Are we serious about promotion or are we making up the numbers?
An open letter to the chairman
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It’s evidently quite clear the season is at crossroads, pretty much at the same point 12 months ago, the question has to be why haven’t we learnt anything in that time period? And by we I don’t mean everyone.
Now I’m not tarring all with the same brush here but the facts are true and staring us all in the face seemingly bar the one person who has the ability and clarity to do something about it.
Too strong? I don’t think so. All around Barnet in the National League table and plenty underneath have spent the last five weeks strengthening or revitalising their squads for the final three month run in.
We’ve created the space in shipping two out permanently and three others on loan until the end of the season. Freed up places in the squad and freed up wages from the budget so why aren’t we seeing bodies arrive?
Injuries and a lack of impact from those coming off the bench is showing that we’re now struggling to fully complete against those around us. Take a look at the weekend opponents Gateshead, they’ve lost a few in January so recruited to fill their gaps, to improve their chances of making the play off’s.
It’s clear we have a few that aren’t reaching previous standards, no fault of their own, if they were better than that they wouldn’t be plying their trade at this level, dips in form are expected as disappointing as it is.
But to not receive the back up they require to compensate for those games where it isn’t right for them leads us to where we are now, almost reliant on the performances of other clubs falling short in order for us to stay in the top three.
Bromley have dipped a fair bit over the last month, yet we’ve not been able to take advantage of it and nip into second. Underneath us there is a lack of consistency which quite frankly is compensating for some of our results during the opening month of the year.
The daft thing is we’re around just three players, maybe four, short of getting things back on track. It’s evident we need another centre back, a combative midfielder, another midfielder with legs and potentially striker cover if Nicke Kabamba has a spell on the sidelines.
The lessons of last year clearly haven’t been learnt. We panicked in December and ended up with David Moyo, a move that would have worked in August but not having spent five months playing very little football and being asked to jump straight into a play-off chasing side.
Then came Harry Smith, the Jekyll and Hyde signing that in all ways is tough to get your head around, goals that came but disjointed more than it helped. Smith should have arrived weeks earlier but we waited and waited instead of being pro-active.
Without the extra bodies that are needed, fill the spaces we created ourselves by pro-active movement there is a real chance the season folds in on itself and like last year we limp into the end of season shenanigans.
Mr Chairman, it’s down to you, how ambitious are you? Do you want promotion? Are you wanting to succeed? Or are we paying lip service to the work Dean, his staff and the players have contributed towards the last two years when let’s face it the club was ready only for the National League South?
Make those three signings ready, I know they are ready, stop quibbling about wages or whatever it is delaying it, show the intent Barnet FC has to return to the Football League, the next seven days or so will show to me and a fair few others where this football club lies in the grand scheme of things, time for action, not silence.
Feel free to come back at me, my door is open, my phone is on, I’ll happily take your conversation because currently my opinion is and I don’t think I’m alone here, if you want the best shot at promotion back those who have got us to where we are now and then open the inquest afterwards if it goes wrong then, life is full of ‘what if’s’, let’s not make this one of them with a chance of hitting Wembley twice……..
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As usual absolutely spot on Trev! Maybe you should give TK a call? See you on Saturday. Cheers. Ian
Trevor it is not often I take issue with you and to a degree I share your frustration and all that of my fellow supporters. Dean has always stated he will only sign players who are better than the ones we have at present for any given position. I am like every other supporter and love to see another signing over the line but we have to admit some over the passed few years have not always worked out especially the ones coming in in January. I have a feeling some of the better EFL players are waiting till the last minute to see what suits them best whether you agree with this attitude or not and this is why Dean has not yet persuaded the people he wants to cross the line. I imagine signing players in this day and age of the right quality must be a living nightmare with agents getting in to players ears not always for the players benefit. Dean stated yesterday there will be players coming in in the next two weeks so just give him a little more time better to have the right player in two weeks than some duffer with two left feet two weeks ago. Finally what ever our view of which I am sure there are many it is only because we care some much for the Bees we can let frustrations override common sense at times, me included. Thank you in anticipation of you taking the time to read my views even if on this occasion we see things slightly differently.