Barnes to Rescue

[00snook]

I must admit I am a bit of a Barnes convert this season.

He has played well in some games, and overall has improved a lot IMO.

The one thing he lacks is that final ball, but really other than Vicente most of our team do. It is the one area which if we can improve in we will definitely do better next year.

As for Barnesy, I hope he stays (and can't see any reason why he wouldn't). A good summer of training and hopefully improving that final ball and he should be a key player for us next year.

 

[Davemania]

He must be at the club again next season, for the money paid Poyet's best signing

Yes, but a contentious claim. Although he does score a few important goals, his all round game is pretty dire at times, his passing/link up play lets him down, shame hes not a bit faster too, and generally a bit more skillful tbh all in all a decent player but short of what we need to get promoted

 

[00snook]

Yes, but a contentious claim. Although he does score a few important goals, his all round game is pretty dire at times, his passing/link up play lets him down, shame hes not a bit faster too, and generally a bit more skillful tbh all in all a decent player but short of what we need to get promoted

Not a world beater granted Dave, but surely a superb squad player for Championship standards?

 

[Davemania]

Not a world beater granted Dave, but surely a superb squad player for Championship standards?

Oh for sure a decent squad player but harsh reality: Aim is promotion to premiership, need a better foward than Barnes

 

[00snook]

Oh for sure a decent squad player but harsh reality: Aim is promotion to premiership, need a better foward than Barnes

Agreed.

 

[Davemania]

Agreed.

I think i have to add to that, DIcker as well. People say oh he does this and that, no... he aint up to it, Too slow, loses possion very easily, hes like a feather physically, i cant even believe hes a professional athlete, cant tackle and cant catch them up if he does lose possesion. Sorry to be harsh but i think central midfield is a key position and he's a complete liability. Goalkeeper too. In the summer i want to see a skillful, intelligent foward + a combatative midfielder who can pass and create a bit and a decent keeper brought in and we are in the play offs.

 

[Barn Door Billy]

If you think it's possible to go and support another team that isn't Brighton and Hove Albion then your not a real fan. Will you be off if we sign Billy Paynter in the summer?

That simply doesn't make sense. Apparently acknowledging the existence of other teams and fans doesn't make you a real fab, but slagging off your players does...

 

[Jim Van Winkle]

Great finish by Barnes yesterday. He has learned and developed to play a new role whilst scoring 14 goals this season and done a very good job of it. He is one of the Albion's finest ever acquisitions. His contribution this season and in our winning of the League One title the previous season has been outstanding.

I counted one bad touch yesterday. But then again if I was being really critical and myopic (like a lot of people on this message board) I could point out faults in everyones game yesterday. It was a very solid display by the team. We'll play worse in other games and probably win 3 nil.

Like others have said on this thread Barnes is key piece in the way Gus likes to play, so best get use to him being around for a while. With 3-4 quality signings in the summer I can easily see Barnes getting 15-20 goals next season.

 

[00snook]

I think i have to add to that, DIcker as well. People say oh he does this and that, no... he aint up to it, Too slow, loses possion very easily, hes like a feather physically, i cant even believe hes a professional athlete, cant tackle and cant catch them up if he does lose possesion. Sorry to be harsh but i think central midfield is a key position and he's a complete liability. Goalkeeper too. In the summer i want to see a skillful, intelligent foward + a combatative midfielder who can pass and create a bit and a decent keeper brought in and we are in the play offs.

Dicker is total shit. Must go. Awful midfielder

Defo could do with a new keeper tho Brez has done OK.

 

[British Grenadier]

As a fan and a player, you shouldn't ever stop learning the game. I have learnt a wee bit about Barnes from the more intelligent and insightful posters on here about the role that Gus wants him to play. In turn I have watched him and the defensive duties that he performs (as an example, two excellent defensive headers in the 1st half against Ipswich stand out for me) and can see that he adds value to the team in the way that Lua Lua and Noone wouldn't.

So it makes it even worse when the moron behind me just shouts "Barnes is shit" and doesn't really offer any explanation as to why
When AB scored yesterday, I just turned round and rubbed it in his face while he celebrated the goal - he didn't like that.

 

[Silent Bob]

I love the 'how many are penalties' argument from the haters. I must have missed the memo where penalties only count as half a goal nowadays.

Well I'm not a 'hater' but it's a valid argument, a good penalty taker shouldn't be taken for granted as we learned last season (another aspect of Barnes' game where he has shown big improvement) but scoring penalties doesn't really show how good of a striker you are, more how good you are at taking penalties.

I don't actually know the stats but I would think CMS still has more from open play than Barnes. Buckley might even. Barnes has played a different position, but when he has been pushed up front this season in place of CMS (admittedly you can probably count the games on one hand) he has done pretty poorly.

