Barnsley Defeat

By: David Wilkinson
Date: 30/09/2000

There was not much to cheer about at this game. The weather was about the best you could say about it at the start - and even that deteriorated as the game went on - ending in a heavy shower - but not as much of a shower as Town looked.

We had one chance - and it looked a good one - when Coldicott was put through and appeared to have just the goalkeeper to beat. Of course, he didn't and from then on we looked increasingly clueless.

This isn't surprising because this season is developing into a pattern we have seen before. Playing formations changing once, twice and three times within a single game.

Players played out of position and expected to do the impossible. We started with three at the back with Gallimore used as a wing back. This is not a position he occupies comfortably and he proceeded to demonstrate all the shortcomings that anyone could have predicted before a ball was kicked.

Constantly caught in two minds about where he should be resulted in him attacking ineffectively and defending ineffectively. The first goal came as we defended a corner poorly and the ball was pulled back short to the edge of the box (which Gallimore should have covered), centred and then headed across the goal from the far post before being forced over the line by Dyer.

The game was then over. We do not have the players to recover from this and those that we have are clearly bewildered by constantly changing tactics.

After the second goal (where Bloomer was at fault for poor marking) it was all change. Donovan came on for Bloomer and we went to 4-4-2 with Donovan playing wide - ON THE LEFT. Now, I have no idea who Lawrence talks to at the club but it is clear to anyone that Donovan is a right sided player. He might have noticed the give-away clue, the number 7 on his back.

It was fully 15 minutes before Lawrence realised the mistake and switched him to the right side - but then compounded the blunder by taking off Buterfield (who can play on the left) and replacing hm with Jeffrey who is a centre forward.

This farce has all the hallmarks of the Lyons and Laws eras. Constantly changing tactics and formations until no-one, least of all our own players, has any idea of what is happening.

If Jeffrey is to be used why not start him instead of Clare who we had to suffer with excruciating embarrassment until Lawrence had the humanity to put him out of his misery and substitute in the second half.

After a month things are looking pretty bad for Town. A manager who talks a good game, has all the excuses afterwards, but little dea of what he is going to do before it.

There is a clear need for a striker and Lawrence has admitted this week that we need one, but what has he done up to now to get one? A team looking more and more like strangers to each other and with little idea of what is expected of them.

We have a board that has promised a lot and delivered nothing apart from words. I have been told that the club understands the need for better PR. Well, PR s not just talking for talk's sake - which is exactly what we are getting.

Grimsby: Coyne, Bloomer (Donovan 54), Gallimore, McDermott, Handyside, Butterfield (Jeffrey 72), Campbell, Groves, Coldicott, Allen, Clare (Rowan 63)

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