Barrowman

[MacBandy]

Awesome day everything was fantastic. Well done boys. Well done fans.

One small worry

Barrowman

Not good enough again. Chicken, slow, no confidence. Not good enough. Just not good enough.

Terry praised him on the radio; after saying Dougy was a different class he said Andy was good as well. I wouldn't expect him to slag anybody but I do hope he didn't mean it.

I don't know how Andy performes in training or how well he manages to talk himself up but if we wait for him to prove how bad he is all over again we are in trouble. If we drop him now I am optimistic we could do it and stay up.

With Rooney (or maybe Odhiambo) on much earlier we may have taken some of those chances and nicked it.

I think all we needed today was Rooney starting; everything else was spot on.

Terry, read the forum, Barroman is pap and has had long enough to prove it beyond all doubt.

But other than that WHAT a great day!!!

[strathyjags]

i actually think barrowboy will come good under tel+mo hes a confidence player and with a bit of nurturing and a arm round him he will come good

[cal234ey]

He at least looked like he trying today as he did run for the ball and even won a header or two which he never did under Brew but i still think Rooney is the best option with Imrie up beside him.

[AJS]

i actually think barrowboy will come good under tel+mo hes a confidence player and with a bit of nurturing and a arm round him he will come good

Thats what he got from Butcher today as he was subbed for Rooney and it's something Brew lacked as a manger imo, was good man managment skills. I think Terry seems to know how it's done as you could see the reactions of the players to him, it all seemed really positive.

Thats the sort of thing our players have needed is a more positive attitude towards everything and i think that will only bring out the best in them, even Lionel had a half decent game today.

Edited February 1, 2009 by ajsict92

[gordyfromsneck]

i actually think barrowboy will come good under tel+mo hes a confidence player and with a bit of nurturing and a arm round him he will come good

He was awful today, vast majority of mistakes and seemed to want t blame everyone else. I would assume that TerryandJune will make mistakes as they get to know the chaps, but can only hope that Barrowload only gets better of gets out.

[stevico1]

i actually think barrowboy will come good under tel+mo hes a confidence player and with a bit of nurturing and a arm round him he will come good

He was awful today, vast majority of mistakes and seemed to want t blame everyone else. I would assume that TerryandJune will make mistakes as they get to know the chaps, but can only hope that Barrowload only gets better of gets out.

I think you are been harsh on the lad, I thought he did ok in the first half and lets be honest there wasnt much difference between him and samaras who cost a few million. I think that if we stop expecting a roy of the rovers type of perforamce from our stikers and realise that leading the line is not an easy task the better

Edited February 1, 2009 by stevico1

[Guest Muir-Jaggie]

[CaleyD]

I started the day with a clean sheet for all players and whilst I don't think Barrowman deserves to get a hard time I am left wondering if he's done enough to warrant a start next week or if TB will opt to try one of the others.

What we can't afford to do is continue with what Brewster was doing and chop and change the forward every second week. TB needs to make a decision on who his "first choice/s" will be and then stick with them and afford them a little time to come good.

What was interesting to hear was that TB reckons Imrie has found his roll....as a striker. That's something a few people have been saying on here for a while, and whilst I don't see him as an out and out striker, I can seem him being given a bit more of a free roll behind a front man, letting him do what he does best by dropping into the middle to collect the ball and then carrying it forward.

[stevico1]

I started the day with a clean sheet for all players and whilst I don't think Barrowman deserves to get a hard time I am left wondering if he's done enough to warrant a start next week or if TB will opt to try one of the others.

What we can't afford to do is continue with what Brewster was doing and chop and change the forward every second week. TB needs to make a decision on who his "first choice/s" will be and then stick with them and afford them a little time to come good.

What was interesting to hear was that TB reckons Imrie has found his roll....as a striker. That's something a few people have been saying on here for a while, and whilst I don't see him as an out and out striker, I can seem him being given a bit more of a free roll behind a front man, letting him do what he does best by dropping into the middle to collect the ball and then carrying it forward.

Yes agreed and while a lot have also have been calling for Rooney while I agree he has potential he still needs to prove himself, I think Butcher is right in thinking Rooney and Barrowman are on a level playing field to begin with , one thing I totally disagree with is that IMRE is a striker I dont think he has the composure for that, playingjust behind the strikers yes but not as our goal threat.

Edited February 1, 2009 by stevico1

[Glen Mhor]

Is it a lack of confidence thing with Andy Barrowman ? I saw him a couple of times when he played for the County and he didn't lack confidence with them. Perhaps he's a bit overawed by playing in the SPL, I don't know. From what I saw this afternoon watching on the TV he did put in a better shift.

Perhaps he'll be brought on by Butcher and Malpas rather better than he was under the previous regime. We'll see.

[gordyfromsneck]

I started the day with a clean sheet for all players and whilst I don't think Barrowman deserves to get a hard time I am left wondering if he's done enough to warrant a start next week or if TB will opt to try one of the others.

What we can't afford to do is continue with what Brewster was doing and chop and change the forward every second week. TB needs to make a decision on who his "first choice/s" will be and then stick with them and afford them a little time to come good.

What was interesting to hear was that TB reckons Imrie has found his roll....as a striker. That's something a few people have been saying on here for a while, and whilst I don't see him as an out and out striker, I can seem him being given a bit more of a free roll behind a front man, letting him do what he does best by dropping into the middle to collect the ball and then carrying it forward.

