Rant from the West Stand

At present, we have a back four that can’t defend, a midfield that can’t create and a (ahem) strike force that can’t finish. In Steve Parkin, we have a manager who seems completely out of his depth tactically, and seems unable to motivate the eleven so-called professionals that are currently wearing the Red shirt.

In defence, we have Chris “I bleed Barnsley me, passion, commitment, blah, blah” Morgan who seems half the player he was a couple of years ago. Curle, the old head, is meant to organise the back four, but something is clearly wrong when two goals come directly from throw-ins where we are caught napping and one from a free header where three (yes that’s THREE) defenders are stood watching.

It would be too harsh to criticise our young fullbacks (but I will say that Austin’s distribution reminds of the days when Carl Tiler would look for Steve Agnew with a 40 yard pass but invariably find the back row of the Brewery stand). Robbie Williams had a decent home debut and possesses a good left foot, as he showed with a cracking first half-free kick. However, he looked vulnerable defensively, particularly in the first half when the real damage was done. In fairness, he got no support from Gary Jones, who was meant to be playing on the left hand side of midfield, but constantly strayed into the centre. This gave Bristol City’s most dangerous player, Scott Murray, the freedom of the pitch for most of the first half.

The midfield was the biggest disappointment today. What has happened to Chris Lumsdon? He should be dominating games in this division yet looks off the pace and constantly makers the wrong decisions when in possession. Gorre is either the best player on the pitch, or he’s invisible (he was the latter today). Betsy continues to be 90% promise, 10% delivery and Gary “I’m Parkin’s best mate, me” Jones was as ineffective as ever.

Up front, Bruce worked hard but missed a sitter that could have changed the game. Fallon meanwhile, reverted to Bambi-mode and spent most of the game on his backside, but managed to stay on his feet to miss an open goal from four yards in the first half.

The only plus point for me was Bertos, who looked lively when he came on, and deserved his goal.

As for Steve Parkin, what more can be said about the guys incompetence? There had been some debate about the sort of reaction Wilson would get from the Oakwell faithful, but the warm round of applause that broke out around the ground as Danny approached the dugout proved that Barnsley fans recognise a real manager. The game went onto hammer home the difference between the two: Bristol City have the Danny Wilson stamp of trying to play good, attacking football, while Parkin’s team were disgusting, a shambles.

The fans near me are unanimous in their verdict that Division two is a poor league, and that we have yet to see a decent side among the seven teams that have visited Oakwell this season. That may well be the case, but the likes of Wigan and Bristol City have been well-organised, pacy, fit and committed…four things that we are not. The continued absence of these factors could yet see us drop into the third division.

Almost forgot…this was out first home game since the club went into administration…you wouldn’t really know it from the crowd (a disappointing ten and a half thousand – where were the thirty odd thousand that made the trip to Wembley?). Outside the ground, lots of fans were collecting for the club and distributing fundraising leaflets (for more information, go to http://bfcsoc.com/

and www.barnsleyfc.org/). It is sickening that these people are working hard to raise money for the club, yet the players turn in a performance like they did today. The players should be man enough to take a cut in the salaries that are putting us in further debt by the week.