The mess that is Barnet FC

[ninestein]

The 'bolt-ons' are what should allow our club to compete at this level by bolstering the playing budget from what it would have been 5 years ago. How we use it is of course another matter. But you can't deny that TK has done a good job developing a first class facility. It's better than league 2.

I'm glad we have the setup we do, and good things happening behind the scenes like the ladies team being granted improved status. Unfortunately, most outside followers of football looking in will only judge us as a club by our position in the league. One big piece of the jigsaw yet to be put into place. Surely it shouldn't be this difficult?

[john dockers shorts]

Even my dreams about Barnet are rubbish.

We were in the draw for a cup competition... Last 16 had all the big boys... We ended up with Exeter at home!!!

[Norfolkbee]

Martin Allen, John Still and Paul Fairclough are the only good managers we've had in about 20 years.

In TK's defence, that's 2 more good managerial appointments than the Arsenal board have made in the same period.

Fairclough and Allen both failed to move Barnet to the next level after winning the Conference. Fairclough was particularly disappointing because he had the nucleus of a very good squad.

[hoofer2]

Martin Allen, John Still and Paul Fairclough are the only good managers we've had in about 20 years.

In TK's defence, that's 2 more good managerial appointments than the Arsenal board have made in the same period.

Fairclough and Allen both failed to move Barnet to the next level after winning the Conference. Fairclough was particularly disappointing because he had the nucleus of a very good squad.

Fairclough's biggest error was completely changing the formation and isolating our goal scorer. We'll never know if we had stuck to the 4-4-2 if our 2nd re-entry to league 2 would have been more successful.

[barnetpete]

Fairclough's biggest error was completely changing the formation and isolating our goal scorer. We'll never know if we had stuck to the 4-4-2 if our 2nd re-entry to league 2 would have been more successful.

I thought it was that we didn't take the hand break off enough.

[john dockers shorts]

I remember seeing us away at Wrexham with just Graz up front.... Terrible!

[Tuesds]

Martin Allen, John Still and Paul Fairclough are the only good managers we've had in about 20 years.

In TK's defence, that's 2 more good managerial appointments than the Arsenal board have made in the same period.

Fairclough and Allen both failed to move Barnet to the next level after winning the Conference. Fairclough was particularly disappointing because he had the nucleus of a very good squad.

Fairclough improved our League position for four consecutive seasons. Yes, we underperformed in the first season back, but that's hardly grounds to question the claim that he was a good managerial appointment.

As for Allen, under him we won 63 points in the first season back, which is usually a top half points total (we were comfortably in the middle third in 15th, with a big gap behind us). He then had us on the edge of the play-off places about a third of the way through the next season, before ditching us once more. Again, any objective assessment surely has Allen down as a good appointment.

I've said it before, but Martin Allen is our John Coleman. Like Coleman, who struggled badly when he got his bigger job at Rochdale, Allen just seems to 'fit' at Barnet and gets results whenever he's in charge. It's just a shame that he his head is turned so easily!

[Norfolkbee]

The problem with both PF and MA was the dubious standard of player they brought in after winning the Conference.

[Psycho]

Best ever display I've seen of attacking football from Barnet was a 4-2 win at Bristol City in the Carling Cup - our first season back in the league in 2005.

Nicky Bailey scored an incredible goal and we just tore them apart. They had Marcus Stewart and Michael Bridges up front. I think it was Ross Flitney's debut. Not convincing by him but it was end-to-end stuff. The confidence we had was unbelievable. Even Lee Roache came on and settled it with a clinical goal.

[Norfolkbee]

We started the 2005/6 season on an absolute roll after dropping a soft 2 points to Brizzle Rovers at Underhill in the opening match. It was after we lost 1-0 at home to Grimsby (who had one shot) that the confidence drained out of the team.

[lemming3k]

The problem with both PF and MA was the dubious standard of player they brought in after winning the Conference.

