Next Season , What Now ?

[animallittle3]

Maybe one or two posters are a little raw this morning and that's understandable .

Personally I'm fine , I'm fine because we've massively overachieved and only the harshest critic could call missing out in the play offs at championship level failure given the budget we operate on at this level .

Missing out in League One would be another matter mind , questions would be raised and I'd expect heads to roll .

Going in to next season I think it would be a mistake to assume we should be challenging the play off positions again .

I say that because in my opinion our style of football has a limited shelf life at this level and there's more than a hint that we've been sussed already .

Not only that but with fans back inside Oakwell I'm far from convinced our support will want to see SOME of the stuff we've produced this season .

That's not a criticism of Val's methods who has got the very best results wise out of the hand he's got , nothing wrong with that .

But we do need to evolve , be better in possession and keep the ball far better than we do .

I like the high press , it's our identity , I like the fact our players are young and hungry , there's much to admire at the club .

However I do want to see better football , going more towards how Stendel had us playing in league one with the high press and a young group .

That's the challenge I'm laying down this morning for next season .

I'm not looking for AT ALL COSTS play off seeking campaigns , I'm looking for Championship stability playing high press football with a young group of hungry players playing better football .

That for me is the road map towards building a team capable of competing effectively at the top end of this league , yes it will take time but in my opinion it's the root and branch way rather than the way we've done it this season .

[yorkshireborn]

Maybe one or two posters are a little raw this morning and that's understandable .

Personally I'm fine , I'm fine because we've massively overachieved and only the harshest critic could call missing out in the play offs at championship level failure given the budget we operate on at this level .

Missing out in League One would be another matter mind , questions would be raised and I'd expect heads to roll .

Going in to next season I think it would be a mistake to assume we should be challenging the play off positions again .

I say that because in my opinion our style of football has a limited shelf life at this level and there's more than a hint that we've been sussed already .

Not only that but with fans back inside Oakwell I'm far from convinced our support will want to see SOME of the stuff we've produced this season .

That's not a criticism of Val's methods who has got the very best results wise out of the hand he's got , nothing wrong with that .

But we do need to evolve , be better in possession and keep the ball far better than we do .

I like the high press , it's our identity , I like the fact our players are young and hungry , there's much to admire at the club .

However I do want to see better football , going more towards how Stendel had us playing in league one with the high press and a young group .

That's the challenge I'm laying down this morning for next season .

I'm not looking for AT ALL COSTS play off seeking campaigns , I'm looking for Championship stability playing high press football with a young group of hungry players playing better football .

That for me is the road map towards building a team capable of competing effectively at the top end of this league , yes it will take time but in my opinion it's the root and branch way rather than the way we've done it this season .

cant disagree with that pretty much what i was thinking we got sussed with 6 to 8 league games left but held on.

today dike is on his way back to Orlando Mowatt packing his bags Woodrow thinking should he stay or go agents for the Brittain, Styles, Sibbick and Helik will be looking around for better deals.

overall im chuffed and proud with what we did in the league but quite glad we didnt go up (cant do with getting hammered every week) but really dont want to see that hoofball next season.

[Arblasterfromthepast]

Maybe one or two posters are a little raw this morning and that's understandable .

Personally I'm fine , I'm fine because we've massively overachieved and only the harshest critic could call missing out in the play offs at championship level failure given the budget we operate on at this level .

Missing out in League One would be another matter mind , questions would be raised and I'd expect heads to roll .

Going in to next season I think it would be a mistake to assume we should be challenging the play off positions again .

I say that because in my opinion our style of football has a limited shelf life at this level and there's more than a hint that we've been sussed already .

Not only that but with fans back inside Oakwell I'm far from convinced our support will want to see SOME of the stuff we've produced this season .

That's not a criticism of Val's methods who has got the very best results wise out of the hand he's got , nothing wrong with that .

But we do need to evolve , be better in possession and keep the ball far better than we do .

I like the high press , it's our identity , I like the fact our players are young and hungry , there's much to admire at the club .

However I do want to see better football , going more towards how Stendel had us playing in league one with the high press and a young group .

That's the challenge I'm laying down this morning for next season .

I'm not looking for AT ALL COSTS play off seeking campaigns , I'm looking for Championship stability playing high press football with a young group of hungry players playing better football .

That for me is the road map towards building a team capable of competing effectively at the top end of this league , yes it will take time but in my opinion it's the root and branch way rather than the way we've done it this season .

Agree with every word of that. Having got into the position we did, we had to try to win it. If we had, we could have taken the money and built back better. Now, as you correctly say, it's a case of evolving and creating our identity and status. Nothing can take away from the fact that it's been a great season. I'm also fine with having given it our best shot and missing out.

