Romared Match Thoughts Cheltenham Town v Barnsley

[Shadrack the Red]

To me we are playing at this level because currently this is where we belong & I find it strange when I read comments about how we were poor, how the opposition were poor, better sides would do this better sides would do that etc, we are not Real Madrid & we are not playing Barcelona , we are a third division side playing against third division outfits , the football is of a poor standard accept that and it makes watching the match more realistic , we should all strive for better and want better but you cannot make a silk purse out of a pigs ear , today we did a job & beat a poor side but they will turn round and say that they were beaten by a poor side as well , you can only play what is in front of you & this league has 24 teams of third division quality , some are better than others but the whole standard of the league is third class , do not expect us or any other team for that matter to turn into something they are not , I keep reading our forum & other media outlets & get the feeling everyone is expecting & demanding something we are not capable of delivering , I just hope for progress & improvement , I do not expect top quality football , it aint going to happen .

[animallittle3]

To me we are playing at this level because currently this is where we belong & I find it strange when I read comments about how we were poor, how the opposition were poor, better sides would do this better sides would do that etc, we are not Real Madrid & we are not playing Barcelona , we are a third division side playing against third division outfits , the football is of a poor standard accept that and it makes watching the match more realistic , we should all strive for better and want better but you cannot make a silk purse out of a pigs ear , today we did a job & beat a poor side but they will turn round and say that they were beaten by a poor side as well , you can only play what is in front of you & this league has 24 teams of third division quality , some are better than others but the whole standard of the league is third class , do not expect us or any other team for that matter to turn into something they are not , I keep reading our forum & other media outlets & get the feeling everyone is expecting & demanding something we are not capable of delivering , I just hope for progress & improvement , I do not expect top quality football , it aint going to happen .

With all due respect Shads if we can't aspire to be the very best at this level then we may as well give up .

Without going all Wednesday we are one of the biggest clubs in league one and we've a right to expect high standards at this level .

[Young_Nudger]

Have to begrudgingly agree with YN today he summed it up perfectly for me there
We’ll take the 3 points todaybut we’re a mile off play off tackle
Still work in progress though

HeyUp !!!
It’s not against the law to agree!!!

[Acido]

I know we've blown it before away at poor teams who are struggling in the bottom three. But surely we should be expecting or dare I say demanding, a win and a performance there today.
Otherwise, what's the point in it all!.
Successive away wins with clean sheets, has put us in a handy place and we really should be thinking about the Play offs again this season, or top half of the table at least.

[pass_and_move]

There should be a level of expectation. Why the feck settle for shyte? Whatever division we ply our trade in, we should always expect a certain standard. This stupid ballax we've been doing with constant turnover of players and managers over the last 10 years has bogged us all down in my opinion. I switched off at half time today because it was garbage and frankly I was not interested in watching more of that shyte(from us) but its how I feel.

I'm just fed up with how this club is run and my 35 years of supporting this great club, the passion has been slowly drained from me with not only the spreadsheet system but the overall direction the club is taking.

Going into every transfer window with trepidation isn't my idea of fun, it's shyte. Its been like this for 10 years now and it's got to the stage where losing player after player and manager after manager is just the norm.

It hit me last night when 4 ex Barnsley players played in the colors of Luton in the Premiership. Players we let go for average money and that's pretty much how it's been for a decade. Seeing Winnall in a wednesday shirt, Hourihane smashing it for Villa in the Premiership, Chaplin scoring for fun, Pinnock doing extremely well at the top level, Keiffer Moore going on to play international football in major tournaments and thriving, Hecky fulfilling his potential as a coach, tha could go on and on.

To tell thi truth, am well pleased for em all and good luck to em. They had more drive and ambition to kick on than this club ever did. However, the over riding thought is what 'could've been' at Barnsley with a little more common sense and ambition from the various owners. That's the thing that's properly annoying. The supporters are fed bullshyte season after season, told to believe in the owners and their strategy yet they(owners/shareholders whatever they are) don't believe in their strategy enough to push it and show the necessary ambition by putting THEIR money into the club.

Now we are lowering the standards of expectation on the pitch and that's because we are pinning our hopes on youth and non league players coming good. It's not a magic formula, in the end it'll come back to bite you and most supporters can see that happening. Shyte show, total shyte.

[Shadrack the Red]

With all due respect Shads if we can't aspire to be the very best at this level then we may as well give up .

Without going all Wednesday we are one of the biggest clubs in league one and we've a right to expect high standards at this level .

I don"t disagree with you Animal but some do go all Wendsday when the reality is whether we like it or not we are third division & whist you and I well remember many seasons in the third division we have generations of fans who have been mainly fed on a diet of championship football however we are what we are , a third rate team playing in a third rate league, its up to the club & the coaches to improve our standing but lets not pretend we are something we are not , we have no divine right to anything & Barnsley folk know that more than any others in the land .

[pass_and_move]

I don"t disagree with you Animal but some do go all Wendsday when the reality is whether we like it or not we are third division & whist you and I well remember many seasons in the third division we have generations of fans who have been mainly fed on a diet of championship football however we are what we are , a third rate team playing in a third rate league, its up to the club & the coaches to improve our standing but lets not pretend we are something we are not , we have no divine right to anything & Barnsley folk know that more than any others in the land .

I agree with what you're saying. I don't advocate the Piggy attitude either with some Reds fans. We are what we are but I think the vast majority of Barnsley supporters, especially the older end, aren't that way inclined to turn our nose up at lower league clubs and respect our standing in the Footballing pyramid.

However, what we 'have become' as a club these days is worrying to say the least. That's the gripe among many.

[Young_Nudger]

……. vast majority of Barnsley supporters, especially the older end, aren't that way inclined to turn our nose up at lower league clubs …..

But they are inclined to turn their nose up at lower league PLAYERS.

Why do most of our supporters believe that a player is only any good - or indeed the club can only be successful - if we are paying £££millions to bring in players ???

[SBRed48]

I can't recall posters "attacking" the individual players Nudge. They are wished well on arrival at the club.

It is the fact that fans know we have again to go through the process of watching them develop with us for two or three seasons and then sell them on to another club to benefit.

Retention of the better players to build a team is not in the owner's mindset.

We rarely get players that are oven ready to play in the league we play in. When we do, such as Norwood, Helik, Solbauer, they become leaders in the dressing room.

[SBRed48]

On the sale of captain Liam Kitching to Coventry City, Collins said: “We lost a very very good player but we lost him for an awful lot of money which will stand the club in good stead longer-term. It might make my job more difficult shorter-term, but I can understand why it’s hard to turn down that amount of money for a League One centre-back.
“You always have to think about Liam Kitching – it is life changing for him financially. You can respect that.”

The owners have the Head Coach they want, saying the right things, not rocking the boat. You are correct about Kitching being overvalued Collins but you will find out soon enough players will be sold for not that much, players you were hoping to build a team around. Players you really want in just couldn't be got over the line and frustration will kick in.