Barrow v Tranmere Rovers, match thread

[tictactoe]

First half I thought we did ok. Second half different story.

Yes referee was poor, but first goal I think Canavan made it too easy to give it, second I couldn’t see whether it was in or out of of box but still a foul and third just knew it would be given. That said, we don’t look like we are going to score. Gordon up front on his own is a waste of time and how many times was Ben Whitfield shouting for the ball in space but ignored. Very little threat going forward and nobody prepared to have a shot or if it’s in box nobody strong enough and winning the ball.

Can’t see it changing under Whing. Wild aside our picking of manager has been woeful

[Cokey]

We’ve played 10 league games at home now.

We’ve scored just 8 goals, conceded 16, landed 9 points and had 2 clean sheets.

It’s absolutely terrible. Holker Street used to be a fortress!

[HenneysKnee]

Ref was bad yes but can’t just use that as an excuse.
Ben Whitfield must be wondering what more can he do; that first half he played ball after ball into the box (which has been rare enough this season!) and no-one bothering to burst a gut to get onto the end of it, as Craig Rutherford said afterwards on the radio that’s where your number 10’s need to be in there not drifting out wide like Earring and especially Mahoney do.
Subs came on far too late, which effectively means the manager thinks those players aren’t good enough, any other manager probably brings more fresh legs in from the start never mind leaving it that late to change it.
Canavan sending off might be a blessing in disguise tbh, just hasn’t been the same player this season and gives an excuse to bring Shipley back in for some legs at the back
Awful crowd tonight and they’ll only keep dropping, listening to the radio post game and just on the terraces in general I do think the tide has fully turned on Whing now unfortunately; I myself have defended him many many times on here but if we can’t win next Friday it probably is going to be time for a change tbh.
I know we’ve mentioned this loads of times but it’s still baffling we never signed a right back; still think with a right back and a physical target man striker this side will have enough to stay up comfortably, means we can change to a 4-2-3-1 if we wanted which most of the better sides seem to play

[BoltonBlue]

Formation is abysmal

Simply this.

Too many square pegs in round holes. Canavan and Raglan are top L2 Centre Backs in a back 4, they both look lost in this formation. Canavan’s lack of pace is often exposed.

Whitefield, Newby, Barkhuisen are Wingers, never Wing Backs. Josh Gordon isn’t a lone Striker. Jackson is a shadow of the player we signed.

We do have some decent players, unfortunately the majority don’t fit into this system.

[bluessupporter]

If Whing goes then Wood must follow

Wood's made himself fireproof!

[olbarrafancumbak]

Out of interest, did whing do an interview after the game?

[beachy01]

Formation is abysmal

Simply this.

Too many square pegs in round holes. Canavan and Raglan are top L2 Centre Backs in a back 4, they both look lost in this formation. Canavan’s lack of pace is often exposed.

Whitefield, Newby, Barkhuisen are Wingers, never Wing Backs. Josh Gordon isn’t a lone Striker. Jackson is a shadow of the player we signed.

We do have some decent players, unfortunately the majority don’t fit into this system.

Totally agree, weve signed a shit load of players that dont fit his system, that falls on 2 poeple, Whing and Wood

Want both gone ASAP

[Hawcoat]

Ref was bad yes but can’t just use that as an excuse.
Ben Whitfield must be wondering what more can he do; that first half he played ball after ball into the box (which has been rare enough this season!) and no-one bothering to burst a gut to get onto the end of it, as Craig Rutherford said afterwards on the radio that’s where your number 10’s need to be in there not drifting out wide like Earring and especially Mahoney do.
Subs came on far too late, which effectively means the manager thinks those players aren’t good enough, any other manager probably brings more fresh legs in from the start never mind leaving it that late to change it.
Canavan sending off might be a blessing in disguise tbh, just hasn’t been the same player this season and gives an excuse to bring Shipley back in for some legs at the back
Awful crowd tonight and they’ll only keep dropping, listening to the radio post game and just on the terraces in general I do think the tide has fully turned on Whing now unfortunately; I myself have defended him many many times on here but if we can’t win next Friday it probably is going to be time for a change tbh.
I know we’ve mentioned this loads of times but it’s still baffling we never signed a right back; still think with a right back and a physical target man striker this side will have enough to stay up comfortably, means we can change to a 4-2-3-1 if we wanted which most of the better sides seem to play

Can't play 4 at the back if we dont have a right back on the books! (Never known anything like it) Recruitment has been largely poor in general. Same issue of not having a centre forward who can score double figures. Every manager we have seems to want to play a 5 at the back, invite pressure it's bizarre. Is this what the club are asking for in Interviews?

