possibly ascertain that Dunn and Humphrys are as good as Cole and McAtee when Dunn has played 3 games and Humphrys has made 2 substitute appearances?

How can you say bringing in experience hasn't worked? Barry Cotter has improved due to sound advice from Marc Roberts telling Cotter to deliver the ball in early which has resulted in a better end product. De gevigney has improved this season and looks to have found consistency from playing alongside Roberts. Hourihane is making good progress and being innovative in terms of coaching the players according to Clarke. Luca has clearly been pushed on and coached into becoming the all round midfielder. Who better to advise and help than Conor Hourihane? Had he not been brought in as player/player coach then we'd be weaker, no doubt about it!

Excellent post.

[pass_and_move]

People will always get their knickers in a twist until they accept that last seasons achievements were amazing considering that the manager was thrown under the bus by being given a weaker squad than Duff had before , Clarke has been dealt a better hand and hopefully he will benefit from that , we all want him to do well but I feel defensively despite the experience which Roberts has brought we are still short and so far our new HC has had to constantly tinker with the back to try and solve the problem, bringing back inexperienced failed players will not solve anything in fact the opposite !!!

Correct Shads. I think the point that clearly evades Nudger is the fact that our experienced players can bring much more to the table in terms of advice and educating our younger players to help try and improve them. After the away game at Lincoln, Roberts was interviewed by Radio Sheffield and he mentioned how he had told Barry Cotter to start delivering crosses into the box earlier as he was delaying or trying to perhaps unecesserliy trying to take a man on when the opportunity was there to deliver a cross earlier. Sound advice and the two combined that day to score the second goal.

Hourihane is being highly praised on Radio Sheffield or YouTube interviews by DC saying what a fantastic asset he is to have on the coaching team and that he's bringing some excellent ideas to the table.

I take the point that Roberts and Hourihane are past their best but that is to be expected at their age. However, they contribute things that some supporters perhaps don't appreciate and the examples that I've given are just two instances that are official and I'm sure there are many more contributions from them both to our players.

Had we had Roberts and Hourihane last season we wouldn't have had such a naive defence. That is what experienced players can bring to younger players. It's certainly an underestimated commodity to have in the squad.

[animallittle3]

Correct Shads. I think the point that clearly evades Nudger is the fact that our experienced players can bring much more to the table in terms of advice and educating our younger players to help try and improve them. After the away game at Lincoln, Roberts was interviewed by Radio Sheffield and he mentioned how he had told Barry Cotter to start delivering crosses into the box earlier as he was delaying or trying to perhaps unecesserliy trying to take a man on when the opportunity was there to deliver a cross earlier. Sound advice and the two combined that day to score the second goal.

Hourihane is being highly praised on Radio Sheffield or YouTube interviews by DC saying what a fantastic asset he is to have on the coaching team and that he's bringing some excellent ideas to the table.

I take the point that Roberts and Hourihane are past their best but that is to be expected at their age. However, they contribute things that some supporters perhaps don't appreciate and the examples that I've given are just two instances that are official and I'm sure there are many more contributions from them both to our players.

Had we had Roberts and Hourihane last season we wouldn't have had such a naive defence. That is what experienced players can bring to younger players. It's certainly an underestimated commodity to have in the squad.

Some fair points made Pass and I agree that Roberts and Hourihane have value beyond actually kicking a ball .

However I'm concerned about Roberts in the games I've seen , I take the point it was against Manchester United and Rashford but that first Manchester United goal even factoring that in was hugely embarrassing on Roberts part .

I have expected a tad more since he returned , I'm not expecting the Roberts of old in his first spell but I expected better than what I've seen so far .

Hopefully he will offer more but it kind of seems strange hoping a player of his experience dropping down in to League One will improve .

Tha can't improve nowt if the legs have gone .

[pass_and_move]

Some fair points made Pass and I agree that Roberts and Hourihane have value beyond actually kicking a ball .

However I'm concerned about Roberts in the games I've seen , I take the point it was against Manchester United and Rashford but that first Manchester United goal even factoring that in was hugely embarrassing on Roberts part .

