Ashley Barnes

[D Block blue]

Barnes will almost certainly be on the bench.

I hope he is, and anyone thinks that he shouldn't to be part of the rest of the season is seriously deluded. We will need him as Ulloa is dead on his feet generally after 75 mins of most games and if we want the best of Ulloa till end of the season then if needed Barnes should play a role. I know Gus said that if either Macca and Hoskins was fit he wouldn't stand a chance of playing and rightly so, don't get me wrong what he did was stupid but he isn't a Troy Deeney and you don't see Watford fans booing him! Just may be Barnes has a chance to go from zero to hero.

 

[glasfryn]

Sorry, but if you let your team, employer and fans down, as he has, how can he expect to walk straight back in?

What message would that give to others who've worked their balls off to get us into this position during the last seven games?

don't suppose they will give a monkeys if he scores the winning goal

Best solution....If your going to boo Barnes and upset the team,JUST DON'T GO.
It's about winning this game not being a complete twit.

please don't say things like that otherwise the twits will be all over the match day thread and its bad enough having to read the rubbish through the week let alone having to put up with it at the weekends

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Some people on here are too precious. He was a dick and let the team down - but that's done now and we need a 2nd forward in our squad.

 

[El Presidente]

Naah,.. Gus's comments are far from supportive, he would have been binned if we had alternatives, and I don't just mean this month either, anytime over the last year Gus would have replaced him if Ulloa or a player like him had arrived in one of the trf windows.

If Gus could have signed a better player than Barnes for £60k and pay him £1,500 a week I would agree with you entirely.

However we have tried with Dobbie (£300k plus £10k a week) and it failed.

I cannot see anyone on this thread saying that a fit Barnes should be in the team instead of a fit Ulloa.

However nearly all would be perfectly happy for Barnes to come on as sub and score a winning goal, although I suspect that from your comments you would rather we lose than Barnes score.

 

[Mo Gosfield]

Barnes plays....he has my support...just hope he can make up for his petulance...and has grown up...

Hope springs eternal!....just don't hold yer breath. The team have done pretty well without him and I see no need to bring him back.
Why would you want to take that risk? He can't change his nature. He was born with a nasty streak in him. He didn't develop it playing football.
He can't control himself. Its instinctive. If you watch him throughout the course of a game, its a succession of niggles and petulant near misses. Little digs and asides. The dismissals are just the culmination of everything else. The whole world is against him and he isn't getting his way.
I've watched him long enough now ( and so has Gus ) to know that its not going to change. In fact, since he became a father its got worse.
The saddest part of it all is that football is so ' short-termism ' that Gus will bring him back and run the risk that he doesn't misbehave again. Thats fine until the first opposition player comes along who winds him up and then, bingo!

 

[The Grockle]

If Gus could have signed a better player than Barnes for £60k and pay him £1,500 a week I would agree with you entirely.

However we have tried with Dobbie (£300k plus £10k a week) and it failed.

I cannot see anyone on this thread saying that a fit Barnes should be in the team instead of a fit Ulloa.

However nearly all would be perfectly happy for Barnes to come on as sub and score a winning goal, although I suspect that from your comments you would rather we lose than Barnes score.

I think you’re fighting a losing battle engaging in debate with Somerset, he’s obviously had one too many scrumpys.

Like you say no one is saying he should start over a FIT Ulloa just that he is in desperate need of a rest and a fit and hungry Barnes is a nice option to have at this stage of the season.

People must realise that our squad is a mixed bag, some players well above the standard, some below and some plain average, I’m not going to speculate where Barnes’ ability ranks in our squad but pound for pound he must be one of Poyet’s best acquisitions to date and in any case, Ulloa aside, the best option we have available in our squad right now.

It seems to me some people just need a hate figure in the squad and Barnes seems to be the acceptable choice, sad really.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

There is no evidence to suggest he does expect to walk straight in, if you can show me otherwise, apologies from me to you.

True, good point, it is people's expectation that he will, which is nothing to do with him.

 

[Tim Over Whelmed]

don't suppose they will give a monkeys if he scores the winning goal

That's very true, if he plays and scores the winner we will all say what a great decision it was to play him ... unless of course he takes his shirt off having already been booked ... as if!

