REBUILD AND REGAIN

So where do we go from here, eh? A comedic reply would be 'Bramall Lane' or 'Spotland'. Because yes indeed, the nightmare season that has been this one was capped off in appalling style last weekend as the sorry set of players we've been daft enough to watch for the last nine months signed off with yet another defeat - a third on the bounce - which confirmed our already expected relegation. There was no 'Great Escape' this time around. The 90+ minutes on Teeside resembled many other games witnessed this season, as a squad lacking desperately in talent, quality, motivation or desire succumbed to a 3-1 defeat against a quite poor Middlesbrough side who despite their own lethargy at times could have easily given us our biggest spanking of the campaign. 



It was the usual stuff from the usual culprits. We got the full reportoire. 

*Tom Kennedy's aimless, floated corners to the keeper. 

*Big John's brain freezing. 

*Stephen Dawson running through on goal, showing glimpses of being a good footballer as he danced through midfield, only to sidefoot it to the keeper like a back pass. 

*Liam Lawrence showing class on the ball, and absolutely nowt off the ball. 

*Luke Steele pulling off world class saves. 

*Chris O'Grady spending most of the game with his eyes on the sky, ready for the next hoofed ball to come down whilst well shepherded by a brute of a centre half. 

*Chris O'Grady being a left winger. 

*Kelvin Etuhu reverting to type. 

*Lots of long balls to nobody in particular. 

*Marcus Pedersen laid on the pitch, in pain? 

*Stephen Dawson/Tom Kennedy kicking the ball out of play when that seemed an impossibility from the positions they were in. 

*Tom Kennedy passing it backwards despite no pressure and 20 yards free space to move into. 

*The opposition being allowed/urged to shoot from distance. 

*The opposition being allowed/urged to shoot. 

*The opposition scoring goals. More goals than us. 

*Dale Jennings cutting in onto his right foot and shooting. 

*Martin Cranie oozing quality on the ball. 

*Martin Cranie nowhere to be seen for any of the goals conceded. 

*A Barnsley defeat. 

See the date there on that ticket? The 26th of April. The same date that we beat Brentford in 2003 courtesy of an Isaiah Rankin 90th minute winner. Oh, and the same day some bloke called Danny took us to the top flight. 




So that's it. We're down, relegated, our world has caved in and we all may as well pack in or whatever and go shopping with the missus on a weekend. Or, perhaps we see/use this as the perfect opportunity to rebuild, to get our club back, and ultimately regain our status as a second tier club? I'm going with the second option. I can't stand shopping. 
But before I expand on that, here's another random photo taken on the 26th April 2014, the day the turd was finally flushed after much protestation. 

Woodsy, Paddy, Frimmy, Whitey and Bobby

Here's a list of the players I'd like to be retained for next season: 


Steele, Hassell, M'Voto, Nyatanga, Digby, O'Brien, Jennings, O'Grady, Noble-Lazarus, Rose. Plus the bairns we're yet to see. The rest can go for me. 


It's imperative that as Ben Mansford as suggested, we recruit better than ever this Summer. Recruit players that want to represent this proud club of ours. Players who'll move into the area, players who won't form cliqués in order to undermine the manager just because they've not figured this week etc. We've gone down a division, into a division where we're now going to be one of the big boys. We'll have no end of players excited about joining us. It's up to Danny and Ben to find us the right ones. 

It's no reason for us supporters to be downbeat, either, this relegation. Aye, it's sad. But it's been coming for a while, and shouldn't be much of a shock to anyone watching us for the last few years. So why not join me in my method moving forwards? 

I've been a reds supporter for 26 seasons now. In the vast main, I've not held any expectations of a positive nature. I've had it almost drilled into me from 1988 that we're a small club who are doing well to merely survive at second tier level. To expect to lose more than you win. And to know your place in the football pyramid. I've heard all this on a regular basis all my life, from my dad, my mates, our board, our managers, our players, the media, our local rivals, everybody. 
Well ballacks to that. 

This 2014-15 season gives me the first real opportunity to be expectant. To be slightly arrogant, to be an optimist. I didn't get that chance the last time we were relegated because I nearly had no club/players to watch. But this time it's different and I am going to go into next season expecting us to win most weeks and hopefully reclaim our place at the Championship table. 



We've got a lot of local derbies, potentially, to look forward to. We've lost one Sheffield club but gained it's less attractive sister. A club we fare well against. The main threat to our title ambitions. 
Then there's the added bonus of Rochdale. At the same level as us for the first time in my lifetime. The home of Keith Hill. His return to Oakwell will be something else. If online platforms are anything to go on then he'll be lucky to escape with his head still on his shoulders. Which I find moronic. 
Of course, that's just vitriol, and whilst he'll be given a rough ride upon his return (he was given that when he was here anyway) there'll be nothing naughty. We at Barnsley reserve such behaviour for blokes wearing black, called Gary, from Worthing.. 

The fact Keith was sacked in 2012 seems to be ignored by many when they're still blaming him for our relegation now in 2014. Funny that. I don't recall anyone crediting him with our survival last season. You can't have it both ways. 
Both he and David Flitcroft did their best I would imagine in what at times will have been under trying circumstances. Both of them failed, ultimately. But it's about time we stuck them where they belong. In the past. Just as we need to do the same with Danny. I don't mean get shut of him. I mean, lets stop expecting him to perform miracles. It's been 17 years and as shown since he's returned, football has moved on a hell of a lot since then. That's not me suggesting he's not capable of bringing the good times back to Tarn, I blindly think he can do. I'm 100% behind giving him that chance. But can we not just ease off a tad, eh? Let him get on with the rebuild. So we can regain.. 



I'll finish today/this season by once more mentioning the fantastic fanzine set up this season by a few Tarn lads that has proven to be a roaring success and perhaps been the best thing to come out of this awful BFC campaign. It'll be back next season. For our promotion season. All aboard the third division tour bus, calling at Spotland, Prenton Park, Meadow Lane, and finally stopping at home.... the second tier. 


'Love Barnsley, Hate Football'