The players 'had a go' in the final few minutes tonight - and received a decent reception at the end for it. How has it come to this, that the basic qualities that I've admired in so many Barnsley players and teams in the past have been so completely lost that we feel the need to applaud them for doing the basics? For Eric Winstanley, Pat Howard, Neil Redfearn, John Sheridan, Ray McHale, Istvan Ferenczi, Scowen, Mowatt, O'Grady, Foster, Larry May, De Zeeuw, Phil Chambers, Mick McCarthy, Barry Murphy, Alan Little, even Steven Dawson, Perkins, (no idea why these names came to mind and I could go on and on) the basic starting point was to strain every sinew in pursuit of a win. And I loved it because it reflected the culture of the town and the county. I think that's what I liked most about last season when VI got every player giving everything they had. It sometimes wasn't pretty and sometimes I was frustrated by a lack of quality but I loved the commitment. The owners desire to play differently to increase player values and the appointment of Schopp and Asbaghi to do this and base our style on passing has clearly received such focus that it's resulted in us losing the very core of what Barnsley Football Club is about. I defy the players to say they are doing everything they can. I don't believe they are spent when they leave the pitch. They are so focused on passing that they have forgotten the basics of working hard, putting their body on the line and committing fully to the cause. And it's the managers responsibility. We have forgotten the core values that our club has been based on for as long as I can remember. I see no likelihood of it returning under Asbaghi.
