Barnsley

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

Think only the purists moan about the style if your winning matches. Long ball to Tees’s head flick for Brace or Jack Lewis and ends up in the net who complains? Same with Gary Jones and Reddy. Played correctly and well if it wins matches certainly better then the current love of centre halves passing it squarely to each other before either mucking it up or hurriedly passing back to a keeper to launch it forward anyway.

Talking of that 05/06 season, the football wasn't great but Reddy's pace meant we were always in games and Jones could make the ball stick up top with his intelligent play. Can't remember anyone complaining about the direct style at the time because it was bringing success.

However, the moment direct football doesn't bring results, it's the first thing to be cited as a problem. When you're passing and moving like a Buckley side, you can better negotiate the poor results because you know good football will eventually bring good results.

Teams known for playing attractive football usually prosper. Although if Barnsley somehow make the play-offs and win them, they can set themselves up financially for a good while to come by spending just one season getting spanked in the Prem (as long as they're run sensibly).

Not bothered what way we play as long as we win.

[quote=316

However, the moment direct football doesn't bring results, it's the first thing to be cited as a problem. When you're passing and moving like a Buckley side, you can better negotiate the poor results because you know good football will eventually bring good results.

There was a time though when town fans, probably me included, were screaming blue murder at town during the Buckley era as they had a habit of trying to score the perfect goal and were often guilty of one pass too many. I recall one season where we were struggling when I believe we lost 4 home games on the bounce 1-0 and it was exasperating.

Winning clouds many a performance and style of play.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

“never played against a team like that at any level of football. The way they play is mental,”

I'd take that as a compliment, to be honest!

Quoted from RichMariner

Talking of that 05/06 season, the football wasn't great but Reddy's pace meant we were always in games and Jones could make the ball stick up top with his intelligent play. Can't remember anyone complaining about the direct style at the time because it was bringing success.

However, the moment direct football doesn't bring results, it's the first thing to be cited as a problem. When you're passing and moving like a Buckley side, you can better negotiate the poor results because you know good football will eventually bring good results.

Teams known for playing attractive football usually prosper. Although if Barnsley somehow make the play-offs and win them, they can set themselves up financially for a good while to come by spending just one season getting spanked in the Prem (as long as they're run sensibly).

Unfortunately I disagree.

I can remember the away end at Mansfield nearly scrapping amongst themselves in February of that season, Town two points clear at the top going into it.  Slade MkI's football split the fans like nothing else I've seen, far more so than Hurst's approach.  Proper Marmite stuff.

At least Slade MkII united the fans in how utterly dogshite his style was.

Even in his first season, Slade got hammered by some of the fans.  We were playing some lovely stuff early on but results weren't going our way.  Although allegedly a certain board member told Slade he had to return to 4-4-2 or a variation of quite early in the season...

Buckley got his fair share of criticism for his style, across all three spells, regardless of form.  I think it's football fans in general, we're just never happy.

Wasn’t slade mk1 the highest average attendance we’ve had for decades? Can’t be arsed to google but if true people (rightly) don’t care so long as we are winning.

As many of you have mentioned, there is nothing wrong with vertical football if you have the players, such as Reddy and Jones.

John Beck pushed the limits but his style worked at Cambridge because he had Dublin and Claridge upfront.

Allardyce descended into parody but I quite enjoyed watching his Bolton side. Get the ball up the pitch, hold it up and let the likes of Okocha and Djorkæff work their magic from there.

Ditto Barnes and Blissett under Graham Taylor at Watford.

Even Guardiola used to play vertical football at Bayern against Dortmund to avoid Klopp’s gegenpress.

Yes, Barnsley were in trouble early this season.  I think they appointed a new German manager?  Never looked back as far as climbing the league table is concerned.

Just as impressively as Burton are doing with a new manager (Hasselbaink).

Whilst we, with a new team, ...........

With seemingly every club trying to play out from the back now I have been thinking the time could be right for clubs that can nail the long ball game. Harking back to the 90s with the likes of John Becks Cambridge who came within a glimmer of ending up in the first division and also the Ireland and Norway teams of the 90s who made major improvements by playing disciplined long ball. Obviously they all got sussed out after a time but if you can nail effective hoofball then there are rewards to be reaped, especially so in the lower leagues with clubs who might have ideas above their station playing possession based football from the keeper.

The ultra pressing game is not a long ball game. Leeds are probably its best exponents, and no-one could accuse them of being a hoofball team. The Bielsa approach is what I was advocating in the Just Back thread. It’s all about not giving your opponents the time to settle on the ball in their own half, and then hitting them hard and quickly when in possession.