NFFC News None Transfer Related

[stirred]

Very lazy to say Barnsley (and Lincoln) have over achieved. If the only factor that matters is budget then maybe thats true. When you factor in other things, their long term strategy, recruitment policy, organisation on the pitch you realise that its not so strange they are one of the best clubs in the division.

If the expectation of success is purely the available budget then I agree what is the point in turning up. It is starting to go that way more often though if the 3 teams going up are the same 3 that came down the year before. Other clubs clearly need to try something different to break the mould.

To add to the above it should be noted that Barnsley’s strategy very nearly meant they exited the league at the bottom end last season, would have done but for some spectacularly inept defending from Forest. To do that something different I am talking about takes a lot of courage and sticking with a plan come what may, not characteristics we have shown in the recent past.

What is so offensive about the term overachieving? Or is it just the depressing realisation that 90% of football is based on budgets?

It's a good thing if teams are overachieving surely? Shows that's budgets and wages isn't everything. 

In the case of Barnsley, they were very lucky last year agreed. They've had a good season, I think maybe a few more years of sustained results before you can say their strategy has been a massive success. Look at the team that finished 7th last year as an example...

Yep, I haven't seen anything of Barnsley this season but saw their game the other night. They don't strike me as a side who is being rewarded for their transfer strategy or excellence off the pitch. They've just got an aggressive manager in who has developed a way of playing that opponents have found difficult to overcome. The system is not a Chris Wilder type of intelligent and fluid footballing system, it's just a physical, high energy, high tempo, direct way of playing. The manager shouts and bawls at the players from the sidelines to keep up their performance level. He's an intimidating character, I suspect he's the reason they've over achieved. Nothing more, nothing less.

Barnsley have a few decent players, but the manager has them performing. They were below us in the table when he took over, after Hughton remember.

If Hughton had taken over them, they’d be down the bottom, and people would say that’s all that can be expected from a team that just escaped relegation, has a small budget and had had a terrible start to the season. But that manager isn’t a defeatist. If Ismael had have taken over us, we’d be up where or close to where they finished.