Still, Ayr or Stafford?!? 
Honestly think it’s his body shape. Look at him from behind, he’s not over weight and his frame is not massive. He’s barrell chested.
But I agree he’s not fit enough and that needs to improve. Blackpool was clearly fatigue, which you really shouldn’t have this early in the season which tells me it’s the player not the situation.
100%, it was strange you could see the fatigue setting in leading up to that game.
Ferrier struggled at the start but he seems to be getting sharper by the week.
Cook was immense when he came on yesterday. You could argue that as he only had ten minutes he could go absolutely flat out. But I think it was more to do with him proving a point to his manager, to us and possibly to himself that he more than belongs at this level.
I expect he will start next week.
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After two years of depending on one man to score it’s a relief to have a better spread of goals across the team. Even if he hits 10-15 this year, I don’t think Cook’s contribution to how we attack and defend can be underestimated - bullies, holds up play and is more intelligent with his distribution than he gets credit for.
Understand some of the recent criticism, but can’t help but think he’s essential to the new dynamic we’re enjoying at the moment.
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Well if he’s not fully fit,Keates must have let him get away with murder during the close season.That after all is where players get the bulk of their fitness for the coming season.
That’s nonsense. If you have twenty players on the books and one of them is unfit it’s not the managers fault.
No,that’s nonsense…if the manager knowingly plays an unfit player or someone he knows isn’t as fit as the rest of the players ….then,yes….it is the managers fault.
You know it’s not like football manager right? Where it tells you a player is 80 percent match fit before a game or something?
Because Keates took him off very early second half, probably for that exact reason.
It is actually…those black vests they wear underneath their shirts tell the manager all he needs know about exactly how fit (or unfit) every player is,in games and in training.
According to some on here Cook’s vest probably incorporates a Platex girdle and a set of Mymi-wonder detox pads. The man’s here to score goals and play third division football as a proper number nine. So far he’s done that perfectly well. Banging on about his shape and fitness has about as much relevance to footballing end-product as Oztumer’s height.
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Oh well if a training bra tells him it’s thats fault then surely? Not the managers? Info must have been wrong.
The only thing a training bra ever told me was how complicated life in the hours between the pubs shutting and bed-time would be for the rest of my life (c. the wonderful girls of Mob Lane comp).
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Thanks for being so gracious El_nombre,I like it when a man admits he’s wrong…
So as someone who didn’t go on Saturday but will be going this Saturday…who starts on Saturday? Is it back to 442? Does Ronan play and if so, where? Does Cook start? Zeli?
I mean OPTIONS … What are those?!
442, get Cook back up top with Ferrier, Zeli and Ginelly on the wings and as tidy a player Ronan is don’t see him being a part of a 442 system - which I think will be used in the majority of matches
It was my first ever visit to Oakwell and what nostalgia value it has.
The four big floodlights and the old stand are very reminiscent of Fellows Park.
I think the incessant rain helped enormously too and made for some comical antics at times.
I do admit to having a flash back to Keith Bertschin c.1990.
Anyway…
What a fanastic point that was.
They are a good side and we outplayed them for the first hour until they scored.
They settled down and had a really good spell with a couple of golden chances to win it.
Having said that, we had a couple of decent chances ourselves.
What encouraged me was that recent teams would have been murdered by Barnsley.
We changed tactics and personnel to suit the opposition and it worked well.
I would have liked the changes a little earlier, but I can’t complain as they certainly worked too.
Devlin was outstanding, best game I’ve seen him in.
Roberts too, he was only beaten by an effort that took about 14 deflections and skidded all over the place.
A bit of composure in added time, could have seen a counter attack to win us the game.
Dobson was infuriated more than once with this, as he could see the opportunity for the taking.
No matter, a great point in the circumstances.
And Barnsley probably already feel hard done by as it is.
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I think Osbourne may be the one to be dropped for Ronan. Deano will want to be far more attacking at home and I think that the midfield may well line up as Ginelly, Dobson, Ronan, Zeli or Morris (depends if Zeli is fit). Cook and Ferrier up front.
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I know you’re joking but I’m so confused by this…
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Understandably,
Just unclip that double headed twiddly bit round the back, assuming its not a front-loader.
You’ll be fine after a few decades practice.