Let's Big Up Barnes

[seagully]

Was excellent yesterday. I lost count of the number of times he brought long balls down and held them up to bring others into play. His first touch was excellent, he never stopped running and occupied their centre backs all game. Shotton resorted to fouling him every time he had the ball towards the end.

I wonder if we re-signed Zamora and he had played as well as Barnes yesterday whether the same people would be moaning?

 

[Mellotron]

He also put in the best cross of the entire game, which JFC headed at the keeper.

 

[cirC]

I just watched the Bruno interview on player.He was lauding the efforts of Barnes.Rightly so IMO.
If Barnes was playing off Ulloa I bet he would score more goals.The main striker of any team is always a marked man and Barnes has carried out that role in a superb manner,great attitude and commitment,well played Ash!

 

[severnside gull]

Massive fan of Barnes and delighted to see him getting the credit his effort and skill warrants. So many of his detractors show themselves as being anti-Barnes for no other reason then he is Barnes - they dont want to see what he does for the team! Where I will agree however is that the one technique he learned from FFS Murray, falling to the ground to win free kicks, does him less favours. If he stays on his feet more he will score the goals his play richly merits. Still rate him as a £1m+ player any day of the week and have no doubt that with his workrate, defensive and positional play, more than adequate pace and hold-up ability, he could contribute at the next level. Walters at Stoke is not disimilar in many respects and has 100+ EPL games ahead of players who are viewed as being better but who offer less to the team structure and shape.

 

[glasfryn]

Massive fan of Barnes and delighted to see him getting the credit his effort and skill warrants. So many of his detractors show themselves as being anti-Barnes for no other reason then he is Barnes - they dont want to see what he does for the team! Where I will agree however is that the one technique he learned from FFS Murray, falling to the ground to win free kicks, does him less favours. If he stays on his feet more he will score the goals his play richly merits. Still rate him as a £1m+ player any day of the week and have no doubt that with his workrate, defensive and positional play, more than adequate pace and hold-up ability, he could contribute at the next level. Walters at Stoke is not disimilar in many respects and has 100+ EPL games ahead of players who are viewed as being better but who offer less to the team structure and shape.

very sensible post well thought out and very much THIS

 

[Brighton Mod]

True,but I never saw Wardy run back to help the defence,great goalscorer but todays game is teamwork and working for every player in your team..he's playing the game as Oscar wants him too...that's good enough for me...

I remember Brian Clough talking about his left winger at Derby Alan Hinton (twinkle toes). he was asked why Hinton didn't tackle more, his response, because 'he is paid to cross the ball, which he does very well'. Ashley is paid to score and create goals not defend, we don't expect Greer or Upson to score goals their job is to defend. Wardy didn't come back to defend because his job was to score. Lets judge Ashley on what he is paid to do and nothing else. I'm not being derogatory about him, I just struggle to understand why he is held so highly by some.

 

[El Presidente]

I'm not being derogatory about him, I just struggle to understand why he is held so highly by some.

I think he's a useful squad player. He is currently in the team on merit, as there are not many alternatives up front.

I think a lot of people say things in defence of him because a section of our support have a particularly vindictive, spiteful and one-eyed analysis of his contribution, and his defenders think these comments are disproportionate.

None of his detractors have managed to come up with a better option for the £60k we paid for him though, they just ignore this issue.

 

[Icy Gull]

You can include our last two managers in that little dig. For me he is doing a good job of being an outlet for the defence, he battles for the ball, he holds it up well, he has good ball skills, he can lay the ball off, he can tackle back and put pressure on the defence when we hoof the ball upfield. Not bad for a player who's natural position is playing off a target man.

His attitude has matured and he takes a battering, without being a big player, and he's playing in a team that are doing rather well.

Is that not enough for a 23 year old Championship striker who cost peanuts and is improving almost match by match?

I really hope he gets the chance to play upfront with Ulloa and start knocking in the goals too.

 

[Guinness Boy]

What utter nonsense, you clearly are under the mistaken apprehension that it's a team game.

 

[Acker79]

I remember Brian Clough talking about his left winger at Derby Alan Hinton (twinkle toes). he was asked why Hinton didn't tackle more, his response, because 'he is paid to cross the ball, which he does very well'. Ashley is paid to score and create goals not defend, we don't expect Greer or Upson to score goals their job is to defend. Wardy didn't come back to defend because his job was to score. Lets judge Ashley on what he is paid to do and nothing else. I'm not being derogatory about him, I just struggle to understand why he is held so highly by some.

