Barrow v Hornchurch match thread

[beachy01]

IMO Murray is right, the club stinks of failure, but and its a big but, hes partly to blame. As a club and a manager they/he should have made it abundantly clear that we didnt want to keep any of those players from last year. At a push id have tried to keep MJ. The rest should have gone or been told they arent wanted!! clean slate across the board.

That all sounds great, but, as has been said before, you can't simply get rid of people who are on contracts if they don't want to go. I'm not sure how that can be blamed on Murray!

I do know how a contract works! But he said in an interview he spoke to them all at the start and asked them if they wanted to stay. IMO that was a mistake, he should have just made it clear they wernt wanted instead of basically blaming them 2 games in in his interviews

[Suffolk Blue]

What surprises me is that so many forum members are surprised at the way the season has started. It is easy sometimes to think that when your team gets relegated it automatically manifests itself at the higher end of the league below. In most cases this not the case. I truly believe that the nature of our relegation was far more fundamental and catastrophic than many of us would care to admit. The truth is we fell like a stone and that we are still falling. We have not reached our stability point yet. That is what Murray has initially been brought in to do and that is how he should be initially be judged.

As somebody commented above, Hornchurch are currently a team used to winning. They are nothing special. A big physical side who know what system they wish to play and do it really well. By playing a 5-4-1 yesterday they were sending a message so clear even I could understand it. You wont get past us and when we can we will hit you on the break. That's how we Hornchurch play away. You could not have telegraphed this more clearly if Adam Murray had sat in on the pre-game chat.

We played with the wind in the first half and simply accommodated their style. We had no viable forward line and Scott Smith seemed to be the one most eager to have a go (shame he cannot shoot straight, or indeed at all) Hornchurch pressed us hard and bided their time. It was clear to me as it was them that with the wind they would inevitably create a chance or two and that's pretty much what happened. Then, and only then the great conundrum. On come the players who you might think would make an attacking difference (for the second week running) and lo and behold, they do. But too late. I did like the look of (Latty-Fairweather?) when came on though for the life i couldn't really understand Ben Jacksons reincarnation as a wide forward player.

I applauded at the end because they looked forlorn and knackered. They had tried hard enough and some of the passing box to box was of a quality higher than anything Hornchurch could muster But in key areas they were just not good enough. We look like a team that may win games through pure effort against those around us but rarely against any team that is well put together and can work us out - and there are many of those.

So judge Murray on that not requirement in 9 or 10 games time but as each game progresses. He is not as some people have inferred a new, up and coming manager but he's been doing the job on and off for ten years or so. His CV is not a million million miles different from someone like Steven Clemence - so feel free to judge his performance because to be honest he may be the difference between the National League and the National League North.

And dont worry about wild talk of managerial sackings. If you read his CV you will see that in a majority of cases he sacks the club before he gets the bullet.

[theotherbarrow]

What surprises me is that so many forum members are surprised at the way the season has started. It is easy sometimes to think that when your team gets relegated it automatically manifests itself at the higher end of the league below. In most cases this not the case. I truly believe that the nature of our relegation was far more fundamental and catastrophic than many of us would care to admit. The truth is we fell like a stone and that we are still falling. We have not reached our stability point yet. That is what Murray has initially been brought in to do and that is how he should be initially be judged.

As somebody commented above, Hornchurch are currently a team used to winning. They are nothing special. A big physical side who know what system they wish to play and do it really well. By playing a 5-4-1 yesterday they were sending a message so clear even I could understand it. You wont get past us and when we can we will hit you on the break. That's how we Hornchurch play away. You could not have telegraphed this more clearly if Adam Murray had sat in on the pre-game chat.

We played with the wind in the first half and simply accommodated their style. We had no viable forward line and Scott Smith seemed to be the one most eager to have a go (shame he cannot shoot straight, or indeed at all) Hornchurch pressed us hard and bided their time. It was clear to me as it was them that with the wind they would inevitably create a chance or two and that's pretty much what happened. Then, and only then the great conundrum. On come the players who you might think would make an attacking difference (for the second week running) and lo and behold, they do. But too late. I did like the look of (Latty-Fairweather?) when came on though for the life i couldn't really understand Ben Jacksons reincarnation as a wide forward player.

