the January window could now be very pivotal. I have no worries of the drop zone at all now ( barring a major breakdown). I think we will get better and better. January is the time to sign a couple of good signings and hopefully retain the rest of the squad.
More like dread, we have improved massively but nowhere near Prem standard yet. Let’s enjoy the results and build towards anything else
I' After Hull's implosion and plummet down the table last season, I think I'll always be worried about the drop until it t's mathematically impossible, especially with the clubs history of breaking up promising teams in the January transfer window!
Looking at our fixtures in Dec/Jan I'll be very surprised if we are still in a similar position to where we are now. We have Swansea to play twice, Norwich and Watford away and Cardiff at home (who did a number on us last time). Great to not be looking over our shoulders, but let's not carried away.
I've stopped looking at the fixtures. Other than who we're about to play etc. It can make defeats harder to swallow and give you a gloomier outlook. Each game is individual and played on it's merits. If better teams turn up they will win such as Bournemouth but if they don't and we apply ourselves such as the Watford game we will win.
But in January they sold two of their best players thinking they were already safe and our owners won't do that....
I'm simply enjoying what we're doing at the moment. All the first team regulars are making a positive contribution to the cause, in my opinion, we play some lovely passing football at times, our central defenders are hard, no nonsense lads, we show the battling qualities we all demand from a Barnsley team. For me, that's more than enough for the time being.
I like the fact that when we lose the players and manager want a midweek game to put things right. It's a good attitude.
I think they're playing too many games now, the fixture schedule is too congested. The players need a rest, but above all the gaffer needs a few days with the players to get his ideas across. We've done really well to get where we are, but the EFL & PL have under estimated the time frames for the amount of games clubs are having to play. Too many international breaks for starters, could have delayed the end of the season by at last a week also
Vaz Te was the only player of note who was sold in that window. He had a low release clause in his contract, and without that, he may have never signed in the first place. We had our hands tied over Drinkwater leaving, and from what I can remember, we lost Butterfield, Perkins and O'Brien to injury in the space of 3 weeks. I honestly don't recall who we signed in that window though either, other than Dawson and Golborne.
Until we learn to beat the teams in the top half of the table, we'll be marooned in mid-table. I for one would be over the moon with that come May.