Ashley Barnes isn't nearly good enough for us.

[BUTTERBALL]

Couple of absolutely cracking finishes from Barnes yesterday and i always rated him, but i am very happy with what we've got and wouldn't want him back.

 

[Weststander]

I am not sure he would have developed as much as he has if had he stayed so crying over possible spilt milk is not worth it. That said I did think it was wrong we let him go at the time.

Is anyone crying?

My take is that posters are pleased to see AB thrive, whilst gently mocking his lynch mob.

 

[Baldseagull]

I was in the pro Ashley camp, my only criticism being that when he had time he seemed to mess it up, but the half chances and first time strikes he seemed to do better with, MOTD seemed to be claiming he had matured into a much better striker and that is why his goal tally has crept up, but to be fair, his first few seasons there he was coming on as sub mostly, Ings, Vokes, Grey all getting more starts, now he is partnered with Chris Wood, and is starting most games. I don't think he has improved massively, he was always good, but Ings and Andre Grey were better when they were there, not sure how Vokes was preferred more often though.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

Is anyone crying?

My take is that posters are pleased to see AB thrive, whilst gently mocking his lynch mob.

Yes, me. He was played on the left, out of position but still scored goals for us. I never wanted us to sell him.

I also gently mock his lynch mob.

 

[Weststander]

I was in the pro Ashley camp, my only criticism being that when he had time he seemed to mess it up, but the half chances and first time strikes he seemed to do better with, MOTD seemed to be claiming he had matured into a much better striker and that is why his goal tally has crept up, but to be fair, his first few seasons there he was coming on as sub mostly, Ings, Vokes, Grey all getting more starts, now he is partnered with Chris Wood, and is starting most games. I don't think he has improved massively, he was always good, but Ings and Andre Grey were better when they were there, not sure how Vokes was preferred more often though.

I thought they were also saying that AB’s realised he’s good enough to be a PL striker, he deserves his place, giving him confidence.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Yes, me. He was played on the left, out of position but still scored goals for us. I never wanted us to sell him.

I also gently mock his lynch mob.

Pathetic that there should ever have been a lynch mob in the first place. Truly bizarre. Wouldn't happen at Withdean.

 

[Nixonator]

Totally agree. Totally bizarre. What's going on there? It's like all those backward passes never happened

Well I had to throw a bone and give the benefit of doubt to the few real thickos who claim he only passes sideways and backwards. Sure you wil agree.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Well I had to throw a bone and give the benefit of doubt to the few real thickos who claim he only passes sideways and backwards. Sure you wil agree.

Blimey! It's almost like CH was 100% responsible for the anti-football label we got, er, labelled with last season and the players can all hold their hands up and say nothing to do with me guv, I was only following orders. Be interesting to see if Stephens can reinvent himself under Potter. A bit like Poyet trying to teach El-Abd and T. Elphick to play the ball on the ground rather than just clear yer lines and hoof it out the ground. Was/will be like trying to teach a toddler to walk IMHO

 

[Megazone]

What's with all this Barnes love-in stuff going on right now?

Can't we just go back to scapegoating him? I was far happier when we had someone to blame for everything. I'm really not feeling comfortable with all this 'everyone played well yesterday' stuff, but to top it off, no ones slagging off Barnes but instead praising him.

There's something not right about this and it needs to be addressed.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Well I had to throw a bone and give the benefit of doubt to the few real thickos who claim he only passes sideways and backwards. Sure you wil agree.

Top work! Really wrong-footed me there, posting a pro-Stephens post on a pro-Barnes thread. No accounting for thickos tho eh?

 

[Weststander]

Blimey! It's almost like CH was 100% responsible for the anti-football label we got, er, labelled with last season and the players can all hold their hands up and say nothing to do with me guv, I was only following orders. Be interesting to see if Stephens can reinvent himself under Potter. A bit like Poyet trying to teach El-Abd and T. Elphick to play the ball on the ground rather than just clear yer lines and hoof it out the ground. Was/will be like trying to teach a toddler to walk IMHO

Interesting how we all have totally different perspectives as football watchers.

To me, Dunk, Duffy and Stephens are the first names on the team-sheet. A more than solid core at the heart of our defensive strategy, who were key to our promotion and the PL results that kept us up twice.

