There are some mixed views on Barnes here but I, for one, think he desperatley needs replacing asap. In league 1 you can get away with bad touches, but not here!!! Its very noticable - He gave the ball away numerous times and 1 particular time in midfield the broke and hit the bar. He's a liability in this league and so is dicker, painter and Ankergren.
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Barnes
- Thread starter Albion Dan
- Start date
Arkwright
Arkwright
Said it earlier in the thread, Barnes plays every game out of position, he's a striker!
If there is blame it should be pointed at Gus, he makes the decisions. Barnes covered the pitch well on Satutrday, made a couple of important tackles behind Painter. He is the top scorer (penalties or not) and has the most assists not bad for a player out of position.
We spent the summer buying wingers and strikers and yet play a striker out wide or behind the front one, sorry just doesn't make sense to me. Horses for courses for me, if Gus wants a striker play Barnes with CMS, if he wants a winger player KLL or Noone, if he wants someone to play in the hole play Harley or Vicente.
If there is blame it should be pointed at Gus, he makes the decisions. Barnes covered the pitch well on Satutrday, made a couple of important tackles behind Painter. He is the top scorer (penalties or not) and has the most assists not bad for a player out of position.
We spent the summer buying wingers and strikers and yet play a striker out wide or behind the front one, sorry just doesn't make sense to me. Horses for courses for me, if Gus wants a striker play Barnes with CMS, if he wants a winger player KLL or Noone, if he wants someone to play in the hole play Harley or Vicente.
No are you?
Barnes currently can mix it physically and as per my post he looks physcially stronger than Hoskins.
However, his best work at the minute is defensive and undoubtedly his tracking back has save a couple of goals.
Da Man Clay
T'Blades
- Dec 16, 2004
- 16,274
Barnes can't mix it at all physically. Get pushed off the ball far far too often for a Championship footballer. Certainly wouldn't argue with the workrate though.
Then we beg to differ. I think the issue with Barnes is his poor control at the minute, it feels like his second touch is a 'sliding tackle'....... particularly at Ipswich where he had a stinker.
British Bulldog
The great escape
- Feb 6, 2006
- 10,913
I like Barnes as a player but just like last season he's not allways at his best as a regular starter but he can do some decent work when he comes on as a sub, I'd like to see him on the bench for a few games and see what Hoskins has to offer.
brightonrock
Dodgy Hamstrings
- Jan 1, 2008
- 2,482
It's such a lost cause trying to defend Barnes, because people who go to football to moan and can't see the good he does for the life of them, made their minds up a third of the way into last season. I LOVE the "he only scores penalties" line, what a f***ing moronic comment. A penalty counts just as much as a goal from open play, its not like its worth .5 of a goal. And if he scores 10 more penalties this season and no more from open play then oh look, we've got ourselves a Championship 20-goal striker. YES, he had a very ordinary game yesterday, and his touch was pretty poor. YES, it probably would have been an idea to get Hoskins on for the last 15/20 - but Gus clearly wanted to keep things tight and Barnes appears to be harder working defensively (admittedly on not much evidence of Hoskins playing). If Gus had brought Hoskins on and we'd lost 1-0 with an attack down our left, what would've happened then? Would Painter have got an earful? Poyet? Hoskins? Barnes is dipping form wise but by no means having the shockers he is described as having, if you believe every word here. He's stronger than last year, quicker than last year, winning more in the air, mouthing off less, working harder, defending better, and all from an unfamiliar position. 4 in 8 on loan, 20 in 48 last season, 7 in 14 this time round. Those are the stats that matter. And for every Hull, he has a Leeds. I'd like to see Hoskins too but going forward is not out problem at the moment, it's defensively. Winning the ball more in the midfield and in full-back positions is a higher priority than Barnes v Hoskins.