Barrow v Newport County match thread

[Barra Marra]

Re: performances.

They have been poor lately and I can't say I always agree with the tactics or substitutions BUT this is the same group of players (more or less) that started the season. Something is off at the moment, but they have shown that they are capable of beating teams in this league and playing good football. Whether it's a coaching thing, a mentality thing or whatever, yesterday was another re run of what we've seen at home since November.
Pete has his plan A and it worked until sides worked us out. I think he's looking for a plan B but right now, it isn't working. I often wonder if having two personnel for each position (as he said he wanted) means we don't have options to change the system too much without people playing out of position (see the midfield 3 and abundance of defensive options in there).

Keep saying it, but what if plan B was a 4-4-2? Looks like we have the personnel for it and it would give more threat up top and isn't a huge change in shape at the back or in the middle.

I don't think now is the time to start talking of Pete Wild fighting for his job or anything of that nature. The mandate was to consolidate and after our fantastic start, that looks more than likely. Now let's see if the project keeps improving both on and off the pitch. Keep the faith, things have been much, much worse and we are we are.

Just seen the Feely incident on telly. Ref definitely went for the top pocket first, i.e. a yellow, until he was surrounded.

[SKIPPER]

I read that, but surely (as Nige says) that’s two yellows resulting in a red….I never saw two yellows flashed.

This. If its a yellow first and then he gets sent off for what he said he would've been shown a yellow for the first offence and then a red for the second. Separate offences.
All besides the point. The ref wasn't going to do anything other than give a free kick before he was surrounded and hounded by Newport players. Just casually walked over to their lad to make sure his life ending injury wasn't too bad as he was rolling around on the floor. No consultation with the liner (who was closer and had a front on view). I might be wrong, but I thought the liner gave a throw in to Newport.

I hate the "gamesmanship" in football but our lads need to start fighting fire with fire. We don't do it and it costs us week in week out. Look at the way some of their lot were winking and grinning at the popular side yesterday after "winning" a free kick and faking injury.
I think we need a dedicated "sh*thousery" coach (joke before anyone says owt). Fair play wins no points and sides like these lot and Mansfield are getting decisions for it.

Speaking of gamesmanship I watched Chesterfield-Notts Co last night. Around the hour the Chesterfield keeper went down unchallenged with an 'injury'. As the physios rushed to treat him and the game was stopped the whole Chesterfield team gathered round the dug out for a Paul Cook pep-talk and drinks. Needless to say the keeper quickly recovered. Interestingly the co-commentator said this was becoming prevalent in the game and one of the biggest culprits was Barrows' Paul Farman.So we do have some gamesmanship/sh1thousery in the locker. Perhaps it needs extending.

[Pedro]

We had a good start but have faltered.
PW has got the points to keep us up hopefully.
Adam is right we are a none league club playing in the EFL.
I would also say we have a none league Manager trying to adapt.
I think recruitment and the inability to change things over a number of games is showing this..
PW is now playing for his future which if these results continue means he will not be here next season
We can afford do nothing at the moment but it's clear things are not being rectified in training.
I know we like to hear PW on Radio Carlise but I think this put pressure on him and makes him sound like a man on death row with the music playing in the background always look on the bright side of life.
I hope he can turn it around to prove that nice guys succeed.

Wild will be here next year, no benefit in constantly changing managers.

We were all cheering and singing their praises earlier in the season. Everyone knows the areas we need strengthening, but those sort of players don't grow on trees!

We are still evolving as a club and group of players etc, and although recent results haven't been great, we'd have still accepted a mid table finish. There's still plenty of time to put a few results together and finish with some momentum.

The time is to stick together and get behind them... Show we are 'supporters' not just followers.

I hope he is but the inability to adapt and come from a goal behind needs to stop along with the set pieces where we concede.
I want him to succeed but he needs to turn things around .