Long way back for whing who is a honest man however tactically seems inept. We can all see canavans legs have gone. Ben Jackson is never a cb as long as I have a hole in my a*se (out and out LB). Fletcher for his faults does carry a threat but is out of favour, mahoney is a luxury player who we can't accommodate. Pinning your hopes on Josh Gordon to score the goals required is ridiculous hes never been prolific we all know that from his previous spell and what he's done since. It is plain to see however we dont seem to learn.

[andyg]

Ref was bad yes but can’t just use that as an excuse.
Ben Whitfield must be wondering what more can he do; that first half he played ball after ball into the box (which has been rare enough this season!) and no-one bothering to burst a gut to get onto the end of it, as Craig Rutherford said afterwards on the radio that’s where your number 10’s need to be in there not drifting out wide like Earring and especially Mahoney do.
Subs came on far too late, which effectively means the manager thinks those players aren’t good enough, any other manager probably brings more fresh legs in from the start never mind leaving it that late to change it.
Canavan sending off might be a blessing in disguise tbh, just hasn’t been the same player this season and gives an excuse to bring Shipley back in for some legs at the back
Awful crowd tonight and they’ll only keep dropping, listening to the radio post game and just on the terraces in general I do think the tide has fully turned on Whing now unfortunately; I myself have defended him many many times on here but if we can’t win next Friday it probably is going to be time for a change tbh.
I know we’ve mentioned this loads of times but it’s still baffling we never signed a right back; still think with a right back and a physical target man striker this side will have enough to stay up comfortably, means we can change to a 4-2-3-1 if we wanted which most of the better sides seem to play

Totally agree with just about everything you have just said. Apart from the Wigan game (I've managed to see 5 live games this season) I'm generally quite bored watching Barrow this season. Josh Gordon is great but he is never a lone striker. His 15 goals the other season saw him playing off other players and we are wasting Whitfield's talents if no one is on the end of his crosses. Two years a go just about I went to Crewe and so one of the best ever Barrow performances beating them 3-1. Those days seem so far away at the moment. But you look at some of the players we have and scratch your head as to why this is happening. One problem is the refusal to change shape as many have said here. Look at Amorim's United they do the same thing all the time & that's why they are so inconsistent. We don't have United's money obviously but something needs to happen in the January window but before then we need to get some points on the board. I didn't want this match to be played today I knew the second half would test us (after the Wigan heroics) and you can also do without some of the decisions that went against us - but no excuse - we are in a dark place at the present time.

[Mark Johnson]

Out of interest, did whing do an interview after the game?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd9GWeNWc1o

Interview on Club's YouTube

[Bigfathoss]

Out of interest, did whing do an interview after the game?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd9GWeNWc1o

Interview on Club's YouTube

That was depressing. He's baffled. And he's baffled. And he's the fall guy. And he can barely look the interviewer in the eye when he tells us he is, what was the word...baffled?
I almost choked when he said we weren't scoring at the minute. Have we been scoring all season?

[Barrow Lad New]

Barrow’s man of the match Ben Whitfield put in plenty of inviting precision crosses from the right in the first half. Sadly, none of these were converted- our Achilles heel- and the game remained goalless at the break. Had we gone in a goal or two up, the second half may not have unraveled as it did. Suddenly it seemed we were playing 13 men. The free kick on the edge of the area, two penalties and the Barrow sending off were all harsh decisions which gifted Tranmere the game, when the visitors had rarely threatened from open play until the second half. The fact that the free kick and penalties were well taken seemed irrelevant.

Rarely do I get worked up about officials- you win some decisions, you lose others, but tonight was a compounding of errors which seemed to take all fairness from the game.

The first half was enjoyable and we put in quite a strong shift, more impressive considering the short time to recover from our valiant FA Cup performance including added time and penalties, at Wigan on Saturday.