Others, such as you?, and my son, see an inadequate player in Stephens, a weak spot in the team.

 

[b.w.2.]

Back to Ash ‘happy with 3 points in the cup’ Barnes. He was average for us in the Championship. He went. He subsequently proved he is Premier standard, finally getting into double figures for goals last season (12). We have moved on. Why can’t this thread just be dropped?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Weststander]

I moved it back. Not sure why it was moved.

Regardless of the title, I just think of it as the "Ashley Barnes post-Albion" thread.

Cheers [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION].

It’s a harmless piece of fun.

 

[Wardy's twin]

Is anyone crying?

My take is that posters are pleased to see AB thrive, whilst gently mocking his lynch mob.

yeah - crying did/does imply the wrong thing. What i guess was in my mind is that on a day we win 3-0 away against a 'good' team we are still posting about AB. I didn't want him to go but we have moved on.

 

[DJ NOBO]

Before you say, oh another thread about Barnes, than don't read or post in it.
Before you quote stats, don't. Stick to the stat filled PC Manager games

But I thought earlier in the season that Barnes was not up to wearing the stripes, and after watching him numerous times, yesterdays performance at Bournemouth proved to me that he is out of his depth, and is never going to be the half decent striker we hope he will become, unless he toughens up and grows a pair of bollocks.

Strikers, like central defenders need to be able to take a whack and dish one out, otherwise they won't make it in 99% of cases. Look at Al Abd. He aint performing like he is because of his skill. He wins the battle with most strikers in the first ten minutes of a game. Barnes yesterday was a complete waste of space and was very lucky not to leave the ground in an Ambulance. Just compare him to Murray. Nearly every time Murray goes up for a header, he wins it. Even when he completely missed a flick on yesterday, the defenders marking him flicked it on for him. They are so worried about Murray they make mistakes. When Barnes goes up for a header, its half hearted, going through the motions. He hardly ever wins any, and all you see from him is a cowardly pulling in of the shoulder and ducking his head out of the way. Its the same with tackles, he dangles a leg, and never makes a hard challenge. He must be a center half's dream too play against. When the Bournemouth center half's saw the team yesterday, they must have been pissing themselves laughing. Instead of having Murray who was going to be a danger all afternoon, they had to put up with Barnes, who's only danger to them was going to be getting a headache from all his whining. Refs are never going to give Barnes a 50/50 decision, because they can see the way he plays. He always looking to get out of the way and go down before the balls near him. BE honest, how many of think of Barnes, and see a picture in your mind of him sitting on his arse, arms out by his side with a look of disbelief on his face because he didn't get a free kick?

He was so lucky yesterday when he was on the receiving end of that second half crunching tackle, that his leg wasn't snapped in two. The first thing you teach a player, is never pull out of a tackle, or never just dangle your leg at a tackle, as you are a lot more in danger of getting seriously injured, then if you tackle hard yourself. When he got hit, I honestly though he'd broke his leg, and if he carries on like that it wont belong before a career ending injury comes along.

The boy is just too lightweight for pro football, and all the time he has a hole in his arse he wont make it. He'll find his level in the conference within a couple of years. Unless of course he learns to toughen up, but in most cases you cannot teach someone bottle, you either have bottle or you don't. You can get away with being and playing like a tart in some positions, but not as a striker. I think his only hope to go and do a bit of UFC training and learn to overcome his weakness and tartness, and learn how to take a whack.

In addition to his weak challenging at headers and that near leg breaking tackle, did you notice that when he an Murray& Barnes broke yesterday and Murray squared it, Barnes went hiding behind the defender. Murray squared it, and Barnes was nowhere. If he had done as he was meant to do and get in front of the defender, he would have either got a shot and probably scored, or got fouled and got a penalty. Either way he'd have got a whack, so that probably why he went and hid behind the defender, where he was nice and safe. The only way we would have scored there was an own goal, or if the defender fluffed it. But, no he'll wait for the unchallenged chances too add to his goal tally.

Now before people quote his stats, I think any other striker at the club could match these or better his goal tally given the game time and position Barnes has had this season. I even think if you got an old pro like John Byrne, he'd have easily matched Barnes tally, even without playing or training for 10 years. What I'm saying is, even through Barnes is the second highest scorer, any striker given Barnes' chances would easily match it. As a team we have been creating so much, we could have doubled our goal tally with the right striker this season.

