Is the Barnes/Wood partnership now redundant?

[Mala591]

At last we’re playing intelligent and confident ‘pass and move’ football in the final third of the pitch. Sceptics might say this has been forced on SD by Wood’s injury but whatever the reason it does seem to be working much better than ‘lumping the ball toward the two front men’.

All credit to the skill and effort of Rodriguez and Vydra linking play with Barnes as well as the significant improvement in the form of JBG and Lowton.

Should the new attacking style become our default approach in future and has it made the Barnes/Wood partnership redundant?

[claretonthecoast1882]

No

If anyone watches Burnley and takes away from it that all they ever do is "lump it" then is says more about their own understanding. You could say that taking Vydra out the side allowed us to play much better (again this wouldn't be fair) at the weekend so is Vydra now redundant.

Which ever 2 of the 4 play we will always mix it up

[GodIsADeeJay81]

So just as jbg and Lowton are rediscovering form you want to sack off what's been our most prolific partnership these last few seasons?

Don't do drugs kids.

[Jakubclaret]

You tend to always keep all attacking options open & never abandon any option, we know in the past that something as worked successfully & there’s no reason why that same thing can’t work again despite recent blank blips, you rotate the 4 to find the formula & in all fairness that’s exactly what he’s been doing although the hand as been forced with injuries.

[Gordaleman]

At last we’re playing intelligent and confident ‘pass and move’ football in the final third of the pitch. Sceptics might say this has been forced on SD by Wood’s injury but whatever the reason it does seem to be working much better than ‘lumping the ball toward the two front men’.

All credit to the skill and effort of Rodriguez and Vydra linking play with Barnes as well as the significant improvement in the form of JBG and Lowton.

Should the new attacking style become our default approach in future and has it made the Barnes/Wood partnership redundant?

What it does show is that we are currently playing much more attractive and effective football without Wood in the side, and I for one think we should continue the current approach. We've had more shots, and shots on target in the last two PL games than we have in the rest of the season combined.

It's so much better to hear the Match of the Day pundits saying how "Superb" or "Brilliant" we were than "Boring" and "Predictable."

[warksclaret]

Will work more readily against certain defences-this is where SD needs to study the opposition more. In the past its worked well against some of the top teams like Liverpool, Man Utd, Leicester, Everton. These sides are not keen on the "physical side"

Having said that more recently its been a case of who of the four are fit.When did we last have all four available

[ksrclaret]

Heck, you've done it now Mala. Grrr!

[gandhisflipflop]

Chris Wood is a modern day PL version of our Charlie Austin conundrum in Dyches first season. Yes he gets goals and his goal record is pretty good, but we play so much better without him in the side and the goals will be spread out more which is a good thing. I really don't think he should get straight back in the side.

[bf2k]

Chris Wood is a modern day PL version of our Charlie Austin conundrum in Dyches first season. Yes he gets goals and his goal record is pretty good, but we play so much better without him in the side and the goals will be spread out more which is a good thing. I really don't think he should get straight back in the side.

Spot on. He shouldn't walk straight back...but he will. However, what's to say Wood can't play with the ball at his feet? We seem to automatically default to hoofball when he is in the side but we haven't always played this way with him in the side. The encouraging thing for me is that we do have players who can play football on the floor. Yes get it into the forwards quickly but in the right way, playing against your opponent, not regardless of them.

[JTClaret]

I've said it for a while that I don't think Barnes/Wood has worked for a couple of years and usually Dyche is forced into the changes.

I also can't deny that Jack Cork is back and we are playing better. I don't hide from the fact I say I often don't rate him and feel he isn't involved enough (just running alongside), although it was always noticeable that if he played well, we won. He has literally been the link.

[bfcjg]

I think with better service they work well but we do need options to play different ways. Most teams have us sussed ie press us early and due to the inability at times to pass through midfield we launc it and if the opposition centre halves are switched on they win the ball, I think they are both better players then a lot of critics say they are.

[houseboy]

We have four decent strikers (yes even Barnes who I criticise but he’s not ‘bad’ as such) but maybe the partnership of Wood and Barnes should be avoided, unless forced, because neither is great at hold up play. I think Vydra or Jay should play because of the variation they bring but without Wood Barnes is looking a better player too. This is not Woods fault of course but he should not be a shoe in when he’s fit again. We are starting to score goals again and playing nicer stuff, if that is a result of not playing Barnes and Wood together then bring it on.

[Iloveyoubrady]

I’d bear in mind we said the same thing last year. When Jay came in for Barnes when he had his opp, Wood and Jay were class together and we played some of our best football. I still believe Wood is our best striker, and Jay complements him best, so they are our best front 2. However, flexibility depending on the opposition and the ability to bring on different options is never a bad thing.