Personally I think if you want to praise/slag off Barnes/Mackail-Smith it's best to do it on theuir own merits rather than by nebulous comparisons.

 

[brightonrock]

Well I'm not a 'hater' but it's a valid argument, a good penalty taker shouldn't be taken for granted as we learned last season (another aspect of Barnes' game where he has shown big improvement) but scoring penalties doesn't really show how good of a striker you are, more how good you are at taking penalties.

I don't actually know the stats but I would think CMS still has more from open play than Barnes. Buckley might even. Barnes has played a different position, but when he has been pushed up front this season in place of CMS (admittedly you can probably count the games on one hand) he has done pretty poorly.

Personally I think if you want to praise/slag off Barnes/Mackail-Smith it's best to do it on theuir own merits rather than by nebulous comparisons.

Oh I know they're not open play goals, fair enough, but its just the same people will make comments like 'he bottled it' when he missed the pen against Reading, yet if he scored it, it'd be 'well penalties don't count'. A lot of people have made their mind up about Barnes, sadly, and no matter what he does they will always make moronic comments like 'he's a league 1 player', regardless of how many goals he scores, open play or otherwise. I think he's a cracking player with a great team ethic and a knack of being in the right place at the right time. His diving and moaning at the ref can grate, and sometimes his first touch and final ball is poor which is frustrating, but he still pops up and scores when we need him to. I also wonder whether he'd get as much stick if he didn't have Buckley/Vicente/LuaLua/Noone around him who are all flair players with good first touch and dribbling skills, something which isn't his forte, so it makes him look worse in comparison. FWIW I thought he linked up superbly with Vicente yesterday, seems to be the only player we have who understands the 1-2s Vicente wants played for him.

 

[JCL666]

Barnes is a growing talent and instinctive footballer. One of the few players in our side who actually is on the same wave length as Vicente.

There's some idiots near me in the East who constantly shout abuse at him. I wish they would f*** off.

 

[Seagull27]

Oh I know they're not open play goals, fair enough, but its just the same people will make comments like 'he bottled it' when he missed the pen against Reading, yet if he scored it, it'd be 'well penalties don't count'. A lot of people have made their mind up about Barnes, sadly, and no matter what he does they will always make moronic comments like 'he's a league 1 player', regardless of how many goals he scores, open play or otherwise. I think he's a cracking player with a great team ethic and a knack of being in the right place at the right time. His diving and moaning at the ref can grate, and sometimes his first touch and final ball is poor which is frustrating, but he still pops up and scores when we need him to. I also wonder whether he'd get as much stick if he didn't have Buckley/Vicente/LuaLua/Noone around him who are all flair players with good first touch and dribbling skills, something which isn't his forte, so it makes him look worse in comparison. FWIW I thought he linked up superbly with Vicente yesterday, seems to be the only player we have who understands the 1-2s Vicente wants played for him.

Completely agree about Barnes-Vicente. One of his best attributes is probably his positioning, he always pops up in the right place at the right time in the box. That's the sort of player who will thrive off Vicente over the course of a season, as Vicente will find him where other players won't have the skill/awareness to do so.

 

[Beach Hut]

Barnes is a growing talent and instinctive footballer. One of the few players in our side who actually is on the same wave length as Vicente.

There's some idiots near me in the East who constantly shout abuse at him. I wish they would f*** off.

Those idiots are sadly in WSU as well, very tiresome people

 

[The_Viper]

Only read page 1 and a bit of 2 but what I find hilarious is that 3/4 months ago I was bigging up Ashley on here and the same people quoting him as our POS were the ones telling me I didn't understand football and that he offers nothing. Now they're attacking people who were THEM 4 months ago

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

If only we didnt have to rely on barnes on his link up play and also he needs to cut out the play acting. He is easily the best finisher at the club. like rush/lineker you just want him on the end of things.

 

[Rugrat]

I'm sure that I'll be far more successful in life than most (including you) both in terms of academic grades and career prospects.

Wow .. up close and personal .. nice comment, be proud of yourself

 

[GingerBeerMan]

Our second best striker behind Buckley.

 

[Weststander]

Great finisher (something CMS, Paynter & Vokes, cannot claim, despite those 3 having the positional advantage of being up properly upfront).

Needs to cut out trying to cheat Drogba-esque. But he's so young, and will be advised.

We all realise, I hope, that to push for the PL, we will need an out and out classy finisher next year. CMS isn't that man, but like Barnes, may have another squad role.


I'd like to say thanks for their services (hopefully the following are all off, if we really want to compete with Wolves, Bolton, Blackburn, Leicester, Charlton, etc next year & get promoted):
Painter
Dicker
Ankergren
Gonzalez
Harley

Arrivederci!