You've just gotta take a look at the amount of chances Barnes as missed, most of which, I think is down to his bottle. I haven't looked, but I bet a lot of Barnes goals have been from unchallenged shots. No doubt he can strike a good shot when given time, and if football was a non contact sport, he'd be one of the best, but its not, and he's not.

I still see Murray just as much as a provider than a scorer if not more the provider, and I think the way the game turned at Bournemouth when he come on yesterday proves it. He'll chase things down, get stuck it and create chances of others, and cause defences problems, whereas Barnes isn't gong to cause any defence problems. I bet if you went back to yesterdays game, Barnes took a whack and threats from a defender early on, and after that he was shit scared of getting involved, and until he can learn to toughen up a bit, his only hope is to become a winger or he will fade away, and if he doesn't learn to toughen up then I hope he fades away sooner rather than later, because without a player like Murray in the side, he is a waste of space, and if I was a player of Murrays ability, and got dropped for Ashley Barnes yesterday, I'd tell Gus where to stick his new contract.... (although obviously in a nice way because of Gus' god like status, I wouldn't be rude too him at it!!)

Love it when this thread gets bounced.
This is Hands down my favourite ever NSC post.

 

[Acker79]

yeah - crying did/does imply the wrong thing. What i guess was in my mind is that on a day we win 3-0 away against a 'good' team we are still posting about AB. I didn't want him to go but we have moved on.

Can you only think about one thing at a time? I can't speak for everyone else posting on this yesterday, but I was delighted with our win, and what sounded like a good performance, with a sense that it is likely to get better as we get more comfortable in it. I was also thinking about what my work schedule is like for next week and what I might do with some time off. And what I was going to have for dinner. And the villa/spurs game. And what I now want to call 'The Ashley Burns' thread after almost typing the wrong name. And thought about a friend going through a tough time at the moment and sending her good vibes. I also remembered a work friend had a social event she was a little apprehensive about so I thought about checking in with her to see how she was doing. I thought about lots of things over the course of yesterday afternoon.

Posting in this thread doesn't mean I wasn't also enjoying our win.

 

[Wardy's twin]

Can you only think about one thing at a time? I can't speak for everyone else posting on this yesterday, but I was delighted with our win, and what sounded like a good performance, with a sense that it is likely to get better as we get more comfortable in it. I was also thinking about what my work schedule is like for next week and what I might do with some time off. And what I was going to have for dinner. And the villa/spurs game. And what I now want to call 'The Ashley Burns' thread after almost typing the wrong name. And thought about a friend going through a tough time at the moment and sending her good vibes. I also remembered a work friend had a social event she was a little apprehensive about so I thought about checking in with her to see how she was doing. I thought about lots of things over the course of yesterday afternoon.

Posting in this thread doesn't mean I wasn't also enjoying our win.

Each to his own and yes I can think about multiple concurrent ideas and emotions. I am also one to dwell on the past and my past mistakes and think it is something I shouldn't do because it is not good for me nor is it good for most people.

He left because of some sh*t fans being too loud in their comments and because the club did not do enough to hold him that was bad but it happened and has gone.

Why on earth were you thinking about the spurs/villa game are you a fan of either of them?

 

[Triggaaar]

Barnes is/was/will always be shit

So shit that he's paid £40,000 a week, and helped Burnley be successful in the Premier League, as well as scoring 23 goals in the last 2 years.

Plenty of our fans have such a poor understanding of football that they were writing Barnes off while we were in the Championship, and he's proving them wrong week after week.

Why would anyone want to come on here and add themselves to the list of idiots who don't understand football?

 

[Sarisbury Seagull]

I liked Barnes when he was with us but I like him more and more as he keeps scoring against the scummers! [emoji106]

Full credit to the bloke though, he deserves all the plaudits as he works so hard and is improving every season. Those two goals yesterday were special.

 

[Acker79]

Why on earth were you thinking about the spurs/villa game are you a fan of either of them?

Because it was on tv and I was going to watch it and because they are teams in our division, and as a promoted team villa are one of the ones that most look to to be toward the bottom of the division and I'm not yet ready to dismiss the idea we could be looking over our shoulders for most of the season (more performances and results like the one v watford and I might change my mind).