If he goes there will be trouble, if he stays it will be double Seriously though, should Barker go now after yet another sub par performance or should he stay?
I have voted he should stay. We can't keep changing managers. Hopefully next season he can change things around, and bring in some players who want to put a bit more effort in for the club, and play for their future. Bring in a few of our talented kids, like Adam Webster and Dan Butler.
I voted stay - for several reasons. We can't just dump manager's after a short time. Although he has brought in 8 players, they probably weren't his first choice, just what was available in the JTW. There is definitely something amiss with the players who are here, they still aren't a team yet. That isn't particularly down to Barker. He has to have time to bring in players who he thinks will form a team. He has made mistakes, and his comments to the press aren't overly inspiring nor motivating, but I don't think Catlin had any real influence in his appointment, it was more likely Steve Coppell coming along with him that tipped the balance for the board.
Stay - but as an ex-Striker I'd expect the coaching of our strikers to have yielded some goals....yes not all the players are his, yet ironically he let our most gifted and wily striker go out on loan....appreciate there was sub-text to that decision however we are shot shy. I suspect if we stay up crowds will be more like 10-12K next season if the fare we are being treated too doesn't improve. Got no complaints about being much better defensively as a team there he has done a very good job.
I voted for stay. If things really are as bad prior to his appointment as he's suggested (like with the training for example) we have to give him the benefit of the doubt. I appreciate theres probably a little spin to what he says to the press to shore up his position (its not my fault, you should see the mess I've inherited etc) but really he has to be given a full season. I'm not a big fan of his public man-management and don't see what it achieves in belittling the players. I'd imagine his brief was to keep us up. If he does that then good. But next season I expect to see us troubling the play-offs as otherwise like others I'm concerned we may see some of the goodwill and crowds fizzle out.
I expect crowds and goodwill to fizzle out this season if things don't start getting better (hasn't it already?) even if we do stay up. I have to admit, I am trying really hard not to start calling for Barker to be sacked as I don't like to see us chopping and changing, but he's not making it easy.
I expect to judge him more on next season than this one. This season was supposed to be a rebuilding one from my perspective but the removal of Whittingham caused us to practically default and start again mid-way through so we're still finding our feet. There have been positives in us becoming hard to beat but negatives in failing to find a cutting edge, and I feel he deserves time over the Summer to make the changes he feels are needed and to have the opportunity of the next season to prove himself. All he needs to be successful in my estimation is to see this season out so we avoid relegation and finish around the upper-mid-table/play-off places next season. As I have said before, we need stability off-field and clear direction for how to develop the playing side, and we cant get that if we continue to support the revolving door policy for managers that we've indulged in since sacking Alan Ball in 1989.
I don't think we'll ever like him. He's no Uncle Avram. But if he improves next season, hopefully we might learn to respect him!
Stay. I am confident Mr Barker has all the skills, abilities and charisma to steer PFC to the level of football the club truly deserves.
voted stay.......... and am struggling with the thought that this topic even exists! As for the Snooze, with some of their more recent comments on line and articles, and commentaries (if thats what you call it) on the live chat for match day........well.........enough said!
Our immediate concern is to retain league 2 status. It is difficult to envisage that, so close to the end of the season, that the inevitable disruption a new manager - who has to manage the same players - would be counter balanced by any superior management skills. We have to stick with Barker and keep our nerve.
I think Brendon Bone sums it up very nicely in this blog:- http://brendonbone.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/many-moons-ago-clubs-had-managers-for.html
Tbf, I think the fans would be much more patient with Barker if he didn't keep spouting rubbish in the News. He should probably leave the comments to a PR person, as PR certainly doesn't seem to be his strong point.