I have expected a tad more since he returned , I'm not expecting the Roberts of old in his first spell but I expected better than what I've seen so far .

Hopefully he will offer more but it kind of seems strange hoping a player of his experience dropping down in to League One will improve .

Tha can't improve nowt if the legs have gone .

Agreed. I expected him to be better than he has been on the pitch since his return as well.

I see he only made 14 league appearances last season for Brum and 25 the season before. Don't know his injury record but assuming he has had injury problems in these last 2 seasons then it would have been a big factor in how he plays at the moment and indeed his release from Brum.

Perhaps he just isn't quite up to his peak fitness considering his bit part contribution over the last 2 seasons? Time will tell but he's still better than the lads we have out on loan that's for sure.

[Acido]

Hey Pass kid, lol.
You do realise he's taking the mick here don't you. It's a shame though, but I think we're all fed up with it!.

[Young_Nudger]

Some fair points made Pass and I agree that Roberts and Hourihane have value beyond actually kicking a ball .

However I'm concerned about Roberts in the games I've seen , I take the point it was against Manchester United and Rashford but that first Manchester United goal even factoring that in was hugely embarrassing on Roberts part .

I have expected a tad more since he returned , I'm not expecting the Roberts of old in his first spell but I expected better than what I've seen so far .

Hopefully he will offer more but it kind of seems strange hoping a player of his experience dropping down in to League One will improve .

Tha can't improve nowt if the legs have gone .

What I’m ‘factoring in’ was your comments at the time when Hourihane and Roberts were likely to be signed and you described them as I recall as being a ‘no brainier’.

I warned then about signing players that are over the hill.
And they are.
There’s a huge difference between signing aged players with experience costing money - and those experienced players costing nowt because they are over the hill.

Currently we have Pines injured and Roberts not up to the task.
We need cover.
If that means loan players coming back to provide that bit of cover then so be it.

[Jules88]

I’m with Animal. I think Roberts is underperforming.
I dont rate Pines, other than his heading ability, Roberts is pedestrian. Mael is looking decent. I dont think we have a solid defence at all. Hopefully the cogs will begin to tick, and the relationship in who does what, and who covers who/what will evolve.

[Young_Nudger]

I’m with Animal. I think Roberts is underperforming.
I dont rate Pines, other than his heading ability, Roberts is pedestrian. Mael is looking decent. I dont think we have a solid defence at all. Hopefully the cogs will begin to tick, and the relationship in who does what, and who covers who/what will evolve.

As said by previous posters - if tha can’t run - tha can’t play.
As for Pines - he’s getting injured because he’s adapting to the more strenuous physical English football.
But this guy is immense.
His speed and physicality will soon shine through and I believe we will then have a reyt player here.
Mark my words - I’m usually proved right 😊

[SBRed48]

Donovan C Pines is a big beast and useful at set pieces. He is apparently a great guy willing to help in community stuff.

We do need to remember, however, he came to the UK to seek work as a free agent after failing to gain a place on any of the rosters of clubs in the USA in their annual assembly of player squads. His international career for the USA consists of two sub appearances in 2021, one of 11 mins, one of 30 mins in the Gold Cup Tournament of that year.

He has found a role at Third Division level. I wish him well in the prime of his football career at Barnsley.

[Jules88]

Donovan C Pines is a big beast and useful at set pieces. He is apparently a great guy willing to help in community stuff.

We do need to remember, however, he came to the UK to seek work as a free agent after failing to gain a place on any of the rosters of clubs in the USA in their annual assembly of player squads. His international career for the USA consists of two sub appearances in 2021, one of 11 mins, one of 30 mins in the Gold Cup Tournament of that year.

He has found a role at Third Division level. I wish him well in the prime of his football career at Barnsley.

Has he found a role though SB? Maybe he has been found out. Imthink the club were hoping for a similiar sucess story to Dike…. But this time with an assett they actually owned. Dont think the plan is working, nor likely to .