You mean the experienced players brought in instead of playing our alleged wonderkids?
Those experienced pros that spent their time largely in the treatment room; or when they made it onto the pitch we wished they were in the treatment room?
Some of whom are still under contract from Allens appointment and we're still complaining about?
Aren't we guessing a bit who really signed some of these players over the last year anyway? Rossi, Newman, Thorne, perhaps even TK? Only the Allen ones last summer and the Rossi ones this summer seem clear cut.
There's often a buzz around a lot of these pros and youngsters, only for a few to come good and a few to disappoint. Does anyone else feel perhaps that's par for the course?
FFP will come into this somewhere as well, do we have much of a budget left to fix this situation with more expensive pros?

I don't mean to pick on your comment in particular Norfolkbee, and please don't feel this is all directed at you to respond as I agree with your statement. It just sums this thread up nicely that what people are crying out for now is exactly what we've had in the past and slated, and it seems we're losing our objectivity in desperation to find an answer.

I mean perhaps I'm misreading all this, but isn't this thread filled with the exact opposite of what people have been saying for previous failed managerial appointments and poor campaigns - and now blaming anyone and everyone for as a consequence?
Even though the Rossi/Newman experiment initially improved results and the standard of football, keeping us in the playoff hunt until Nugent came in? Can nobody else remember being just a little bit happy at that time?
Sort of like the Allen effect that eventually wears off and degenerates to poor standard hoofball with overpriced players? He might have left for more money as always, but a year ago nobody wanted him here anymore anyway and his experienced pros were touted as some of the worst signings we've seen. Some still are, and the two year contracts most received are lambasted, but then can you imagine if we'd signed big John on a one year deal and then lost him on a free? Allen wouldn't have made it out of the club alive!

I know hindsight's a wonderful thing, but it seems like the fans here don't know what they want to see, it's just always the opposite of whatever we've actually got! Perhaps my aging memory fails me and I need to put down (or is that find?) my rose-tinted spectacles.

Who'd be a Barnet manager in all this eh?

[#Beebot]

Two year deals just need to be offered selectively. To players who we know can perform at this level, two year deals. Those with question marks get one year deals.

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[Norfolkbee]

Two year deals just need to be offered selectively. To players who we know can perform at this level, two year deals. Those with question marks get one year deals.

Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk

It always used to be one year with an option on a second. Trouble is we need to attract decent players in the 25-30 age group and they would be reluctant to come on a short-term deal. Personally, I wouldn't blame them.

[ninestein]

Allen's summer signings of Akinde, Togwell, MacDonald and Cook brought experience and strength to the spine of our side.

A year later we were signing Lisbie, Batt, Tomlinson, Champion, Nelson and Stephens. At first glance, only the first 3 were flops. If we want to be very critical, you could argue that the other 3 didn't really improve on what we already had. Stephens for Stack, Nelson for Stephens, Champion for Togwell. We never really replaced MacDonald who started off working so well with Akinde. We certainly never replaced Luisma who could offer that little bit of brilliance every now and then to steal a few points throughout the season.

A year later andvwe signed Watson, Nicholls, Akpa Akpro. Once again, I really don't think that they improved on what we already had.

If we are to have a successful January window, we need to identify the weakest links in our starting XI and bring in quality to better those positions, not just fill the squad up with numbers. Improving our midfield will make or break us for thenext 5 months.

[Norfolkbee]

Allen's summer signings of Akinde, Togwell, MacDonald and Cook brought experience and strength to the spine of our side.

A year later we were signing Lisbie, Batt, Tomlinson, Champion, Nelson and Stephens. At first glance, only the first 3 were flops. If we want to be very critical, you could argue that the other 3 didn't really improve on what we already had. Stephens for Stack, Nelson for Stephens, Champion for Togwell. We never really replaced MacDonald who started off working so well with Akinde. We certainly never replaced Luisma who could offer that little bit of brilliance every now and then to steal a few points throughout the season.

A year later andvwe signed Watson, Nicholls, Akpa Akpro. Once again, I really don't think that they improved on what we already had.

If we are to have a successful January window, we need to identify the weakest links in our starting XI and bring in quality to better those positions, not just fill the squad up with numbers. Improving our midfield will make or break us for thenext 5 months.

Bover was hail by some as the new Luisma, but what happened to him? Like many, I haven't seen much of him, but I get the impression he is a player who needs time to settle in English football. Time we don't have, particularly in our current strife.