I know Ash's role has been talked of at length over the past few months but amidst all the new signings and the introduction of Kompany's. approach to the game, it was pretty clear today that it is going to be pretty difficult to accommodate him in what should become a pretty fluent, attacking side.
Im not knocking Barnes but I really can't see how he can do anything else but slow our game down or continue to lose the ball cheaply.
The one criticism I would make is his constant yapping to the ref after yet another perceived foul. Its becoming as embarrassing as it is predictable.

Talked himself into a card today.

Brilliant today, with all the “new” around the team, great to see The old school become part of the new plans. Couldn’t fault any of the 4 old clarets today.
Barnes needed a bit of help up top but delighted he is part of the revolution!

More than happy to have him playing a part if he can get up off the floor. Thought he was really good at Huddersfield tbf.

he is doing fine.

If we're serious about promotion then he can't be a regular starter.

I wanted a goal for him today purely for his effort but he is a yard short of pace and a little lacking in speed of thought for what we require now in my view.

One thing Barnes was very good at was the instinctive first time finishes, like Wolves away on the half volley. He seems to have lost that touch, and the goals have dried up. Plenty of toil, but lacking in a bit of quality now.

Still a decent squad player and option off the bench, but that’s about it.

Thought he pretty well today and last week too.
Especially bearing in mind he has not played this many minutes for a long time.
It’s a good job he has been available the last couple of weeks as we have no other strikers fit.

We do definitely need to bring in one or even two quality strikers though.

Hopefully Jay and Barnes can play a key role this season. We are going to need their experience of playing at a good level in this country for more than a decade and even if we bring in some real quality it’s a long long season for players who have not played in the Championship before or in this country.

We need to get Twine fit too as based on what he did last season in division one he seems to have something we have not seen in the first 2 games from our current team…..there’s at least half a dozen times in those first 2 games where we should have had a shot and we played one pass too many. Pretty sure Twine would not have passed up the opportunity when you see the amount of goals he scored from distance last season. We need to show a bit more courage and not worry about potentially ballooning the ball over the bar !!

Lo & behold lots of posters expressed concerns about the frontline capabilities to make the difference months ago & the concerns weren’t addressed, a striker should have been in place from the outset but the plan appeared to be we’ll plod on & see how there do, we’ve lost the players we once had to generate the goal threat & to convert them & now found wanting. Not barnes fault he’s still here & he doesn’t pick himself & want of any other options he simply has to start.

Barnes worked his socks off today, however he definitely seems to have lost that vital yard of pace, and more importantly he's also lost his goalscoring touch.

Can't knock him for his effort and work for the team, but he shouldn't be starting games for us now, decent bench option absolutely, and he's been badly needed in these first couple of games, due to being only fir senior striker, but if anyone thinks he's going to fire us to promotion they're dreaming I'm afraid.

tiger76 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:44 pm

Barnes worked his socks off today, however he definitely seems to have lost that vital yard of pace, and more importantly he's also lost his goalscoring touch.

Can't knock him for his effort and work for the team, but he shouldn't be starting games for us now, decent bench option absolutely, and he's been badly needed in these first couple of games, due to being only fir senior striker, but if anyone thinks he's going to fire us to promotion they're dreaming I'm afraid.

Every man & his dog have known this for yonks & questioned this even in the PL never mind the championship & when this was raised the response from certain people amounted to let’s persist with the formidable old duo despite rest of the team getting a complete revamp.

tiger76 wrote: ↑

Sat Aug 06, 2022 11:44 pm

Can't knock him for his effort and work for the team, but he shouldn't be starting games for us now, decent bench option absolutely, and he's been badly needed in these first couple of games, due to being only fir senior striker, but if anyone thinks he's going to fire us to promotion they're dreaming I'm afraid.

Guaranteed 20 goals a season according to one prominent poster on here!

It’s fairly criminal that we’re looking to Barnes and Rodriguez for the bulk of our goals.

When was the last time either of them were consistent goalscorers?