[Wellsy1882]

They are both similar
Need a mix of them and jay/vyds

[claretgimmer]

I think Dyche needs to be a bit more fluid in his rotation/selection instead of constantly persisting with his default choice whether it`s working or not, the players are good enough to slightly alter the way they play to suit the forwards.

[JohnMac]

Hopefully not and mixing our 4 strikers will continue I think. I want Wood to come back with a bang and get into double figures!

[claretandy]

All 4 strikers have shown that they can be effective, it's just frustrating that SD insists on playing them when they're either badly out of form, or carrying an injury.

[ClaretTony]

So we win a game, Jay & Barnes play well so we are making a previously successful partnership redundant.

In answer to the OP - No.

[Hibsclaret]

The mix of strikers is almost perfect for our budget tbh. I reckon any two can work and there is certain evidence of that.

That said, the Wood Barnes partnership has most definitely supplied the most goals and is far from defunct

[Newcastleclaret93]

I have always had a problem with Wood.
No doubt he is a fantastic goal scorer for a team like us. I just can’t see what else he brings to the team. Chris Wood is arguably one of the worst on the ball in our team. He struggles to make 5 yard passes at times.

However with better players in the squad and less reliance on Woods footballing ability I think he would suit us a bit better.

Right now I think our best striker pairing is Barnes with one of Vyds/Rodriguez.

[Devils_Advocate]

I have always had a problem with Wood.

You're in good footballing company cos even Pele had his problems in that part of the pitch

[houseboy]

You're in good footballing company cos even Pele had his problems in that part of the pitch

Ouch!!! But quite clever.

[Colburn_Claret]

Horses for courses, it's never over

[cricketfieldclarets]

I think there’s a case for any combination from all four.

But wood has to always be first choice. Next year I’d like to see more options though. Difficult to think who would be best to partner wood though. Another big man. Or someone who creates more space for him.

I don’t think he’s a typical big man in that he will hold it up and bring the smaller poacher in. So it’s someone quick and creative we need to give wood more chances imo.

[Boss Hogg]

We play more attractive football without the 2 big men but we need all options so it can be changed for different opposition. Too often we seem to go with the same side when either players are out of form or against different opposition. With 2 deep lying midfielders we need to find creativity and goals from the wings as on Saturday.

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

Some credit should go to Vydra. His recent performances have certainly woken up Barnes & JRod, who seemed to be going through the motions not so long ago.

[claretonthecoast1882]

Some credit should go to Vydra. His recent performances have certainly woken up Barnes & JRod, who seemed to be going through the motions not so long ago.

I know Vydra comes in for a bit more praise than most of our players by some but this is stretching it.

[DCWat]

Perhaps unfair to arrive at such a conclusion after one very good display or so, albeit against a very poor side. We hardly need to be dusting off the record books to look back at performances that were being strongly criticised.

Wood has been off form, Barnes has been off form, Jay has been off form and Vydra is only just coming in from the cold.

Cork has been out for a prolonged spell, Brady and Gudmundsson have been injured and out of sorts, and Dwight has until recently, looked off the pace.

We’ve had to frequently rotate full backs, had an enforced spell without our much lauded centre back pairing and had very slim pickings to call upon from the bench, all season.

Therein lay the problems that Dyche and the team has faced, compounded by two windows with the addition of just one player.

I’m not sure that we’ve hit on a magic formula. Just as likely that we had the sort of performance from the midfield four that we need to be effective. That was JBG and McNeil’s best performances for some time and when added to the fact that Cork was back in the mix, it naturally helped our strikers.

I can imagine Wood watching that game and wishing that he’d been playing. He may well have done just as well or even better than Jay and Barnes.

We need four effective strikers but I’d argue that more importantly, we need the four behind them (and the full backs) to play their significant part, which they did brilliantly on Saturday.

[Rileybobs]

Correlation does not imply causation. You could equally come to the conclusion that we play better football without Taylor. We didn't play better football against Palace because Wood wasn't in the side, our approach to the game was just far more positive. The midfielders, particularly Cork, pushed forward into attacking positions. Our full backs were given free rein to attack - which resulted in a goal for one and an assist for the other. Look how many players we had in and around the box in the first half against Palace. I have little doubt that Chris Wood would have filled his boots against such a poor opposition.

So to answer the OP, no. All 4 strikers have something to offer and whilst they've all had a lean season in front of goal they're good options to have. What Wood offers above and beyond the other strikers is goals, and they're pretty important.