The best 'player' at the club. My opinion of course but I think he has turned a group of generally average players into a good unit. Individually there are quite a few better teams out there in this league so to get BFC close to automatics is a very good achievement. Whatever happens in the next few weeks he needs keeping, needs consulting and needs supporting in the transfer market. Two or three 'better' players and Barnsley will go up automatically next season if they fail this time - as long as the manager is retained and supported.
I think it will be sooner or later Barnsley F.C get promoted back to the Championship. Might take four years but It will be back. That's regardless of whether or not the club retain Duff. It'll be quicker with Duff but the club is in limbo as it's natural level is somewhere between the Championship and League 1. With the finances, gates etc. That isn't likely to change anytime soon. In fact very little has changed since I started following the Reds in 2003/4.
Fair enough. I do think that Barnsley are historically a Championship side though in spite of awful times from the late 1950's to 1970's. Its the sound management of the club and the engagement with the community/fanbase that'll get BFC back up ..starting with keeping Duff, followed by not selling ALL the best players for quick bucks.
The pool of players available to us in League 1 is bigger making players at this level easier to replace. The key is trying to sign Championship quality players in League 1 like we did from 2014 until 2016. There will always be a Cadden and Connell knocking about somewhere not getting a game at a Celtic or wanting to test themselves in a higher division or south of the border. It's getting them first.
Started in 94/95. Got my first season ticket in 2003/4 until 2007/8. Then started again in 2014/15 until 19/20. Bought a season ticket for 19/20 but only attended the opening day win v Fulham and by that time I'd fell out of love with it. Still grates when we lose but that's about it.
Tend to agree. That's why I think Duff is important. He knows what he's doing and should be consulted on incomings and outgoings
Agreed. he seems like a loyal guy but I can’t help but think this commute will be a killer for him. He’s clearly very ambitious and talented. I am sure Khaled will be doing everything within his power to keep him but I am also fairly sure there will be overtures made for him in the summer. as Val said ‘success makes you sexy’
Spot on! As long as we keep Duffy thats fine by me. I have even thought we may miss out on promotion this time but I think with him still in charge we will be even stronger next season errrr imho.
Being in the 3rd Division always seems like time wasted to me - treading water. We need to be out of here and sharpish. That's not to get all 'massive' about it. We're here because we were one of the most badly run Clubs in the League last year. On the pitch things have changed around quickly and I agree, keeping the Coach and supporting him is a must. One other thing. You can't choose how and when you succeed in football. The idea that we have had such a good season this year therefore with the addition of a couple of players - we'll sail through it next year is foolish in the extreme. We are heavily relying on loan players - and that has been a successful strategy. Surprisingly (to most of us) although we weren't strong enough to secure outright promotion we do find ourselves in the Play Offs: we need to throw everything we've got at those Play Offs: the chance may not come around again.
I'm excited by who will be in the next raft of summer signings. Recruitment by and large at this level hasn't been bad in recent years.
I disagree at this level we will always attract the right players. The likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich don't invest in youth like we do so we'll always get the best young players at this level. Our methods only failed in the Championship because the clubs started wanting more money because we were a Championship club. The club panicked and started deviating from the system looking at Premier League loanees like Ike Ugbo and signing foreign players such as Thiam and Cavare.
Ah that makes more sense. We are same age give or take a few months. I stopped in '05 when i went to Oz for 12 months. Before that I couldn't imagine life without BFC. After being in Oz 8 months my mate called me (3am in the morning) to say we'd beaten Swansea in play-offs. I was happy, but the old allure wasn't there. Very strange feeling.
I'm not sure the commute will be the issue. He probably had the same commute when at Burnley for a number of years. The big question will be the ambition of the club, compared to other offers he gets.
My mate Russell got in touch with Laura last week on facebook asking how I was and if I wanted to come to the Oxford match with him. I declined the offer because I don't want to get back into something my heart isn't in anymore. Wouldn't be fair to my mates who I used to go to games with.
That's fair mate. I didn't stop in 05 by the way, I went to the odd game through uni years and then when I moved south in 09 less frequently. I'm moving back north this year so will get to go more. I fell back in love with the reds in the Stendel season, during a breakup, when I got on the sauce and back on the terraces. At season's end (Blackpool home), I invited 3 random reds to a meal at Pinocchio's with my parents, uncle and aunt and fell asleep in my calzone (my dad had to pull me up) It was a difficult year personally but we went up! I then sorted my life out, been tee-total for 2 1/4 years, met an amazing lass, and I still love the reds, but it's not tied up in alcohol and watching games bleary-eyed anymore. And when we lose, I can accept it much more willingly and it doesn't ruin my whole week. Just a bit of biography for you, apologies p.s. where should I move to? Still undecided!
Ackworth is quite nice. I know I come across as hyper critical, borderline miserable regarding the Reds. Honestly I do want the club to succeed. I just think it's easier to be critical now I've taken a step back. When I was attending regularly I was in the bubble. Wouldn't hear a bad word said about the club. I'd watch us play crap and convince myself that it wasn't that bad or was even good at times. This thing with the club finances didn't help. I didn't get people being grateful for cash injections when I thought that was the minimum they should be doing for something they own. On the footballing side. Had I been attending I'd have loved watching us score 4 and 5 at home and winning more than we lose. However, looking from afar I could see weaknesses. That's come across as negativity and knit picking. It really isn't had I been attending on the crest of a wave I probably wouldn't have noticed that the club has lost 10 of the twelve league games they've gone behind in. Also every time there's been more riding on the game it's coincided with one of these performances. In my heart of hearts I'm glad we're in the Play-Offs but sincerely hope we go in front in both legs of the Semi and the Final. Also if we don't take the lead in either leg of the Semi we score more when we do take the lead and make the Final. Congratulations for getting off the booze. I still like a bet and a drink. Thankfully I met Laura and we have a wonderful little boy in George who takes up all our time. I'm a believer things happen for a reason.
I know what you mean, it's easy to get back into (depending on personal circumstances) and it's easy to fall away from it. For me I've come full circle in that I go with my mum again (who originally took me during the Wilson years) so it's something we can still bond over and enjoy together (but now from the ponty rather than the east stand lower). My bug bear at the minute - which feels a recent phenomenon - is those fans who want to put other reds fans down constantly. The 'better fans' who sing 'how **** must you be, you sit down away' etc. Can't understand it. What if someone has bad knees?? Lol. People at the club are trying to instil some positivity, and I think a minority hold them back, but it is what it is. I think the feelgood factor was really strong in the promotion season to the 99/00 season, a short window, and one we are blessed to have witnessed. I understand your feelings on the club, and I don't think you are overly negative; I get that a lot of what you observe is tongue in cheek or frustration at the overall picture, which they are slowly trying to change. Thank you for the kind words. I also believe things happen for a reason, absolutely mate, and it sounds like you have a good woman and a good kid
