Pars sign Barrowman!

[EdgeleyICT]

http://www.dunfermli...s-set-to-leave/

Should be interesting.

[old caley girl]

Unbelievable do they really know what they are doing?

[hislopsoffsideagain]

A mate of mine who is a Dunfermline fan texted me for my opinion on the move. Here was my reply...

"Widely seen as our worst signing ever-Brewster gave him £1500 a week but he scored only 1 SPL goal in open play...and that was on his debut. Poor in the air, can only hold up the ball when played straight to feet. Lazy, doesn't press defenders or chase lost causes. Confidence is fragile. Good finisher if he gets the chance but heavily reliant on others to create it. To be honest I wouldn't p*ss on him if he was on fire"

Too harsh? Or not harsh enough?

Edited June 3, 2011 by hislopsoffsideagain

[davie]

Tremendous. I hope that all other SPL clubs follow Pars lead of signing truly dreadful, utterly skill bereft, lazy donkeys to lead their attacks (Motherwell already have - step on up Michael Higdon) Happy days!

[starchief]

A bit harsh I'd say. The trouble with Barrowman is he simply didn't have it at this level. I was one of those that thought he might have done better alongside a tough striker like Higdon or Brew himself. I changed my mind though when I saw him ducking out of challenges and just not having the wits to get himself in position. I don't think it was over/under-confidence or laziness. It was just (once again) too big a step up.

[Yngwie]

As for his new striker, McIntyre said, "Andy Barrowman is a player who did very well against us. Target men are hard to find, it's not easy, but we think he can do very well.

"He's always a player that's been in my thoughts.

"I tried to sign him once before when he was coming back from Inverness to Ross County but the length of deal didn't suit the boy, so he went there for more security.

"I absolutely like players that have a bit of hunger and have taken a couple of knocks. Hopefully they can show the second time around that they can play there."

All that article needs is the final sentence "And in a completely unrelated move, bookies have stopped taking bets on Dunfermline getting relegated."

[AJS]

All i can say is he defnitely has a point to prove and if they suffer from a lack of goals this season we will know why.

[Libero]

Cant say I was expecting that!

[mainstander]

To be honest I wouldn't p*ss on him if he was on fire"

Barrowman on fire? Didn't happen very often during his ICT days!

[TopSix]

Andy Barrowman in a Pars shirt and a Stephens the Bakers Bridie (or 3) should make future visits to EEP v enjoyable.

Feel sorry for the Pars fans. Quite like the Pars. And their catering.

[Joonya]

I wonder if Buffy will be on the forums to give her opinion as a pars fan? could be interesting...

Personally, he's had SPL games for killie and ourselves, and but for his goal on the opening day v aberdeen, he was utterly useless at both clubs.

He only scored a few goals last term too. He's done nothing since his division 2 days - maybe thats his level?

[EdgeleyICT]

I wonder if Buffy will be on the forums to give her opinion as a pars fan? could be interesting...

Personally, he's had SPL games for killie and ourselves, and but for his goal on the opening day v aberdeen, he was utterly useless at both clubs.

He only scored a few goals last term too. He's done nothing since his division 2 days - maybe thats his level?

bet he scores against us tho, towards the end of the season, to take his tally to three.

[12th Man]

Bad things about Barrowman- cost our manager his job and inability to score cost us a place in the SPL for a season.

Good things ? His goal scoring ability nearly got his 1st division club to within a whisker of promotion to the SPL

Edited June 3, 2011 by 12th Man

[AJS]

The only talent i seem to recall him having was his ability to take penalties. Saw him to take a couple in the shoot outs we had last season and he always managed to find a top corner. But that is his only real way of hitting the back of the net.

[+DoofersDad]

I have now recovered from the shock of this news and whilst I am sorely tempted to take the opportunity to indulge in a bout of Barrowman baiting, I think there is a serious question to be asked here. That question is; "why?"

I think it fair to say that most fans' view would be that Barrowman is about as much use as a chocolate teapot. But yet managers seem keen to sign and then play him. Apart from a brief spell with County in Division 2 he has not shown anything that would lead one to think he can play at Division 1 level and certainly not SPL level. Yet he was the preferred choice in the starting line up at ICT even several months into the Butcher era and only lost his place when a Rooney hatrick demonstrated to anyone who still needed convincing (i.e. Buitcher) that Rooney was a far better player.

Having left ICT he went to County and continued his miserable run of form. To be honest, County have a pretty reasonable midfield and create a number of chances but this last season's reports of County games have been littered with phrases such as "the best chance of the game fell to Barrownan but he tamely shot wide form 6 yards" or words to that effect. Barrowman's failure to score anything like an acceptable number of goals was a significant factor in County entering the relegation dog fight but still he continued to be a regular in the starting line up even when Calderwood took over.

Despite that, an SPL side have signed him! I find that astonishing. It may be that Barrowman is impressive in training, but whether he is or isn't cuts no ice if he can't then translate that to performances on the pitch. Surely his record speaks for itself and I for one cannot see what it is about him that impresses managers and I cannot think of a reasonable answer to my question.

McIntyre says that he has signed Barroman as a target man. He's that all right. He is easy to find because his movement is so poor. But what is the point of a target man if he can't do anything with the ball when he gets it? The reality is that the only target he is likely to be is a target for the Pars fans.

[Renegade]

If McIntyre wants to play Barrowman as a target man then he'll simply fail from the beginning. That was the mistakes Brewster made with him. Barrowman is the kind of guy who works best in a partnership where he can finish off the moves of others - in a sort of creator/finisher kind of role. It should also be noted that when he was scoring for fun for County in Division 2, he regularly played in a 4-3-3, feeding off the work of others. If he is to have any success at Dunfermline, they'll have to play that way. If they don't, he and they will fail once more.

[starchief]

That's my reading too. Except I don't think he has it at SPL level to do that. But definitely more a poacher than a target man. Not especially good in the air, can't hold the ball up, doesn't work down the channels or bully centre-backs. Not a target man in my book.