[Barrow afc 2018]

Like most on here very disappointed with result yesterday but on reflection and having seen the highlights I can see why Pete Wilde defended his team. Even the independent commentator saying Barrow put Newport under. The point being it’s all very fine margins, goals change games and so do officiating decisions. Pete W and his staff have virtually assured us of a free hit this season all we need at the moment is some of them fine margins going for us. The board are backing PW and so should we to the hilt regardless. He is feeling the pain as we all are but he’s deffo a keeper IMHO. KTF it will come.

[romabarrow]

FORZA BLUEBIRDS, really down about the result and our current home form don’t even seem to have luck on our side at the moment. Sure PW can turn it around to have us finish above mid table, has to be given a chance for next season also, so let’s keep positive. Bluebird per sempre.

[Jonty]

If we’d have started the season like this we’d be hitting the panic button without doubt and just glad we amassed the points we did at the start of the campaign. We absolutely must do better defending and attacking set pieces. Set pieces amount to half the goals at this level and staying switched on for 9 out of 10 won’t stop the 10th one hitting the net. It’s the key to success at this level.

[Barra Marra]

This. If its a yellow first and then he gets sent off for what he said he would've been shown a yellow for the first offence and then a red for the second. Separate offences.
All besides the point. The ref wasn't going to do anything other than give a free kick before he was surrounded and hounded by Newport players. Just casually walked over to their lad to make sure his life ending injury wasn't too bad as he was rolling around on the floor. No consultation with the liner (who was closer and had a front on view). I might be wrong, but I thought the liner gave a throw in to Newport.

I hate the "gamesmanship" in football but our lads need to start fighting fire with fire. We don't do it and it costs us week in week out. Look at the way some of their lot were winking and grinning at the popular side yesterday after "winning" a free kick and faking injury.
I think we need a dedicated "sh*thousery" coach (joke before anyone says owt). Fair play wins no points and sides like these lot and Mansfield are getting decisions for it.

Speaking of gamesmanship I watched Chesterfield-Notts Co last night. Around the hour the Chesterfield keeper went down unchallenged with an 'injury'. As the physios rushed to treat him and the game was stopped the whole Chesterfield team gathered round the dug out for a Paul Cook pep-talk and drinks. Needless to say the keeper quickly recovered. Interestingly the co-commentator said this was becoming prevalent in the game and one of the biggest culprits was Barrows' Paul Farman.So we do have some gamesmanship/sh1thousery in the locker. Perhaps it needs extending.

Absolutely. Look at the way sides like Newport and Mansfield (and others) surround referees, make a huge deal of every foul, make a big deal of "injuries" after a foul. This is what got Feely sent off yesterday, nothing else. I absolutely detest that this is now seen as just part of the game and that it's always called gamesmanship and being clever, rather than what it is...cheating.
But if you can't beat them and it isn't going away anytime soon, then what can we do except level the playing field.

None of that is an excuse for recent results though. Agree with everyone saying we need to sort out set pieces.

[MisterPleasant]

Speaking of gamesmanship I watched Chesterfield-Notts Co last night. Around the hour the Chesterfield keeper went down unchallenged with an 'injury'. As the physios rushed to treat him and the game was stopped the whole Chesterfield team gathered round the dug out for a Paul Cook pep-talk and drinks. Needless to say the keeper quickly recovered. Interestingly the co-commentator said this was becoming prevalent in the game and one of the biggest culprits was Barrows' Paul Farman.So we do have some gamesmanship/sh1thousery in the locker. Perhaps it needs extending.

Absolutely. Look at the way sides like Newport and Mansfield (and others) surround referees, make a huge deal of every foul, make a big deal of "injuries" after a foul. This is what got Feely sent off yesterday, nothing else. I absolutely detest that this is now seen as just part of the game and that it's always called gamesmanship and being clever, rather than what it is...cheating.
But if you can't beat them and it isn't going away anytime soon, then what can we do except level the playing field.

None of that is an excuse for recent results though. Agree with everyone saying we need to sort out set pieces.

