Barnes yesterday

[canarybubbles 1,923]

I've slagged off Barnes often enough on here, so it's only fair to say that he was excellent against Coventry, probably the best I've seen him in a Norwich shirt. He was a major factor - perhaps the major factor - in turning that game around.

Was the fact that he hadn't spent the first half tiring himself out the reason for his clinical performance? Is playing both him and Onel for the second half of games the way forward? 

[BroadstairsR 2,179]

I was never compelled to join in scapegoating the player simply because it would have been hypocritical since I was fully behind his signing and the reasons for it.

Little he has achieved since really contradicted that view, except for the fact that his contribution did seem to suffer a bit with Sargent's absence, and he is most definitely not suited to the one up front role, which we knew in any case. 

Yesterday he was fundamental in getting the three points.

He has a role this season for sure. He will continue to justify his signing this season for sure, I am not so certain about our need for him next season, even presuming we remain in the Championship. This would of course depend upon any player losses and the impact of Van Donk or any of the youngsters breaking through.

If we need him in a pivotal role next season, we will be in the do-do for sure.

Edited February 4 by BroadstairsR

[Creedence Clearwater Couto 1,288]

Written off far too quickly, mainly due to his age being an easy stick.

He was excellent with Sargent for the first 6 or 7 games this season. Sargent got injured and Barnes started to struggle, before getting injured too. He then tried to come back from injury with Sargent still out, and in a struggling side.

Now Sargent is back and firing again, Barnes looks to have regained fitness and guess what - he’s starting to look good again. I mean it was never rocket science to understand, was it? 

[S_81 803]

I think the key is to use him from the bench. And I think the arrival of Sydney decreases our reliance on him as a starting 10. He was getting burned out. He’s at the twilight of his career and I think we’ll use him wiser now. As we did yesterday. He changed the game, no doubt about it. 

[Helsinki canary 242]

Fully agree, he made a huge impact yesterday, both he and Onel are impact players to bring on to change a game. Some intelligent layoffs, holding the ball up and shielding it to allow the runners to move into goal scoring positions. Finally Wagner seems to of found the role for Barnes. 

[A Load of Squit 5,172]

9 minutes ago, Helsinki canary said:

Fully agree, he made a huge impact yesterday, both he and Onel are impact players to bring on to change a game. Some intelligent layoffs, holding the ball up and shielding it to allow the runners to move into goal scoring positions. Finally Wagner seems to of found the role for Barnes. 

It's probably a lot more to with Sargent returning from injury and Barnes reverting to the role that bought us success at the start of the season. 

[Branston Pickle 3,661]

You could say was a Barnestorming cameo performance from him!? Seemed the crowd were expecting young Sydney to come on, but he showed it was the right choice.  

[Worthy Nigelton 1,054]

He changed the game. Simple as that. There's no doubting his quality, it's his legs that aren't quite what they were.

[Monty13 2,235]

I think the thing with Barnes is he was brilliant with Sargent at the start of the season. He was brilliant yesterday when he came on. However he hasn’t looked the same player on his own or with a different partner and I think many people’s assessment that he wasn’t justifying his place was probably fair. However that was never his fault. 

VHD looks more of a Sargent like option than Hwang or Idah ever were, but it’s too early to tell. The scalpel surgery done on the squad to improve the options up top does make sense though to me. Wagner used the three perfectly yesterday, Barnes changed the game and VHD showed even in his brief Cameo that he offers similar pace, strength and presence to Sarge.

[kenfoggo 247]

I am not a fan of the 34 year old. If you are playing out from the back he is not the target man you need as he is two yards too slow. Yesterday when I saw him stripping off to come on as a substitute I moaned that whatever the question, Barnes is not the answer. But he proved me wrong, his inclusion turned the game into victory.

[Capt. Pants 4,250]

It was a good sub by Wagner. Coventry at that point had got used to Sara being ineffective as a 10, which meant Sargent was largely a lone striker. They couldn't handle Barnes when he came on.

Barnes off the bench might be a better option going forward but let's not get carried away - we were playing against 10 men for 20 mins.

His ****housery and the ugly stuff he does is also a huge factor. Good player with his back to goal - way better than Nunez or Sara.

[Well b back 3,220]

35 minutes ago, kenfoggo said:

I am not a fan of the 34 year old. If you are playing out from the back he is not the target man you need as he is two yards too slow. Yesterday when I saw him stripping off to come on as a substitute I moaned that whatever the question, Barnes is not the answer. But he proved me wrong, his inclusion turned the game into victory.

Were you one of those that booed ? 

[horsefly 4,303]

I think I must have been watching a different game. I've no problem with Barnes coming on as a sub but I fail to see what was so game changing about his contributions. One miss-hit shot that luckily made its way to Sargent, and admittedly a nice little lay off to Sainz, but hardly a difficult assist to play after Mclean and McCallum hard done the difficult work in creating the goal.

[Yobocop 1,099]

55 minutes ago, horsefly said:

I think I must have been watching a different game. I've no problem with Barnes coming on as a sub but I fail to see what was so game changing about his contributions. One miss-hit shot that luckily made its way to Sargent, and admittedly a nice little lay off to Sainz, but hardly a difficult assist to play after Mclean and McCallum hard done the difficult work in creating the goal.