I applauded at the end because they looked forlorn and knackered. They had tried hard enough and some of the passing box to box was of a quality higher than anything Hornchurch could muster But in key areas they were just not good enough. We look like a team that may win games through pure effort against those around us but rarely against any team that is well put together and can work us out - and there are many of those.

So judge Murray on that not requirement in 9 or 10 games time but as each game progresses. He is not as some people have inferred a new, up and coming manager but he's been doing the job on and off for ten years or so. His CV is not a million million miles different from someone like Steven Clemence - so feel free to judge his performance because to be honest he may be the difference between the National League and the National League North.

And dont worry about wild talk of managerial sackings. If you read his CV you will see that in a majority of cases he sacks the club before he gets the bullet.

Great summation...........

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

That all sounds great, but, as has been said before, you can't simply get rid of people who are on contracts if they don't want to go. I'm not sure how that can be blamed on Murray!

I do know how a contract works! But he said in an interview he spoke to them all at the start and asked them if they wanted to stay. IMO that was a mistake, he should have just made it clear they wernt wanted instead of basically blaming them 2 games in in his interviews

He also told a few they wouldn't figure and best they try to find another club. Of those I suspect he told only Shipley and possibly Newby did that.

[Wintergreen]

It may not be important but I do wonder why we don't choose to play towards the Holker Street end in the second half when we win the toss?
Do they still toss a coin? Either way we seem to choose not to take that option.
You don't see Liverpool choosing to attack the Anfield Road end in the second half or United the South Stand.
I'm also fed up of seeing away teams scoring at the Holker Street end in the second half and then celebrating with their supporters. At least if they scored at the Crossbar end they'd have a long way to run to celebrate. lol

I agree with you wholeheartedly there bud and I’m sure you know that the ends at Old Trafford are the Stretford End (West Stand) and the Scoreboard End (East Stand).

[Always Ultra]

I applauded at the end because they looked forlorn and knackered.

This is something that needs to be acknowledged.

Contrary to all of the thinly-veiled criticism being levelled at the fans, people stayed behind and applauded. Even those that had been booing and berating the players. Especially those fans. Just out of respect for football and footballers.

[Big_Bluebird]

Got to go and get a couple of players that will score goals and get fans off their seat. We simply don’t have one. We are relying on crosses and set pieces. Watch the highlights from the games on Saturday in the national league. Wingers cutting in bending it in the corner we don’t have any player that can score a goal out of nothing

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

Got to go and get a couple of players that will score goals and get fans off their seat. We simply don’t have one. We are relying on crosses and set pieces. Watch the highlights from the games on Saturday in the national league. Wingers cutting in bending it in the corner we don’t have any player that can score a goal out of nothing

We need some of the dead wood to go before we bring anyone of any quality in. Murray had made that quite clear.

[Big_Bluebird]

Got to go and get a couple of players that will score goals and get fans off their seat. We simply don’t have one. We are relying on crosses and set pieces. Watch the highlights from the games on Saturday in the national league. Wingers cutting in bending it in the corner we don’t have any player that can score a goal out of nothing

We need some of the dead wood to go before we bring anyone of any quality in. Murray had made that quite clear.

We’ve brought in about 30 defenders. We’ve had no quality up the top of the pitch for 2 seasons should of been priority

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

We need some of the dead wood to go before we bring anyone of any quality in. Murray had made that quite clear.

We’ve brought in about 30 defenders. We’ve had no quality up the top of the pitch for 2 seasons should of been priority

Reid was his first signing Murray called that a statement of intent but he is injured. He has said himself we need more in the final third but we still have to many from last season who have not moved on.