 

[Mellotron]

Hope springs eternal!....just don't hold yer breath. The team have done pretty well without him and I see no need to bring him back.
Why would you want to take that risk? He can't change his nature. He was born with a nasty streak in him. He didn't develop it playing football.
He can't control himself. Its instinctive. If you watch him throughout the course of a game, its a succession of niggles and petulant near misses. Little digs and asides. The dismissals are just the culmination of everything else. The whole world is against him and he isn't getting his way.
I've watched him long enough now ( and so has Gus ) to know that its not going to change. In fact, since he became a father its got worse.
The saddest part of it all is that football is so ' short-termism ' that Gus will bring him back and run the risk that he doesn't misbehave again. Thats fine until the first opposition player comes along who winds him up and then, bingo!

What bollocks. You seem to be suggesting that people cannot change. David Beckham was 23 when he got sent off against Argentina for doing a petulant and daft thing. Ashley Barnes is 23.

 

[Krusty]

What bollocks. You seem to be suggesting that people cannot change. David Beckham was 23 when he got sent off against Argentina for doing a petulant and daft thing. Ashley Barnes is 23.

Is that the football equivalent of Godwin's Law?

 

[glasfryn]

don't suppose they will give a monkeys if he scores the winning goal

That's very true, if he plays and scores the winner we will all say what a great decision it was to play him ... unless of course he takes his shirt off having already been booked ... as if!

don't tempt fate
as other have said he is available and could be on the bench does Gus have any other choice at this moment in time
the stage is set for him to come on and do a good job either defending a lead or maybe scoring the winning goal its really up to him.
he has quality its up to him to show it and try and be a good boy
he wears the stripes and every Albion supporter should be hoping he does well
IMHO even if Maggy were still here and wearing the stripes I would support her just for doing that............there now I said that I am going for a lie down in a darkened room

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Hope springs eternal!....just don't hold yer breath. The team have done pretty well without him and I see no need to bring him back.
Why would you want to take that risk? He can't change his nature. He was born with a nasty streak in him. He didn't develop it playing football.
He can't control himself. Its instinctive. If you watch him throughout the course of a game, its a succession of niggles and petulant near misses. Little digs and asides. The dismissals are just the culmination of everything else. The whole world is against him and he isn't getting his way.
I've watched him long enough now ( and so has Gus ) to know that its not going to change. In fact, since he became a father its got worse.
The saddest part of it all is that football is so ' short-termism ' that Gus will bring him back and run the risk that he doesn't misbehave again. Thats fine until the first opposition player comes along who winds him up and then, bingo!

So what about Wayne Rooney? He used to be kicks and digs all over the shop. And then last year (I think it was last year) he went a whole season, eventually picking up his only booking right near the end of the campaign.

Players can change. Beckham, as Mellotron pointed out, is a fine example. He used to be ridiculous for reacting to things.

 

[WATFORD zero]

Like you say no one is saying he should start over a FIT Ulloa just that he is in desperate need of a rest and a fit and hungry Barnes is a nice option to have at this stage of the season.

in any case, Ulloa aside, the best option we have available in our squad right now.

Wise words, and for all the Barnes haters, who would you have to play up front on his own, when Ulloa is too knackered to run, or even worse, picks up a knock, Barker ?

 

[Weststander]

If Gus could have signed a better player than Barnes for £60k and pay him £1,500 a week I would agree with you entirely.

However we have tried with Dobbie (£300k plus £10k a week) and it failed.

I cannot see anyone on this thread saying that a fit Barnes should be in the team instead of a fit Ulloa.

However nearly all would be perfectly happy for Barnes to come on as sub and score a winning goal, although I suspect that from your comments you would rather we lose than Barnes score.

Sums things up in a nutshell, for rationale Albion fans.

Barnes has scored plenty of goals for the Albion, whereas a plethora of others in the Gus era have failed miserably. Useful as a striking sub for the rest of this season at least.

 

[The Grockle]

Barnes starts.

 

[Mellotron]

Obviously Ulloa is too knackered. Nothing more to it, nothing to debate. Can't wait for the reaction when Barnes scores.

 

[ExmouthExile]

I'll just be glad if we can finish the game with 11 men!

 

[sydney]

how is he doing so far...? assist for one goal and a couple of near misses........just seen a sunderland player lash out at miralles and get off scott free.......makes a mockery of the 7 MATCH BAN ..........hopefully he will get some humility about him and become an asset rather than a liability.

 

[beorhthelm]

hmm, would you look at that...

 

[The Grockle]

how is he doing so far...? assist for one goal and a couple of near misses........just seen a sunderland player lash out at miralles and get off scott free.......makes a mockery of the 7 MATCH BAN ..........hopefully he will get some humility about him and become an asset rather than a liability.

Gooooooooal