Out of the last 9 games in which he hasn't taken any part we have won 2, drawn 1 and lost 6 - scoring 10 and conceding 14 along the way. Obviously there will be no converting some people but the so called 'attractive football' we apparantely play when he isn't in the team hasn't exactly served us well recently.

In my eyes a striker who scores 13 goals in 36 league games is a good return

Did you say attractive football?!

Look at our form for the rest of the season when he was playing though. It's obvious Barker isn't solely responsible for the team playing crap football, he fitted in last season and we were playing watchable stuff most games and there's not really a lot of teams in league 1 that are much better than the teams in league 2.

According to some of the people on here we play better football when he isn't in the team and there are lots who would rather he wasn't in the team.

I posted this becasue i disagree with it

I don't think anyone actually hates Richard Barker. What people do get dismayed at, me included, is changing our game so that we focus entirely on feeding Barker, usually with long, high balls.

Whether you blame the management or the players for this is up to you but it isn't good to watch. I would prefer him to be used in certain games or to come off the bench when the type of game demands that style of play - not use that technique ALL of the time.

I quite agree. On Saturday there was never any chance of us scoring once Porter went off. James Brown isn't the answer at centre forward - as some have suggested, and Mackay looked totally lost. Barker is the only centre forward we have at present and his goals return is pretty impressive even if it does include pens. I know he hasn't much pace, and I know playing the long ball to him all the time isn't pretty or necessarilly effective, but the guy has done everything asked off him and doesn't deserve some of the criticism dished out to him.

No one criticises Barker

Everyone on here concedes that he gives 100% all of the time.

To blame our recent slump on the lack of Barker is just as ludicrous on blaming the rest of the season on him.

The fact is that we have needed our team to stand up and be counted this season. They haven't and that's that. Perhaps if we had played the best team at the beginning and got the confidence up a bit then we'd have seen the team fighting for everything. A few ropey results got us on a slippery slope and Wilsons insistence on playing sub par players has destroyed the morale and team spirit we once had.

I'd take results over attractive football any day of the week but this season, Barker or not, we've had neither.

We miss Sir Richard Of Barker badly get over it.

That has happened on this thread. People stikcing the knife in previosuly and coming on here kissing his arse. I've never actualluy said that he is the answer as NH has suggested but the unjustifed criticism he has received in recent months is bang out of order.

If you read it properly you would see it says 'sticking the knife in previously' (not on this thread) and 'coming on here kissing his arse' (on this thread)

I wonder why no one has commented that the only striker pairing including Barker that has worked the way we would all like was with Eifion Williams.

I've seen posts on here with certain people slating him and then coming onto other posts (such as this one) and praising him.

We could have done with Barker against Forest on Saturday MacKay and Foley were easily brushed off the ball everytime by their 2 lumbering Central Defenders Richie would have given both of them something to think about and laid the ball off for MacKay and Foley to use their pace against the rest of Forest's defence.

You're right there like - we were very lightweight up front. With Mackay, Foley and Brown it was like having boys against men really. There is definitely some sorting out to be done before next season...

mr reeve you posted this before. It still hasn't sunk in. Nobody hates Richie Barker.

Maybe hate was the wrong word. To all you Richie Barker slaters is better

The 'ball watching' is one of their most infuriating traits. I fume every time a ball is passed across their direct path of play and rather than intercept a pass and be away, will slavishly track the ball to the opposition player avoiding contact.