[Young_Nudger]

No - IMO our style hasn’t a limited shelve life - but we need better strikers to execute it.

Yes - the fans are likely to have a detrimental impact on the players next season.

I predicted top 10 maybe top 6 last season.
Next season top 8 maybe top 4.

But that very much depends on ....
1) The back room staff.
Val in his post Swansea interview didn’t make it clear that he was going to stay.
If he doesn’t then obviously we need a brilliant replacement - and that is going to be very difficult to achieve.
2) Chien Lee lives up to his promise of his last interview when he said - whatever happens in the playoffs the squad will be stronger next season.

[Romared]

Did anyone get the feeling during his post match interview, that Val may not be here next season ?

[animallittle3]

No - IMO our style hasn’t a limited shelve life - but we need better strikers to execute it.

Yes - the fans are likely to have a detrimental impact on the players next season.

I predicted top 10 maybe top 6 last season.
Next season top 8 maybe top 4.

But that very much depends on ....
1) The back room staff.
Val in his post Swansea interview didn’t make it clear that he was going to stay.
If he doesn’t then obviously we need a brilliant replacement - and that is going to be very difficult to achieve.
2) Chien Lee lives up to his promise of his last interview when he said - whatever happens in the playoffs the squad will be stronger next season.

Nudge if I may , one or two flaws in your post in my opinion that need challenging .

The style has been sussed , Coventry beat us convincingly with good tactics , Rotherham should have done , both had limited ability at championship level .

Swansea almost completely shut us down in four games just by simply having as much if not more strength and physicality than us .

This style has got limitations , we've done very well to achieve what we have but it's not the road map you think it is , it worked in reality for 10 to 15 games , that's not a road map for continued success .

The five sub rule worked for us , we are back to three next season .

No fans inside stadiums also helped this young group .

The quality of the championship this season was shyte , the poorest for many a long year .

To sum up , a complete one off and far from a legacy .

Mr Lee doesn't know if we will be stronger next season , he hopes we will be but that's all because nobody can say that with the model we operate with .

For all we get right with recruitment we equally get as much wrong , Schmidt , Diaby , Thomas , Ritzmaier and possibly Wilks , although that's debatable .

Dike , Mowatt and Solly gone and lose three to sales and recruit the likes of Thomas , Schmidt and Diaby and this can go the other way , quite easily .

Don't get me wrong I think we will be ok next season but stronger ?

Hmmmm .

[animallittle3]

Did anyone get the feeling during his post match interview, that Val may not be here next season ?

He hardly pinned his colours to clubs mast I'll say that Roma .

[Young_Nudger]

He hardly pinned his colours to clubs mast I'll say that Roma .

No he didn’t.
I think that was the first opening shot of negotiations - give me the players I need or I’m off.

[animallittle3]

No he didn’t.
I think that was the first opening shot of negotiations - give me the players I need or I’m off.

Well that's how it tends to play out on Grove Street given the previous two incumbents .

They have a bit of success and want to build on that either by keeping our better players or wanting the club to move away from the model with regards to recruitment .

If he goes he goes for me , I think he's done a remarkable job but I'm way past mourning the loss of players and HC's leaving this club in this day and age with the model we have .

You become immune to it in all honesty .

[animallittle3]

Just thinking about the potential sales this summer and the position that leaves us going forward next season .

Helik and Andersen are obvious candidates , both made the championship team of the season and both had impressive stats .

With Solly leaving too that should cement Sibbick as the regular starter and Kitching also stepping up on the left side of the three .

That in my opinion equates to two central defender replacements required , I say two because we forget about Halme who may yet come good with a regular opportunity .

The other obvious one is Styles , but is it ?

What are you actually buying here ?

A wing back or a central midfield player you've never seen play central midfield , a wing back who to be factual is only in reality doing a job and has much to learn I might add .

I wouldn't be surprised to see him here next season to be honest .

Styles if he remains is Mowatt's obvious successor in the middle of the park in my opinion with Moon , Kane and Palmer fighting for a start alongside him .

So we need a left wing back ?

Well I'm not so sure , we have Clarke Oduor , Jordan Williams and let's not forget about young Ben Williams either who will be ready and fit to return .

Let's assume Dike won't be here next season for the sake of argument , we've two hold up lads in Morris and Victor plus Woodrow and Chaplin .

However we still have Schmidt and Aitchison the lad we got from Celtic .

I accept some of these lads have question marks at the side of them but we've seen this season how players have improved and developed over time .

Most of the answers to the question of players leaving give or take a couple may already be here .