WHY OH! WHY? - Kirkmans Barnsley Thoughts

Not just yet.

I had a seat at low level in the Millmoor Lane Stand looking at the open side building works gave the match an unreal feel from the start. I was fortunate to be sat next to neutral supporter, from Chesterfield, who was watching his 56th match of the season so far! Hew had been at Hillsborough on Monday, will be at Saltergate on Wednesday and Swansea on Saturday. He won’t be remembering this game as a highlight! He was pleasant company and made perhaps the most apposite comment of the night when he said ‘ Considering the standard on offer it is hard to believe that the original date was postponed for International commitments’. It did indeed take some believing.

Many of you will know that it is now 24 games, spread over 3 years; since I have seen the Millers win. I would love to sit down and write about how we played really well and took somebody apart. There are many times even in defeat that I have been able to talk about a good performance but as much as I hate blanket criticism I am struggling to find anything positive to say.

The manager offers the opinion that Monkhouse had a decent game well I didn’t see it. I thought is ball control was as poor as everyone else’s and I can remember a clear instance in the second half when under no pressure whatsoever he made a 10 yard pass behind the player instead of into his stride. True he had our two closest shots but again his commitment still lacked something and he was lucky not to be sent off. Having picked up a yellow card for a scuffle he then mistimed a tackle so badly that, given some of the things the referee deemed yellow card offences, could have earned him a second. So often our players were isolated while Barnsley seemed to have all areas of the field covered. There was a constant lack of a wide threat.

Fans deserve better

The game really deserved to end 0-0, (have no illusions that I thought Barnsley were any better than us) but if there had to be a goal it came in a fitting style. I agree with Mick Harford here it was Montgomery’s fault. If you are 18 yards out of goal and have not got the ball in your hands you have made a misjudgement.

I am aware that you should support the team and not just criticise them, however I thought last nights performance was awful. I know they can do better, otherwise they would not be earning a living playing the game, but the basics were sadly lacking last night. I wrote (in Moulin Rouge) after the Brentford game that we appeared to be playing the game at a pace that our ball control and speed of thought could not match. This match continued that impression. I accept conditions were awful but that does not excuse everything. In that article mentioned above I said that I would settle for mid-table security but given our current run I would grab it both hands.

In conclusion I again agree with Mick Harford – the fans deserve better!

To answer my question at the beginning – Why? These decisions are not made on a logical basis of course; they are made from the heart. Every time you set out with optimism, thinking that today’s the day – we will tear them apart, play like poetry in motion etc, etc, - I will see the game of my life. I am no exception and I shall be there again willing them to do well.

Come on lads, we know you can do better!