Ashley is paid to be a part of a team. A team that has to score goals at one end AND stop goals at the other end. If we don't expect defenders to score, why do we send them up for corners and free kicks? Why do managers often talk about wanting more goals from the rest of the team to ease the burden on strikers?

 

[severnside gull]

I remember Brian Clough talking about his left winger at Derby Alan Hinton (twinkle toes). he was asked why Hinton didn't tackle more, his response, because 'he is paid to cross the ball, which he does very well'. Ashley is paid to score and create goals not defend, we don't expect Greer or Upson to score goals their job is to defend. Wardy didn't come back to defend because his job was to score. Lets judge Ashley on what he is paid to do and nothing else. I'm not being derogatory about him, I just struggle to understand why he is held so highly by some.

your understanding of what Ash is paid to do highlights exactly why fans and casual observers of the game would never make a living at it

 

[Brighton Mod]

your understanding of what Ash is paid to do highlights exactly why fans and casual observers of the game would never make a living at it

What is his attempt to goal scored conversion rate? I have no issue with him, I just feel he is not what some are making of him on here. I see him more in the 'Martin peters' supporting role, but please do not seek excuses for his missed opportunites and going to ground so easily, that just doesn't cut it. AS for being a casual observer, I wonder if you have ever managed a professional sports team?

 

[Brighton Mod]

Ashley is paid to be a part of a team. A team that has to score goals at one end AND stop goals at the other end. If we don't expect defenders to score, why do we send them up for corners and free kicks? Why do managers often talk about wanting more goals from the rest of the team to ease the burden on strikers?

If Barnes is leading the line, then him, tracking back to support the defence is a waste of effort on his part and using up resources that should be targeted in the opposition box. Yes its a team game and yes for set plays we will send bigger taller men up but as a matter of course we don't see our defenders leading the line to help the attack, silly argument.

 

[Baldseagull]

Barnes' only "fault" is he shoots wide perhaps a little too often, but I have seen plenty of good strikers with good reputations have terrible misses, Blackstock missed an easy one yesterday for Leeds, Holt missed a great chance against us and Rooney struck one for England last week that was closer to the corner flag than the goal.
He has had the odd game where everything he touches turns to shit, but many more where everything he does is good.
He has a face that begs for a slap, and I reckon that is the reason for the selective blindness to his qualities from some of our supporters.

 

[Baldseagull]

If Barnes is leading the line, then him, tracking back to support the defence is a waste of effort on his part and using up resources that should be targeted in the opposition box. Yes its a team game and yes for set plays we will send bigger taller men up but as a matter of course we don't see our defenders leading the line to help the attack, silly argument.

8 goals for Calde in League 1, not leading the line but chipping in.

 

[The Large One]

Some may not remember, but Peter Ward was not a big guy and played with Ian Mellor and Teddy Maybank, he was kicked off the park by the defenders of the day, but scored many, many goals for us, why, because he stood up and didn't go down. When Barnes can stand up and go for goal rather than give up and go to ground, I will big him up. He is fulfilling a role to the best of his abilities atm and I am not knocking anything he is doing, but lets put this all in context. he needs to toughen up.

Ward didn't go down? He mastered the art of diving.

 

[El Presidente]

If Barnes is leading the line, then him, tracking back to support the defence is a waste of effort on his part and using up resources that should be targeted in the opposition box. Yes its a team game and yes for set plays we will send bigger taller men up but as a matter of course we don't see our defenders leading the line to help the attack, silly argument.

But if that's what his instructions are, then why have a dig?

 

[Brighton Mod]

8 goals for Calde in League 1, not leading the line but chipping in.

So are we conceding less goals because of his efforts or are we scoring less goals because of his efforts? Help me out here.

 

[The Large One]

Ashley is paid to be a part of a team. A team that has to score goals at one end AND stop goals at the other end. If we don't expect defenders to score, why do we send them up for corners and free kicks? Why do managers often talk about wanting more goals from the rest of the team to ease the burden on strikers?

So obviously this.

Every player has more than one role in the side. It's just antiquated, facile English-football thinking that considers it otherwise.

 

[El Presidente]

So are we conceding less goals because of his efforts or are we scoring less goals because of his efforts? Help me out here.

If the team is winning................