You’ve got super Michael Duffy

[Cheftyke]

Morning all. Barnsley fan in peace

Like quite a few red fans I have been keeping an eye on your results and whilst I am perhaps slightly surprised at the poor start, I’m not totally shocked.

However, I think it is important that you stick with the manager. In my opinion, he was absolutely brilliant for us and probably one of the best managers we’ve ever had. I’ve watched enough football to know when a good manager comes around. I have read quite a few comments suggesting that he’s a dinosaur and not equipped for championship football. Think this is a fairly misguided view. There isn’t a huge difference between top end league one and championship football, save for the finishing.

There is no doubt, he puts high demands on the players, but it does work. It seemed to me like we were fitter than every team in the division. Our players clearly bought into what he was trying to do, and perhaps that was easier with younger and more adaptable players. We were very well drilled, once we went one up you could pretty much guarantee we would not concede.

Ultimately, when your board decided to appoint Michael Duff, they had to accept that he needed to be given time to implement a complete change in style. It certainly seems like this was the case when you read the interviews when he first joined. It will therefore seem like madness to sack him after 10 games?

Our clubs have taken to divergent paths since our rather fortunate victory in Cardiff. I think he’s going to need a season in charge to start making some progress but if you stick with him it will benefit your club in the long run. Good luck for the rest of the season.

 

[magicdaps10]

Hi and than you for the post, was a nice read.

Question is, did you see ball on the floor football at Barnsley and does Duff have it in him to play a back 4?

The answers to these questions are something that will paint a picture going forward for myself.

 

[Cheftyke]

Cheers Yes we played some really good stuff - we got the ball forward quickly but usually though midfield

He did seem to stick to 3/5/2 but I guess it worked - after a very patchy start we were top 2 in the form teams in the league so no need to change it up.

 

[magicdaps10]

Cheers Yes we played some really good stuff - we got the ball forward quickly but usually though midfield

He did seem to stick to 3/5/2 but I guess it worked - after a very patchy start we were top 2 in the form teams in the league so no need to change it up.

Think he has to change that formation for starters with us, a back three didn't suit us last season and it doesn't this imo.
As it stands, we have nothing going forward and defensively we are still conceding but minus the attacking threat..........i would say the loss of Piroe would be a factor but I think even if Piroe was still here that he would still be on 0 league goals.

It's going to be more demand from our fans here especially taking in how bad the football is(it's non existent) and his next 2 games will have a say on his future here.

I hope he turns it around, he does that then our team improves but like many I don't see any signs to suggest it will change anytime soon.

 

[Cooperman]

We still have the receipt. Do you do refunds?

 

[Nocountryforoldjack]

And here lies the problem for us, the players have gone from Russell Martin who cuddled them to Duff who's like the Sargent major with them and they don't like it. I'm not seeing any signs of fitness from our squad, they looked like they was running in treacle against Cardiff. What ever he's trying to implement with our squad it's really not showing at the moment, I just hope this is the darkness before the light.

 

[TerryPHELAN]

So maybe the players need to take a look at themselves and follow the managers instructions. Whereas they were molly coddled under RM, that ship has sailed now.
If any of us in any other walk of life didn’t follow our boss instructions, we’d be in for a sanction or disciplinary of some sort. The performance at Cardiff suggested the majority were half arsed which is cheating us fans.
I really want it to work for Duff, and in the long run I think it will.
It’s down to the players now to shape up.

 

[Swanjaxs]

So maybe the players need to take a look at themselves and follow the managers instructions. Whereas they were molly coddled under RM, that ship has sailed now.
If any of us in any other walk of life didn’t follow our boss instructions, we’d be in for a sanction or disciplinary of some sort. The performance at Cardiff suggested the majority were half arsed which is cheating us fans.
I really want it to work for Duff, and in the long run I think it will.
It’s down to the players now to shape up.

But it's not just the Cardiff performance is it, apart from 15 minutes at WBA and half hour at Preston we've been absolute garbage so far this season, and, if it's true players aren't happy after being molly coddled under Martin then the spotlight should be shone on only a few because most of the squad never played under chinwig ...

 

[MrSwerve]

We still have the receipt. Do you do refunds?

Thank Christ J123 was at the negotiations!

 

[mrploppy]

I'm not buying any of this. We've, almost overnight, turned into a team that just lumps the ball forward. That can only be because of Duff's instructions because our players naturally wouldn't do that. Even Rushworth is now kicking long, probably because he had a rollicking after the first game. We're not going to win long goal kicks so it's just conceding possession. No more playing out from the back. He complained that every ball we passed forward we lost. Why's that Mr Duff? What do you do in training every day? What about trying to build attacks through the midfield? He talks a good game, has made snide remarks a couple of times about how "extreme" we were under Martin, but we've shown the square root of naff all on the pitch so far.

 

[sainthelens]

I'm not buying any of this. We've, almost overnight, turned into a team that just lumps the ball forward. That can only be because of Duff's instructions because our players naturally wouldn't do that. Even Rushworth is now kicking long, probably because he had a rollicking after the first game. We're not going to win long goal kicks so it's just conceding possession. No more playing out from the back. He complained that every ball we passed forward we lost. Why's that Mr Duff? What do you do in training every day? What about trying to build attacks through the midfield? He talks a good game, has made snide remarks a couple of times about how "extreme" we were under Martin, but we've shown the square root of naff all on the pitch so far.

Absolutely spot on my friend.
He's out of his depth. Its getting away from him way quicker than he's capable of stopping it.
Another drab show tonight and I think he be gone by Saturday.

 

[LeonWasTheDog's]

He may well not have the players to play his normal game here. It's obvious that his method with our players isn't working. Maybe his signings will help once they settle in (hard to judge as many have only played the one game, but from those who came earlier in the summer only Key has settled - and are they really his picks anyway?).

This could well be an awful decision by the board, not because he's necessarily a bad manger but because he's a bad fit. He's dismantled what we were when it only needed tweaking and a bit of extra quality. I buy the argument that he needs time though, but at what cost?

 

[monmouth]

He may well not have the players to play his normal game here. It's obvious that his method with our players isn't working. Maybe his signings will help once they settle in (hard to judge as many have only played the one game, but from those who came earlier in the summer only Key has settled - and are they really his picks anyway?).

This could well be an awful decision by the board, not because he's necessarily a bad manger but because he's a bad fit. He's dismantled what we were when it only needed tweaking and a bit of extra quality. I buy the argument that he needs time though, but at what cost?

He has nothing to do with choosing players. He said so. None are his picks.

 

[LeonWasTheDog's]

He has nothing to do with choosing players. He said so. None are his picks.

So we don't know then whether players were signed to suit his system or the old one. It's a very strange state of affairs right now.

 

[Arthurmorgan]

If he is super, he’d better start very quickly dusting his cape off.
Football at the moment is his kryptonite!