His link up play for Sara in the build up to the first was probably more to the point and backs up what you say about McLean and McCallum doing all the hard work if that makes sense 

the fact he made the pass for the second goal look so easy speaks volumes too 

[horsefly 4,303]

11 minutes ago, Yobocop said:

His link up play for Sara in the build up to the first was probably more to the point and backs up what you say about McLean and McCallum doing all the hard work if that makes sense 

the fact he made the pass for the second goal look so easy speaks volumes too 

I'm happy to see him get a positive press and make an assist. All I'm really questioning is the idea that his contribution was "game changing". I think McLean has much more claim to that for his second half performance. As for his assist "looking easy", that's because it was; strangely there was no pressure on him from any Cov defender so you wouldn't expect any player to fluff that tap back. Personally, I see him as a potentially very useful sub to bring on when experienced heads are needed, so hats off to Wagner for making that call.

[yellowrider120 765]

5 hours ago, canarybubbles said:

I've slagged off Barnes often enough on here, so it's only fair to say that he was excellent against Coventry, probably the best I've seen him in a Norwich shirt. He was a major factor - perhaps the major factor - in turning that game around.

Was the fact that he hadn't spent the first half tiring himself out the reason for his clinical performance? Is playing both him and Onel for the second half of games the way forward? 

Me too. Been critical of him most of the season but his play yesterday was impressive and easily the best so far for us (IMO of course). That said he carries little by way of goal threat so lets just hope others can carry that particular load.

R Argos - again, I'm normally critical of him as he offers little / no end product. Yesterday, though, he actually played more 'with his head up' and stood up some wonderful crosses that should have been easy meat for a striker in the right place who could head the ball! 

Both players deserve credit for very useful cameos from the bench.

[rock bus 854]

He certainly influenced the game,

He is a complete pain for the opposition. Made me laugh that when Sara was lining up his free kick, Barnes kept deliberately standing in the way of the Cov keeper when he was trying to line up his wall. Sure it didn’t make a difference to the wall but can guarantee it was winding up and distracting the keeper and the defenders.

 

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,024]

I was disappointed to hear a few boos around me when he came on as a sub. As others have said I thought he changed the game and was heavily involved in both goals, particularly like his sweet layoff to set Sainz up......

[Yellow and Green 334]

I agree with (I think it was) Connor Southwell's assessment of his performance, in the sense that that was what I was hoping for when he signed - doing the hard / boring / dirty stuff - largely holding the ball, moving us further up the pitch and generally linking the play - for the benefit of the team.

As others have mentioned, we saw this at the beginning of the season, and his performances suffered as a result of Sargent's absence. Opposition defenders must hate playing against them, when they're together. 

[nutty nigel 7,539]

2 minutes ago, Yellow and Green said:

I agree with (I think it was) Connor Southwell's assessment of his performance, in the sense that that was what I was hoping for when he signed - doing the hard / boring / dirty stuff - largely holding the ball, moving us further up the pitch and generally linking the play - for the benefit of the team.

As others have mentioned, we saw this at the beginning of the season, and his performances suffered as a result of Sargent's absence. Opposition defenders must hate playing against them, when they're together. 

His performances suffered through his own injury and being rushed back because ‘needs must’. 

[Robert N. LiM 4,392]

Have to say I liked yesterday's approach - start with Nunez, bring Barnes on for the last 30 where his ageing legs are less of a disadvantage against the opposition's tiring legs.

Against lesser opposition I would be very interested to see SvH and Sarge together upfront with the batsh1t but surprisingly effective twin-quarterback nonsense of Kenny and Gabby behind them (or even Gabby and Nunez in midfield with Kenny Beckenbauering it at the back).

But either way it would be nice to think our first XI doesn't have Barnes in it. He could be an outstanding asset as a sub.

[Ken Hairy 3,773]

Good to see Barnes fulfilling the Idah role, decent off the bench, utter turd when starting 😃

[Yobocop 1,099]

8 hours ago, horsefly said:

I'm happy to see him get a positive press and make an assist. All I'm really questioning is the idea that his contribution was "game changing". I think McLean has much more claim to that for his second half performance. As for his assist "looking easy", that's because it was; strangely there was no pressure on him from any Cov defender so you wouldn't expect any player to fluff that tap back. Personally, I see him as a potentially very useful sub to bring on when experienced heads are needed, so hats off to Wagner for making that call.

I’d say that given when he was introduced it was 1-0 and within 10-15 mins we were winning 2-1, I’d consider that game changing. 

it may be easy for a pro footballer to play that pass you’re right but he had presence of mind to lay it off onto his stronger foot on an angle where Sainz did the rest  

[nutty nigel 7,539]

I think it's a shame that our players get this abuse from a minority in the stadium. Certainly no more than 20% but it's still unacceptable. 'Bashley' will play through it but why does he have to? What's he done to deserve it? His goal celebration against Sheff Wed was great to see. The 20% can do one....

Imagine if this season ends up at Wembley and not being part of it....

[Ray 111]

15 hours ago, BroadstairsR said:

He has a role this season for sure. He will continue to justify his signing this season for sure, I am not so certain about our need for him next season, even presuming we remain in the Championship. This would of course depend upon any player losses and the impact of Van Donk or any of the youngsters breaking through.

If we need him in a pivotal role next season, we will be in the do-do for sure.

Broadstairs, "for sure" 3 times in your last 2 paragraphs, you must be Farke's love child and I claim my £5🤣🤣

[hogesar 9,690]

21 minutes ago, nutty nigel said:

I think it's a shame that our players get this abuse from a minority in the stadium. Certainly no more than 20% but it's still unacceptable. 'Bashley' will play through it but why does he have to? What's he done to deserve it? His goal celebration against Sheff Wed was great to see. The 20% can do one....

Imagine if this season ends up at Wembley and not being part of it....

20% sounds about right....wonder if anyone at the club has come up with a similar figure?