It’s not Good!

[Gazza]

Firstly we just don’t get enough numbers in the box when we get the ball it wide or break. Neither Garner or Acquah have the pace to keep up with the wide men when we break and are not ‘fox in the box’ players when we get it out wide and get balls in. Acquah is not experienced or smart enough to know what runs to make for the midfielders to put balls through and that was clearly evident again yesterday! I think it’s time Dallas and Telford were given a chance together. It’s also been mentioned about having to throw money at someone but what about going down to the Nat League or Nat League North and picking up someone who is banging them in at those levels. I’ve said this loads of times before, If you are a proper goalscorer you will score at any level with the right service!

[McMark]

It was always going to take time to get a system in place that works consistently for us. It is so easy to get carried away with the decentish start we had going into yesterday’s game. Carlisle were there for the taking yesterday but the game plan just didn’t work for us, and some of the credit for that goes to the way Carlisle nullified us and controlled midfield. Hopefully lessons have been learned by all and we dust ourselves down quickly to go again!

[russell_anderson]

I don’t really do tactics or tic-tacs for that matter but maybe the causes of our lack of goals/goal-scoring opportunities lie elsewhere? Proven goalscorers like Stockton and Telford have struggled at Barrow with the former looking bemused at times having made many runs to no avail. A lasting memory of last season was seeing balls from wide positions (mainly from Newby) skip invitingly across the six-yard line with no one within range. Why was that? I doubt the drafting in of more budget type strikers is going to help us greatly; Mr Clemence is a vastly experienced ex-player himself of course (as was Ian Evatt) and will be finding things out in real time now and hopefully find the solutions to the problems which are inherit.

Stockton scored 7 goals in 17 games for us which was pretty good in a team that couldn't win a match for many of those games. Telford is not a proven goalscorer. He's had 1 season out of 10 when he scored goals, 1 season when he's managed a couple more than Spence (a midfield player) scored for us last season and 8 seasons when he's scored very few! Even that poor record looks good compared to Garner who has scored 19 goals in 112 games! Dallas has scored some goals at Weymouth and Solihull but has hardly managed a goal when playing in the EFL or Scottish Leagues. Acquah also has a very poor scoring record.

[behind the goals]

looks like reading these post most if not all agree our Forwards(Acquah,Garner,Telford,Dallas)are all substandard and will not score the goals this season, if that`s the case then how do we stay up maybe win 15 games 1-0(45pts) and draw 5 games that will give us 50pts,supporters looking for new forwards might have to wait till next season with Telford & Garner contracts ending and Dallas going back to Barnsley, Acquah is here till summer 2026. Or we could just give Clemence and the team a chance that might not be possible from some fans who use this forum.

[mall]

looks like reading these post most if not all agree our Forwards(Acquah,Garner,Telford,Dallas)are all substandard and will not score the goals this season, if that`s the case then how do we stay up maybe win 15 games 1-0(45pts) and draw 5 games that will give us 50pts,supporters looking for new forwards might have to wait till next season with Telford & Garner contracts ending and Dallas going back to Barnsley, Acquah is here till summer 2026. Or we could just give Clemence and the team a chance that might not be possible from some fans who use this forum.

I agree give SC and the team a chance. Thing is, if its not working, how long does that chance go on for.
Couldn't see anything at all from the forwards t'other day to give hope for the rest of the season. And midfield and forwards are far too lightweight, apart from Aqua obviously.

[bluebird90]

‘Those that know the game and have played the game, agree’

So what you’re saying is that the manager, with nearly 250 Premier League appearances, knows what he’s doing and will decide whether we need more.

[Hadrian]

Now that we are close to Christmas, we have been able to form a wise and balanced view of the manager, his formation, the players' strengths but especially their weaknesses, the potential of the players we haven't actually seen yet and...

Oh, hang on. I have just checked the calendar.

Turns out that we have just had the second Saturday of the season and won the majority of our matches.

Get a grip, folks.

[Wintergreen]

I don’t really do tactics or tic-tacs for that matter but maybe the causes of our lack of goals/goal-scoring opportunities lie elsewhere? Proven goalscorers like Stockton and Telford have struggled at Barrow with the former looking bemused at times having made many runs to no avail. A lasting memory of last season was seeing balls from wide positions (mainly from Newby) skip invitingly across the six-yard line with no one within range. Why was that? I doubt the drafting in of more budget type strikers is going to help us greatly; Mr Clemence is a vastly experienced ex-player himself of course (as was Ian Evatt) and will be finding things out in real time now and hopefully find the solutions to the problems which are inherit.

Stockton scored 7 goals in 17 games for us which was pretty good in a team that couldn't win a match for many of those games. Telford is not a proven goalscorer. He's had 1 season out of 10 when he scored goals, 1 season when he's managed a couple more than Spence (a midfield player) scored for us last season and 8 seasons when he's scored very few! Even that poor record looks good compared to Garner who has scored 19 goals in 112 games! Dallas has scored some goals at Weymouth and Solihull but has hardly managed a goal when playing in the EFL or Scottish Leagues. Acquah also has a very poor scoring record.