From watching the game on TV i thought Barnes had a really poor game,he does to much gobbing off to the referee if Jay was fit I don't think Barnes would get a sniff

BurnleyFC wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 07, 2022 12:19 am

It’s fairly criminal that we’re looking to Barnes and Rodriguez for the bulk of our goals.

When was the last time either of them were consistent goalscorers?

I don’t think we are. It’s just that we’ve only just sold Cornet so are only just in a position to sign the player(s) who can get the goals that we need. It’s clear to see that there will be goals from all around the pitch to supplement the strikers’ goals too.

Barnes is going to redefine the term 'false nine'

Rileybobs wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 07, 2022 12:34 am

I don’t think we are. It’s just that we’ve only just sold Cornet so are only just in a position to sign the player(s) who can get the goals that we need. It’s clear to see that there will be goals from all around the pitch to supplement the strikers’ goals too.

The Money alone from CW should have been sufficient to wrap up at least half of the incomings already at this point in a mathematical sense.

Jakubclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 07, 2022 12:40 am

The Money alone from CW should have been sufficient to wrap up at least half of the incomings already at this point in a mathematical sense.

Not just financially, but I guess we wouldn’t be blowing a wad on a new goalscorer without knowing for certain whether our current goalscorer will leave. It’s almost a certainty that we’ll sign at least one centre forward before the transfer window closes.

Rileybobs wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 07, 2022 12:49 am

Not just financially, but I guess we wouldn’t be blowing a wad on a new goalscorer without knowing for certain whether our current goalscorer will leave. It’s almost a certainty that we’ll sign at least one centre forward before the transfer window closes.

When has that ever stopped them before I guess some controversial release clause might emerge with this lot again, sooner than later might be better 2 dropped today could be crucial in the final reckoning, I hope you are right anyway fingers & toes crossed, good evening.

Thought he did well today when coming deep just needed support I think twine would of made that difference with him.I don’t like him being made the scapegoat he was better than half the team at least on the day.

Hopefully his last start. Will do a job from the bench but nowhere near the level today.

Sheff Utd's first goal today shows exactly why we need someone with pace. We simply cannot score this goal https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-nrT8SmhqI

Barnes was the catalyst, albeit with faulty ball control, of both our goals so far

I can certainly see why Barnes would start, his pressing, his work rate, constant pain in the rear to defenders, was on show yesterday. If we score and share the goals around that’s great but I just don’t think he will score enough.
Can see why he’d be a good experienced pro to have around, worth a place in the squad, but for me is just a option from the bench and we need a out and out number 9.

He doesn’t suit our new style. Everything looks so fluid and slick until he gets the ball. It doesn’t match the new lads style. As we are after a ST or 2 I’m not massively concerned. However if our links don’t turn into actual deals then it will be worrying.

There's a thread on a Luton forum about him - the gist is essentially how on earth he was a PL footballer for so long

Greekclaret wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 07, 2022 8:44 am

He doesn’t suit our new style. Everything looks so fluid and slick until he gets the ball. It doesn’t match the new lads style. As we are after a ST or 2 I’m not massively concerned. However if our links don’t turn into actual deals then it will be worrying.

Spot on
A square peg in a round hole under the new managers philosophy
So many times yesterday where we would have seen high crosses into the box under Dyche, but now the players are looking for movement which Barnes just does not have

He was an utter shambles , slow as mud , silly challenges offered nothing , he’s miles off being anywhere near capable in this system, he simply doesn’t have the movement I get he’s in team as we’ve literally not 1 fit centre forward , but I see nothing for him except a bit part squad role . Great servant but time please !

I must have watched a different game. For me yesterday and since he came back from injury has in the main been excellent. If he'd have put that late half chance away everyone would have be waxing lyrically about his performance and he'd have got MOM. As a former manager used to say 'fine margins'.

jtv wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 07, 2022 8:39 am

Barnes was the catalyst, albeit with faulty ball control, of both our goals so far

Yes 2 goals and 2 assists is decent numbers, and Ash will offer us something as will Jay, but it must be evident we're lacking a clinical finisher, we've dominated the majority of our 2 games thus far, but for all our possession and shots we haven't unduly tested the opposition keepers when in promising areas.

