‘It’s not the
weather, it’s the wind’
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| This is Barnsley. |
This
game will live long in the annals.
Minutes, maybe even hours.
Because for long periods, simply nothing happened. Don’t get me wrong, we were trying. But against an ambitiousless Middlesboro, it
was a slog. The big news was Strudel’s
team…a back 3…or was it 5? Either way,
Sollbauer, Jordan Williams and Halme would hold the middle against Boro’s £26m
forward line. Yes, Assombalonga,
Fletcher and Guestede would all look very average against our new look defence,
who achieved a 2nd consecutive clean sheet (when, for a second
consecutive game, there was no Diaby or Mads).
I love these ‘coincidences’.
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| The green shoots of a half decent defence. |
Assombalonga in particular caught the eye.
The only time he looked interested was the twice he argued over a
throw-in. A throw-in, FFS! Fans who think our fabulously wealthy owners
should chuck the cash around ought to be careful what they wish for:
Assombalaonga cost £15 million. Even
Fletcher, who we think of fondly after being with us in the 3rd
division, gets brickbats for being a ‘bit soft’. For £7m, north-eastern folk expect their
forwards to at least ‘put it about a bit’.
He took the ‘a bit’ literally.
What a waste of space.
Course, this is to undermine the fabulousness of our new-look defence who restricted Boro to precisely ZERO shots on target. Zero. I could have done with a couple, just to make it interesting, but they were nothing. Whisper it, but despite being 5 points shy of safety, we have a CHANCE. In recent weeks I have seen Huddersfield be bloody awful, Washday be bloody average and Boro be bloody disinterested. Add the fact Dull City have just sold their only two players and are without a win in 2020, and they’re ripe for the taking on Wednesday. Even Malik Wilks gets a game there (and I’d let him play against us, too).
Mind, against a team so devoid of attacking intent as Boro, we only needed the one goal. And for all of Jacob Brown’s keen running, it was arch poacher Chaplin who bagged. As the pullback came to him, he put his foot on the ball while all around panicked. Just like Huddersfield (I think it was Huddersfield). Only this time, instead of calmly stroking it home, he played a 1-2 off the bar and put in the rebound. Who says we never get any luck? The result was never in doubt.
Onwards and upwards!
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| The lack of pedestrians signalling my lateness. |
Course, this is to undermine the fabulousness of our new-look defence who restricted Boro to precisely ZERO shots on target. Zero. I could have done with a couple, just to make it interesting, but they were nothing. Whisper it, but despite being 5 points shy of safety, we have a CHANCE. In recent weeks I have seen Huddersfield be bloody awful, Washday be bloody average and Boro be bloody disinterested. Add the fact Dull City have just sold their only two players and are without a win in 2020, and they’re ripe for the taking on Wednesday. Even Malik Wilks gets a game there (and I’d let him play against us, too).
 |
| The old Main Stand. |
Mind, against a team so devoid of attacking intent as Boro, we only needed the one goal. And for all of Jacob Brown’s keen running, it was arch poacher Chaplin who bagged. As the pullback came to him, he put his foot on the ball while all around panicked. Just like Huddersfield (I think it was Huddersfield). Only this time, instead of calmly stroking it home, he played a 1-2 off the bar and put in the rebound. Who says we never get any luck? The result was never in doubt.
Onwards and upwards!
***
Jordan Williams. Looked better
for being in a back 3 than his normal right back spot.
**
Sollbauer. Imagine where we’d be
if we’d got rid of the Chuckle Brothers earlier and had this guy in?
* Halme. Porthos, Athos, and now Aramus. The 3 musketeers did a grand job today.
ps, who was the official MOTM? I was there and I can’t remember. Sollbauer? (It was Ludewig.)
Londontykes' MOTM: 1. Sollbauer 2. Brown 3. Ludewig
Despatches:
I’m not normally any good at getting my round in at the Old Number 7, normally saving myself for the mortgage-threatening likes of the Sheffield Tap, or the Parcel Yard in Kings X. So how I laughed when I took a turn this week and Reedy ordered a pint of Northern Monk and was warned it was expensive. Expensive? £6.50. ‘Do you have a matchday drinkers badge?’ ‘Yes I do – on my other coat’. Luckily, the barmaid took pity (Nozzer wasn’t there, with his discount card) and gave me the 10% off. I mean, it was nice – but not six pounds fifty nice. Reedy went back to Acorn blonde when it was his round…
The players? Oh yeah, they all played well. But if anyone should be in that top 3 who wasn’t, it’s Jacob Brown. It’s not just that he runs around, he runs around with PURPOSE. And while he’s not bagged the goals of Chaplin or Woodrow, he’s a big reason why those 2 are bagging. He’s already in my top 100 all-time list of favourite Barnsley players (Waddington actually wrote one last week; Clarke Oduor is #85 and rising!)
Drink du jour: Weihenstephaner in #7, Leffe on train.
Away: 3,999. To begin with, anyway.
The Damage:
£35 train
£3 programme
= £38
ps, who was the official MOTM? I was there and I can’t remember. Sollbauer? (It was Ludewig.)
Londontykes' MOTM: 1. Sollbauer 2. Brown 3. Ludewig
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| One of them seasons Boro arrive in numbers. |
Despatches:
I’m not normally any good at getting my round in at the Old Number 7, normally saving myself for the mortgage-threatening likes of the Sheffield Tap, or the Parcel Yard in Kings X. So how I laughed when I took a turn this week and Reedy ordered a pint of Northern Monk and was warned it was expensive. Expensive? £6.50. ‘Do you have a matchday drinkers badge?’ ‘Yes I do – on my other coat’. Luckily, the barmaid took pity (Nozzer wasn’t there, with his discount card) and gave me the 10% off. I mean, it was nice – but not six pounds fifty nice. Reedy went back to Acorn blonde when it was his round…
The players? Oh yeah, they all played well. But if anyone should be in that top 3 who wasn’t, it’s Jacob Brown. It’s not just that he runs around, he runs around with PURPOSE. And while he’s not bagged the goals of Chaplin or Woodrow, he’s a big reason why those 2 are bagging. He’s already in my top 100 all-time list of favourite Barnsley players (Waddington actually wrote one last week; Clarke Oduor is #85 and rising!)
 |
| ...shame they didn't stay. |
Away: 3,999. To begin with, anyway.
The Damage:
£35 train
£3 programme
= £38
Con Todo El Mundo (Khruangbin)
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (The Flaming Lips)
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| East Stand panorama |
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| Into the light of Oakwell |
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| The Boro coaches (and a February ad for Xmas trees!) |
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| Let's be upstanding for the Reds' goalscorer! |
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