[blue nige]

Got to go and get a couple of players that will score goals and get fans off their seat. We simply don’t have one. We are relying on crosses and set pieces. Watch the highlights from the games on Saturday in the national league. Wingers cutting in bending it in the corner we don’t have any player that can score a goal out of nothing

We need some of the dead wood to go before we bring anyone of any quality in. Murray had made that quite clear.

I'm not buying this bullshit excuse, are you telling me that the board didn't expect that not all the player's would move on and this would be factored into our budget, if it wasn't then what were the board thinking of ?
If we really have nothing left in the budget then the board should tell us ,but surely Murray must have known what budget he had to play with and if he didn't well .....!

[andyg]

Suffolk's comments made above should be read by all of us. We need to have a reality check and ask ourselves where we are how we got here and how do we move on and improve. There's a terrible amount of knee jerk reaction on here, some of it, not for the first time and probably not the last of it, that borders on, quite frankly, the obscene at times. It's the problem all forums for every club has to put up with in this age of "free speech" married to social media.

I've not been able to watch Barrow yet but have watched from afar on TV & I know its far better to be there but my observations so far are looking at a team/club still in shock from last years freefall & this is going to take time. Harrogate are top at present but they were never in freefall last season hence they've kept a number players from last season that so nearly fought their way out of relegation. We, as we all now, just capitulated. We also have history of this think 1969 through to 1972 & further dark years that followed in non league. We also have many examples of other clubs cascading down the pyramid. Think Scunthorpe , Morecambe even Carlisle. I realise the first two clubs where is an ownership/financial mess but a few years ago Grimsby got relegated to non league had a disastrous first half of the season sorted themselves out and got promoted via the play off back to the EFL. I would like to think we might be in that category but only time will tell.

What we have all got to do is stick with the team and put our trust in the manager and staff and not knee jerk into sacking him in November if we are still in a bad place as we we know from bitter experience that did not work last season. Yes I know I'm trying to put a positive outlook on this but whats the other option - total negativity? I'm a realist I'm not putting my head in the clouds thinking it will be all Ok. In fact I am concerned. But we need to roll our collective sleeves up (yes us and the team) try and grind out some points (not necessarily wins at first) and start getting some self belief. I wasn't convinced everything was rosy after a decent pre-season watching some of the highlights and reality has now hit us.

Finally, we as fans, many if not all long suffering ones, also need to get behind the team - yes vent you frustrations by all means but don't boo them off after a game if its all gone pear shaped. We all have to play our part to try and get Barrow through this dark period.

[russell_anderson]

We need some of the dead wood to go before we bring anyone of any quality in. Murray had made that quite clear.

I'm not buying this bullshit excuse, are you telling me that the board didn't expect that not all the player's would move on and this would be factored into our budget, if it wasn't then what were the board thinking of ?
If we really have nothing left in the budget then the board should tell us ,but surely Murray must have known what budget he had to play with and if he didn't well .....!

Agreed. Anybody who has watched football regularly knew that last season's players bar the odd one or two were total scrap. When Murray came in he said we had 'quality players'. That was nonsense. He has now brought in players who bar a couple are just as poor as what we had and is even playing players from last season who weren't even good enough for that abysmal team.

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

We need some of the dead wood to go before we bring anyone of any quality in. Murray had made that quite clear.

I'm not buying this bullshit excuse, are you telling me that the board didn't expect that not all the player's would move on and this would be factored into our budget, if it wasn't then what were the board thinking of ?
If we really have nothing left in the budget then the board should tell us ,but surely Murray must have known what budget he had to play with and if he didn't well .....!

Unless Newby was told he wouldn’t figure this season I reckon only Shipley of the players under contract this season and told they wouldn’t figure has moved on. I suspect they thought more or most would have but it hasn’t been the case

[AugustusCorpa]

We got a brief mention on TalkSPORT this morning with Stelling. Him saying how Hornchurch where favourites to go down but they had beaten us.
No one knew where Hornchurch was. All a bit embarrassing if your a Barrow supporter. I want to see some kind of a positive reaction against Harrogate.