Are barnsley fans overly negative?

I know exactly what you mean .

 

In my experience the 'brighter fans' can separate what is going on the pitch to what is happening off it.

On the pitch there's been some negativity which is hardly surprising as we've been pants for most of the season. Recent weeks have seen an upturn in performance and (in my view) effort, so consequently fans have got behind that - which they should.

Off the pitch - it is a total and unmitigated disaster. Well, I'm assuming it's 'total' but I may be underestimating the Owners. Any fan who isn't negative about that situation is either; uninterested in the future of the Club or (imo) deluded or aged 4.

 

I just think as a club we have more calamities than any other. Taking positions of weakness and desperation from that of strength looking forward. I don't know how many re-boots I can digest without thinking it's a waste of time.

 

And all those theories along with all the other theories lead back to one person's incompetence. Paul Conway. In fact I'm not sure if it's incompetence or simply a massive ego and a blatant disregard for supporters of the club's he owns. The only reason anyone thinks that moons inclusion is influenced by Paul Conway is that Paul Conway boasted in the media that he had influenced team selection at another club and the club had moved up the table because of his amazing football knowledge. The only reason it's not been cleared up is that Paul Conway would rather go to bramall lane than meet with Barnsley fans.

It's weird isn't it that it's actually better if the owner of the club ISN'T telling the truth than if he is. Not that anyone should believe a word he says anyway. He once took credit for Conor hourihane who we bought and sold long before Paul Conway had anything to do with Barnsley football club.

 

Paul Conway obviously thought the road sign said "Bumhole Lane". Being a bumhole himself he fit right in.

 

I've never gone along with the theory of cunning manipulative absent Owner. The last 4 seasons evidence points to incompetence rather than cunning. PC puts me in mind of the Wizard of Oz. When Dorothy and her friends enter the Wizard's Grand Hall, they hear a booming powerful voice breathing fire from above. But then Toto pulls back the curtain and they find the 'Great Wizard' is actually a fat bloke turning a few wheels, pushing few buttons and trying desperately to get back behind the curtain.

To be fair to PC, he's never hidden his position - don't think I have any emotional attachment to this Club; they are simply a line on a balance sheet would kind of sum it up. Not that you need emotional attachment - you just need competency and sound management.

 

If it's the quote that I read, Conway said something along the lines of him saying he showed a head coach the data that showed that a younger player was performing better than a more experienced player. The context could've been that they wanted to move the more experienced player on, like they moved Sollbauer on.

To use that as evidence that he's telling Poya to select Jasper Moon over two 22 year olds that he'd paid transfer fees for (Sibbick / Kitching), just makes no sense. Particularly when you add the number of games Moon has actually been selected for.

 

I'm just saying why. He said that he exerted influence on the manager to play a particular player because of his stats on a spreadsheet and boasted that the team moved up the table as a result of his influence on the teamsheet. Personally I think he's an absolute idiot for saying that but as I said, his ego and need to be seen as a football genius trump's his desire for any kind of integrity or clarity.

 

I think his level of competence is now beyond any debate, after overseeing two of the most disastrous summers we've had, certainly since coming out of administration. I just feel that theories about specifics such as Conway selecting Moon, do not help with anything, and it's a theory that just doesn't stand up to any scrutiny.

I'm more concerned about how we've ended up without a CEO again, having seen Murphy just walk away without any notice. I'm far more concerned about the ownership dispute, the 750k and what that means for the remaining 2.75m and who will be paying those court costs. Also concerned about how talks with the council / Crynes are going regarding Oakwell.

Everything else is just noise and a distraction. That's what I find frustrating.

 

Again though they're distractions caused by Conway not the fans. Trying to blame fans for them is wrong when it's him and his actions and words that lead to them. I'm also not sure how theories that Conway is influencing moons regular inclusion are easily disproved. He's featured in a LOT of games this season compared to other back up players and a lot of his absences are explained by injury such as his absences in February which the manager said we're due to injury despite him being an unused sub (something we've seen before with players put on the bench hopefully not needing to be used).

It isn't just incompetence from Conway it's pure arrogance as well and the way he treats supporters IS in my opinion a big issue because it is how relationships are built or lost.

 

Moon has started 3 league games and come on as sub in 3 others since Poya took over. The majority of those came in Jan, when we were asking for games to be called off because we only had 10 players training.

I'd say those numbers are low for a player mandated to play by the board.

 

I think you're confusing mandated with influenced. They're very different things. We were mandated to play Ryan Kent, Paul Conway has admitted influencing team selection at his clubs. Big difference.

And again, he can't play when injured. Plus 3 different managers have played him this season. We aren't just talking about Asbahgi here.
But my overriding point here isn't whether this is true or not, I've no idea. It's that the reason fans think it may be true is that Paul Conway has admitted influencing the lineup at other clubs he owns. He admitted so purely so that he could brag and boast about his football knowledge. That is a big issue between supporters and owners, that he refuses to talk to us but will happily court the media when it massages his ego. It isn't a cold fact such as £750k etc but the breakdown of trust and relationship is a big issue and the blame for that lies squarely at Paul Conway's feet, not the feet of supporters. Brushing off these legitimate concerns and calling them a distraction is unfair.

 

He didn’t boast about his football knowledge, he was boasting about the use of data and how it can improve things.
He used that example as why clubs should be using data and not a price tag or reputation of a player.

 

And about why he was right not the manager. It was boasting just like it was boasting when he claimed credit for Conor hourihane. Quite why he is constantly defended I'll never understand. The man is an absolute *insert your own word here* (no loko, that doesn't include the word hero)

 

Spot on.
Another example
They want us to go down. One of the regular bonkers quotes.? They misjudged the strength of the squad . And regret the dealings in the summer more like.

 

He was boasting, of course he was but again he wasn’t claiming he was right he was boasting that using data was right.

That’s not defending him that’s saying your claim of him boasting about his football knowledge is incorrect.

 

To be honest I just noticed you were liking some of the messages so was wondering how much attention you were paying that's all. I just wanted to see how quickly you noticed it, I do the same with biglil sometimes. If I mention his name he sees it in seconds

 

I think even when fit, Moon is behind Helik, Andersen and Kitching in the pecking order for a centre back spot. If we play a back three, he was also behind Williams. He might be level pegging with Halme, though I suspect Halme would come into the middle
of a back 4 before moon.

I do get what you’re saying, and my preference would be for Conway to remain a silent, and distant, partner. He talks nonsense and makes mistake after mistake. But, in keeping with the title of this thread, I think it was quite a jump that people made from the quotes published and the reason why Moon played as often as he did, which for me was more down to the sale of Sollbauer, injuries and suspensions to Kitching, Halme and Andersen and whatever went off with Sibbick. That and a very poor summer of recruitment.

 

P Conway made it quite clear at the beginning. That he didn't want loan players. Letting other teams players learn their trade with the reds. to the disadvantage of our own as they created no sell on value. The model was built on The Billy Bean model. Which btw was already, in a fashion, in place with James Cryne building stats.
I remember quite clearly then, that accusations were made about James and Patrick re influencing team selections. True or not I've no idea. But I reckon there may have been some mileage in it. Although in a less demanding order. than that portrayed by their accusers.
If I remember rightly. Conway warmed up to the idea of loan players when it became clear the model had its failings and it became evident we needed more experience or quality. Eg we had 4 loan players at the start of the Sheffield united game and several games before. Hardly showcasing our own. I'm not excusing him btw. Just pointing out how I see it.
Re the Hourianne credit quote. I may be wrong but if I remember rightly. It was an acknowledgement/ statement of the system we already had in place. I've nowt to back it up just a vague memory.