AFC Wimbledon and Stockport were fined last week for surrounding and haranguing the ref in their match. Quite right too but, once again, it's the lack of consistency. Dish out a few more fines for this sort of stuff and we might see a change of behaviour. Unfortunately, it won't happen.

[Barra Marra]

Absolutely. Look at the way sides like Newport and Mansfield (and others) surround referees, make a huge deal of every foul, make a big deal of "injuries" after a foul. This is what got Feely sent off yesterday, nothing else. I absolutely detest that this is now seen as just part of the game and that it's always called gamesmanship and being clever, rather than what it is...cheating.
But if you can't beat them and it isn't going away anytime soon, then what can we do except level the playing field.

None of that is an excuse for recent results though. Agree with everyone saying we need to sort out set pieces.

AFC Wimbledon and Stockport were fined last week for surrounding and haranguing the ref in their match. Quite right too but, once again, it's the lack of consistency. Dish out a few more fines for this sort of stuff and we might see a change of behaviour. Unfortunately, it won't happen.

There is a law already. Dissent carries a yellow card punishment. Foul, abusive or discriminatory language a red. I can't decide if refs just love the hassle from players or they've been instructed not to punish so as not to ruin the "show". Premier league players are the worst for it, yet you never see anyone sent off, even though you can easily lip read some of the foul language aimed at officials.

[Bingley Blue]

We are four points off the play offs. We are 17 points off the relegation places.
Reading this forum, you’d think it was the other way round.
Play offs still doable.
Might be a dream but so was league football when we were in the unibond.

[barrowaberdeen]

A fan writes:

https://bluebirdstrust.co.uk/all-bluebi ... WWvf1fBE-g

[Big E]

A fan writes:

https://bluebirdstrust.co.uk/all-bluebi ... WWvf1fBE-g

The fan writes well

[Jim]

A fan writes:

https://bluebirdstrust.co.uk/all-bluebi ... WWvf1fBE-g

The fan writes well

And with an impressive knowledge of history.

I once wrote a piece for the Supporters Club newsletter that mocked the ref (a game at Harrogate when Bishop got into trouble). I think I called him a Charlie Caroli in black. Some time later, the Football club was asked by the league who wrote it, cos if it was 'official' they would be sanctioned!

[Methuselah]

Accurate description of the game.We have to learn how to defend properly no matter how many shots are coming in and also finish off the chances on goal when they come.If this was an end of term school report it would read"Improvement needed,must try harder".

[Hadrian]

We are four points off the play offs. We are 17 points off the relegation places.
Reading this forum, you’d think it was the other way round.
Play offs still doable.
Might be a dream but so was league football when we were in the unibond.

Agree.

A more measured view than that on BBCRC last night where a caller claimed that we have no creative midfield players (he said Whitfield doesn't count; presumably Gotts, Newby and Stevens don't either) and that we are playing the worst we played since we came back into the Football League. Really??!! A more measured view than some of the posts on here soon after yesterday's match.

In his interview, Wild clearly thought that the team had played for much of the game in the way he wanted. I would agree that the team did well, up to a point, in the first half, looking largely in control of the game. This continued at the start of the second half but was increasingly ineffective as Newport learned to counteract it.

Up to a point? The point is where the team should be quicker to take shooting opportunities and exert early pressure in the box. Neal set a good example in the first half with a lofted pass from 30 yards out on the right that allowed Garner, whose movement was good, to get an unchallenged header on target, as did Newby early in the second half, taking a low shot from just outside the penalty area that scraped the far post. More commonly we seem to be determined to run in to the penalty area and get tied up in a crowd of opposition defenders.

The home run of results since mid-November is a worry and can't have helped the last three attendances, which have been weaker. All, of course follow Christmas, an expensive time for may while the Carlisle second-half performance and late-conceded goal in Essex will have done little to arrest a further slide in numbers.

Finally, a word of particular praise for Ben Whitfield who ran himself into the ground on the left wing, despite indifferent service from his full-back at times in the second half, and was visibly shattered and, I would suggest, distressed at the finally whistle.