We could have opened the scoring in the 13th minute. An excellent cross by Whitfield caused mayhem in the penalty area and the ball eventually fell to Earing on the left side, who blazed just past the right post.

Three minutes later, Whitfield provided another superb cross. This time the ball fell directly to Gordon who scooped over the bar from inside the area.

Two gilt-edged opportunities had gone begging without any danger from Tranmere. However, in the 20th minute, MJ Williams was booked for a foul on Whitaker. Four minutes later, following a corner, we blocked a close-range Norman shot.

On the half hour, Murphy was at full stretch to clear from one of his teammates following a Whitfield corner. Again, so near- and yet so far.

In the 35th minute, another Whitfield cross went just wide. A minute later, Ben Jackson unleased a power shot from 25 yards in the 36th minute but Murphy saved comfortably. Jackson repeated the feat in the 45th minute- with the same result.

Nothing prepared the Barrow fans for the drama of the second half which would turn the game on its head.

Two minutes in, Tranmere showed they meant business when a Dennis shot whizzed past the left post. Three minutes later, Gordon was booked for a foul on Smith.

In the 52nd minute, our night took a sudden turn for the worse when Tranmere’s Blacker went down all too easily on the edge of the area and Canavan was unfairly booked. Deemed by the officials to be a free kick, Whitaker gave Stanway no chance with a superbly executed effort.

Although shell-shocked, we then won a corner, Murphy saving a Gordon header. Seconds later, Barkhuizen shot wide.

On the hour, Rovers replaced Bristow with Turnbull. Five minutes later, Stanway was tested, diving to his left to keep out a Blacker shot for a corner.

Another minute later, the 66th minute, Blacker went down again- this time it was a foul but a penalty seemed a harsh decision when the foul was made on the edge of the area. Ironside converted the spot kick.

The cruel icing on the cake was to come from the officials. After a Raglan header went wide, Ben Whitfield had a shot saved in the 71st minute but we were now struggling to make much impact, the wind being taken out of our sails. Gordon was then badly fouled, Dennis being booked.

In the 74th minute we replaced Raglan with Cameron as the visitors brought on Jennings for Whitaker. In the 83rd minute, we substituted Newby for Mahoney.

A minute later Tranmere goalie Murphy launched a long ball towards Barrow’s goal. Both Canavan and Stanway were caught in no-man’s land with the advancing Dennis. In the confusion, our captain was harshly deemed to have denied a goalscoring opportunity and sent off while McCann was also booked. A penalty was also awarded to compound the punishment which Dennis converted for 3-0.

Tranmere then made a triple change in the 88th minute, Davison, McGowan and Kenneh coming on for Ironside, Brough and Smallwood. The nine minutes of added time seemed to take an eternity with neither side looking likely to score, the only two shots being over the bar at each end.

Attendance was a low 2,106 including 202 visiting sides, possibly due to the weather and two games to pay for inside a few days, although it was dry and the south-westerly wind was not the gale predicted. We remain in 18th place, still four points above the drop zone. Our inability to score cost us dearly again, while our defenders were very harshly punished by the officials.

[CH BAFC]

He looks dejected, void of any idea on how to draught up a plan B and any positivity about us, telling signs he knows his job is on the line/his time is up.

[Matty]

I'm not in the out camp yet for a couple of reasons but there is a huge air of resignation about that interview. There's the usual soundbites about picking himself up and long drive home etc that were discussed on the Social a couple of weeks ago, as if to put across how committed he is to the cause - not that anyone had any doubts about it. He needs to adapt quickly if we are to get out of this rut.

[farington blue]

Jonty to do anything in football you have to have a strong defence look there first!

Nige, I always respect your views, you are a very knowledgable on the game and our problems, but our defence, despite being poor lately, is NOT the main cause for concern. look at the GF column, and look at the GF column of the teams below us. It is fact that teams who cannot score goals end up at the wrong end of the table. One poster even said earlier “if it wasn't for the ref, that game ends 0-0” dear me- theres the problem,….we can all see it but once again the focus is on formation, ref, wind, we need to address the (lack of) goal scoring strikers!!!

Spot on Nige.
It's all about starting with a strong defence.
Our problem, as I've said so many times since the transfer window closed, is the scatter gun squad recruitment.
A 25 man squad and only three defenders!!! Come on, get real.
Wood and Harvey need to front up and explain that.