Dom Telford arrived at Barrow with a decent record as a striker at our level and most on here were delighted to welcome him on board back then. You state he had “1 season out of 10 when he scored goals”, this is somewhat misleading as he had been at Premier League, Championship and EFL1 clubs where he was rarely a first choice striker and had limited appearances notwithstanding any injuries. I think his EFL2 record when he arrived at Barrow was a good one and that is probably why the BoDs took a punt on him.

As an aside, there have been prolific goal scorers whose reputations were built more-or-less on tap-ins, we could all name a few I’m sure. I will use Ian Rush as a prime example (showing my age, but maybe you will remember him also), not a particularly gifted footballer but athletic and had an ability to be in the right place at the right time, coupled with clinical close range finishing. He didn’t score many worldies, long rangers or self-crafted goals but he did have a creative mid-field and attack-minded widemen around him. My original point wasn't to justify our forwards, but to ask if the lack of goals last season and perhaps already evident this season is a forwards issue or a team issue.

[mall]

Stockton scored 7 goals in 17 games for us which was pretty good in a team that couldn't win a match for many of those games. Telford is not a proven goalscorer. He's had 1 season out of 10 when he scored goals, 1 season when he's managed a couple more than Spence (a midfield player) scored for us last season and 8 seasons when he's scored very few! Even that poor record looks good compared to Garner who has scored 19 goals in 112 games! Dallas has scored some goals at Weymouth and Solihull but has hardly managed a goal when playing in the EFL or Scottish Leagues. Acquah also has a very poor scoring record.

Dom Telford arrived at Barrow with a decent record as a striker at our level and most on here were delighted to welcome him on board back then. You state he had “1 season out of 10 when he scored goals”, this is somewhat misleading as he had been at Premier League, Championship and EFL1 clubs where he was rarely a first choice striker and had limited appearances notwithstanding any injuries. I think his EFL2 record when he arrived at Barrow was a good one and that is probably why the BoDs took a punt on him.

As an aside, there have been prolific goal scorers whose reputations were built more-or-less on tap-ins, we could all name a few I’m sure. I will use Ian Rush as a prime example (showing my age, but maybe you will remember him also), not a particularly gifted footballer but athletic and had an ability to be in the right place at the right time, coupled with clinical close range finishing. He didn’t score many worldies, long rangers or self-crafted goals but he did have a creative mid-field and attack-minded widemen around him. My original point wasn't to justify our forwards, but to ask if the lack of goals last season and perhaps already evident this season is a forwards issue or a team issue.

"My original point wasn't to justify our forwards, but to ask if the lack of goals last season and perhaps already evident this season is a forwards issue or a team issue."
I don't know I could well be wrong but I personally think its both.
IMO on Saturday our midfield was thwarted plus the fact that they are not big built, physical enough and, the same can be said of our forwards-Aqua aside who is too slow anyway.

[Big E]

I’ve said this from pre season, our forwards just are not good enough,and what I mean is,if we don’t add, replace , we are going to really struggle, infact even worse. Many are going to criticise me on this, but those who have played the game,and know football,will agree.I don’t honestly believe, that our strikers, 4 of, will score 25 goals between them. It’s early days, and can be addressed, that’s why it needs discussing.

Sounds like you're offering to fund one, oh, and find one ...

[MisterPleasant]

I’ve said this from pre season, our forwards just are not good enough,and what I mean is,if we don’t add, replace , we are going to really struggle, infact even worse. Many are going to criticise me on this, but those who have played the game,and know football,will agree.I don’t honestly believe, that our strikers, 4 of, will score 25 goals between them. It’s early days, and can be addressed, that’s why it needs discussing.

Even though, last season, with the same forwards we didn't struggle or "even worse". I'm not disputing that our forwards should be coming up with more than they are but that's just a tad dramatic. It's more a case that if we really want to be serious top 7 challengers then the forwards need to be finding their scoring boots (and consistently).

[Matty]

Unnecessary meltdown on here, and not for the first time. We've played three games, and won two of them!

[Desmond2-2]

Now that we are close to Christmas, we have been able to form a wise and balanced view of the manager, his formation, the players' strengths but especially their weaknesses, the potential of the players we haven't actually seen yet and...

Oh, hang on. I have just checked the calendar.

Turns out that we have just had the second Saturday of the season and won the majority of our matches.

Get a grip, folks.

Well Hadrian, if you can’t make an assessment on a player’s scoring ability,after watching him last season and 3 games this, then your obliviously not capable of any judgement. We’ve lost 15 goal with the loss of Whitfield and Stockton, the players we now have in forward positions will score those goals, I’m sure of that.

[Hadrian]

Well Hadrian, if you can’t make an assessment on a player’s scoring ability,after watching him last season and 3 games this, then your obliviously not capable of any judgement. We’ve lost 15 goal with the loss of Whitfield and Stockton, the players we now have in forward positions will score those goals, I’m sure of that.

In which case, you will not be troubled by my judgement that you have likely missed 'not' from your last sentence which in its present format rather undermines your argument.

Not like you to miss a negative.

[blumooncrab]

Touché