Twine coming into thi9s side will make us a bigger threat, then add a clinical finisher, and we'll start turning all this possession and territory into an end product.

The most anti football player we have, trying to fit into a footballing side.

Looks so out of his depth, slow and the ball often bounced of him.
The move broke down or we lost possession 4 consecutive times he got involved in the 1st half.

Fortunately his lack of control and untidiness has resulted in both out goals this season.

He can't be anything other than 4th choice and last 10 minute sub if chasing a game, if we are serious about going up.

We definitely need a striker that fits with how we are going to play. Barnes has been a very good player for us - so much so I find it unfathomable that some people choose to slag him off - but we need another option.

At this stage in his career, he is best used as a wildcard from the bench who can come on in games where we can’t break teams down and ruffle some feathers and make something happen. I suspect that will eventually be his role.

Barnes is what he is - lets not turn on him because he isn’t called Bert Van Der Kamp signed for half a million from Standard Liege.

Barnes should be the battering ram from the bench, he shouldn't be starting.

I thought he played well. Was starved of service at the right time first half due ot our pedestrian build up, but held the ball well, pressed and won the ball a number of tines and brought others into play.

Unlucky not to score in the second half which seems to have morphed I to missing a sitter on here. He's not going to be prolific but he's getting older and been injured and has lost a bit of pace

claretandy wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 07, 2022 10:00 am

Barnes should be the battering ram from the bench, he shouldn't be starting.

Who should have started then yesterday?

Luton's striker is exactly what we need.

He was isolated a lot yesterday against two big lads and I think it was easy for them. A more mobile and sharper striker would have given them some serious problems. I don't think it helped having Costelloe on the outside of him. Costelloe never really got himself into the mixer, he picked the ball up plenty, but never really did much with it, although I am sure that will come with time.

The most frustrating thing was that he was on at the ref so much and playing games with the defenders, that when he was legitimately shoved in the back in the area, the ref didn't look twice.

I just don't see him fitting with our style and tactics now.

Stayingup wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 07, 2022 10:15 am

Who should have started then yesterday?

I'm not talking about yesterday, i'm talking about going forward.

ashtonlongsider wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 07, 2022 9:07 am

I must have watched a different game. For me yesterday and since he came back from injury has in the main been excellent. If he'd have put that late half chance away everyone would have be waxing lyrically about his performance and he'd have got MOM. As a former manager used to say 'fine margins'.

He didn’t put that chance away though , what is it now 1 goal in 25 or something.

Leave him alone, he's in the top 5 in the championship for assists!
Agree though, mixed in with all the young players he looks rather Sunday league but I'm absolutely sure he will play a key part, maybe more from the bench when the strikers are hopefully signed.

He might be more effective if he didn’t choose to spend most of the game wrestling the defender or throwing himself on the floor.

Steve-Harpers-perm wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 07, 2022 11:05 am

He might be more effective if he didn’t choose to spend most of the game wrestling the defender or throwing himself on the floor.

...or gobbing off to the ref all the time, risking picking up unnecessary bookings.

Was a shithouse who could finish. Now his shithousing has been well and truly found out and he has lost his finishing touch. Maybe he will find it again with more games. I doubt it though.

As someone said before: He is doing fine, what’s more he should have had a penalty yesterday . He was clearly fouled , where’s VAR when you need it?

He has two assists already this season!

Burnley Ace wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 07, 2022 5:47 pm

He has two assists already this season!

Quick, sell him to Everton that's as many as McNeil had after a full season,got to be worth £40 million to them.

Steve1956 wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 07, 2022 12:31 am

From watching the game on TV i thought Barnes had a really poor game,he does to much gobbing off to the referee if Jay was fit I don't think Barnes would get a sniff

Barnes had to play yesterday, as did Costelloe, they are our only fit strikers right now, but if we recruit a couple of forwards I suspect both will drop to the bench.

Jay will give us another option when he returns, but we do need at least one striker through the door soon.

Burnley Ace wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 07, 2022 5:47 pm

He has two assists already this season!

Yes and he will have a role to play, but anyone thinking he's gonna bag 20 this season is dreaming.