Yes agreed and while a lot have also have been calling for Rooney while I agree he has potential he still needs to prove himself, I think Butcher is right in thinking Rooney and Barrowman are on a level playing field to begin with , one thing I totally disagree with is that IMRE is a striker I dont think he has the composure for that

I thought Imrie was a scorcher today - harried ceaselesly and while he may lack a bit of ball control, he was never safe to be forgotten by Celtic. On the radio, Terry said words to the efect that yeah 4-4-2, all the lads are comforable with that. And that is a close as we are ever going to get from an indictment of the previous manager from him.

As a PS, I want to say how pleasantly surprised I was by Lionel. While his distribution was untrustworthy, his stopping was just the job. I hope he stays.

[starchief]

I can't see Barrowman has done anything today that would make me want him to start next game. This was a big chance for him and he blew it.

[Guest Muir-Jaggie]

the only games he's being good in was aberdeen start of the season and kilmarnock game in inverness.

what is he missing to put him back on the right track???

[davieB]

I thought he was as bad as he's been all season.

[CaleyD]

what is he missing to put him back on the right track???

Second Division football....but not to worry, our Board are working on that and we might just manage to grant him a season back there before his contract expires.

[stevico1]

what is he missing to put him back on the right track???

Second Division football....but not to worry, our Board are working on that and we might just manage to grant him a season back there before his contract expires.

[IcyTea]

Feel bad singling out faults in player given the huge efforts from the team today, but be doesn't win much in the air, doesn't seem to have much pace and has only scored a couple of goals this season.

Would much rather we started with Rooney.

[starchief]

I thought he was one of those that does very little except score but when he totally lost his nerve and blootered that ball over the bar I changed my mind. A goal scorer would have far more composure than that - even with his confidence down.

[Jaggy666]

I remember telling my old man at the clach pre season game that he would be a flop. He kept saying "no no he'll come good" Well he finally admitted after today's game that he just isnt good enough.

Im desperate for the guy to succeed but just cant see it happening.

[dead_ball_specialist]

I think Barrowman gets alot of unfair abuse on here. People are far too quick to write a player off and then look out for anything that reinforces their opinion and overlook anything that contradicts it.

Don't judge him based on his performances earlier in the season, judge him based on how he's playing now. Over the last few games his work rate has been excellent, and his game is definatly improving.

A few weeks ago some posters on here were calling Lionel Djebi Zadi the worst player in the history of ICT. Judging by todays performance they were way off the mark. Also, remember how long it took for John Rankin to adapt to the SPL. He was dismissed as an SFL player for months, there were very similar calls for him to be shipped back to County where he'd find 'his level'. If so many fans could be wrong about him, perhaps they're wrong about Barrowman too.

None of our strikers have had a particularly good season so far, Brewster and his tinkering / 4-5-1 system / tactics / coaching certainly didn't help. Everyone should start with a blank slate, so let go of the hate.

Edited February 2, 2009 by dead_ball_specialist

[DALNEIGHCALEY]

Barrowmans the only player I've seen that gets smaller when he jumps , awful player .

[IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER]

Feck me Dead Ball is back in the feckin loving sixties - Lionel plugged a hole today but that is about it. I thought Barrowman had a good 20-30 first half minutes and then got a bit lost. Imrie was left with no support - for some reason Barrowman seemed to be dropping back. I expect that he does look good in training as he is a "poacher" - A penalty box striker who preys on the last man - but you cant do that in the SPL.

Imrie surprised me but he isnt a striker - but he evidently can do the job if he has to - I suspect that TB will go fer Foran and Morais when they are fit and Dougie drops back into midfield.

The good thing is that I thought that the first team would pick itself but there is plenty of competition now.

[RiG]

His link up play was very poor I thought. But he was up against it playing againts two hatchet men in Caldwell and McManus. We need to get the ball wide and sweep it into the box for him like we did against Aberdeen on the opening day of the season. He isn't going to run 20 yards with the ball and fire it into the top of the goal. He needs it in the 6 yard area.

[absent friend]

His link up play was very poor I thought. But he was up against it playing againts two hatchet men in Caldwell and McManus. We need to get the ball wide and sweep it into the box for him like we did against Aberdeen on the opening day of the season. He isn't going to run 20 yards with the ball and fire it into the top of the goal. He needs it in the 6 yard area.

This is the fairest summary on here.

The ability of the defence must be considered as you judge him.

I accept that to date his game is not what was expected but I thought this new manager said 'clean slate' - this clean slate worked for our left back!

IHE said no place in SPL for poachers, well I think the top scorer in the league is just that.

I would say a fault Barrowman does have, is his lack of movement as a move builds up. He appears to watch the play instead of the marking player, who has to watch the play and this should leave him able to move off his man into an unmarked position.

McDonald of Celtic is probably the best in the SPL for doing just that and when you see the number of headed goals he gets, with his feet on the ground, he proves position(quick thinking) is the thing that can score goals as he cannot outjump any defender!

Because of this lack of movement Barrowman always appears to be under pressure from a defender when he does get a chance.

Maybe outwith the SPL the marking is less tight and he had more time/room to score.

For the record this requires crosses coming into the box and there were very few of them yesterday.

[Alex MacLeod]

Dougie will never be a striker. He plays his best games when he has freedom to roam. As was the case yesterday he was all over the place.

I dont know what it is with Barrowman. He seemed to have a fear yesterday. Tended to pull out of fifty fifties. Maybe if hes given two or three startsb in a row he'll get better but can we afford the risk? To be honest I dont think Rooney's any better at the moment. I'd like to see how Wood and Odhiambo can fair together.