Worryingly the best chances we’ve had in these five games all came in the first (MK Dons at PP) where Rovers hit the woodwork 3 times before conceding an 81st minute winner that began this frustrating and disappointiong run. So whats going on?

Losing most of our better players from last season, namely Kaye, Taylor, Jennings, Chorley and Coyne plus Ryan Shotton not returning and Bas Savage out til the new year means that Barnes has had a tough job of it. However, in my opinion, he has shown very very little to inspire even the slightest confidence in the team or himself and (in the style of Brian Little) he persists with players that are clearly failing to produce.

For me it’s the midfield, which is obviously the crux of the team that is the main problem. Paul McLaren, who is yet to make a forward pass this season, is proving to be a poor re-signing and John Welsh is almost invisible next to him in midfield. On paper they are a battling, footballing central midfield duo but in practice they have been outplayed by all but the weakest of oppositions. Alan Mahon, perhaps the only creative player in the squad, is pushed out wide where his lack of pace is exposed and his vision and ‘comfortableness’ on the ball wasted. Shuker seems to have no footballing brain, struggles to complete the simplest of passes and lacks pace and strength since returning from his injury. Offering him a new contract was one of the worst decisions made by Ronnie Moore/ Lorraine.

I have it on good authority (or should I say ‘rumour has it’) that Barnett and MacAteer had a ‘blazing row’ on the training ground and this is why Barnett has not featured much this season despite being a regular last season. Such petulance and immaturity I expected from MacAteer as a player, but not as a member of the coaching staff. I was at Bloomfield Road when he got himself sent off (immediately after Mullin had got himself sent off for a bad tackle) for arguing/fighting. At the time he was player coach at the club!! But I for one was glad to see the back of him after what was, for me, an unsuccessful spell at the club and was disappointed to hear him returning as our assistant manager.

Anyway this brings me to a rather obvious suggetion – get Barnett back in the team. I propose a central midfield of Mahon and a defensive ball winner with two pacey players out wide. Suggestions below L-R
Barnett Mahon Welsh Edds – probably the preferred option, gives welsh a try alongside a less negative player
Barnett Mahon Edds Curran  -  I know currans not a midfielder but he’s pacey and hard working
Cresswell Mahon Edds Barnett  – Cresswell has pace and a very good cross but this would weaken the already stretched and struggling defence.

This brings me to another shocking problem that goes unaddressed by Barnes – our squad is extremely top heavy.
4-6 Defenders - Logan, Creswell, Goodison, Broomes plus maybe Ash Taylor and Edds
5-8 Midfielders – McLaren, Mahon, Welsh, Shuker, Barnett plus maybe Fraughan Taylor and Edds
6/7 Strikers – Curran, Gornell, Moore, Ricketts, Savage, Bain plus Macauley

This would be OK if we were banging in the goals but obviously thats not happening so why is Barnes signing overweight, unfit and untried strikers when we have much more pressing areas to concentrate on.

I don’t think sacking Barnes is the correct option at this moment in time. Where would that leave us? Bottom of the table and managerless……no thank you. However, it’s always a good time to wave goodbye to Jason MacAteer!! I don’t think that will happen though as he’s probably signed a nice big contract that we can’t afford to pay off.

So for the moment it pains me to say that I think we are stuck and have to cross our fingers and hope for the best. Barneseys footballing style might work for us if he picks/signs the right players but his philosiphy becomes a little confusing when he’s signing massive, intimidating targetmen.

After last season and before we sacked Ronnie I felt we would push on from last season and the play-offs were a sure bet. After he left, despite losing all the aformentioned players, I thought a mid-table finish….maybe bottom half. But after recent developments I’m not hoping for big things but we are better than at least 4 teams in our division….surely!?! Hopefully Big Bas’s return can inspire some new year form.

Yagsiris