The Moments You Missed video was really good this week, albeit helped by our performance! One thing it showed is that Brandon Barker is putting a hefty price tag on himself. He'll be available in the summer, I very much doubt we can afford him, but I hope we at least go in with a second loan offer and he can run down his contract playing for us rather than anyone else. Ridiculously good player, and far too good for League 1. Head says a Championship club will snatch him, however. The faces of our players after Brandon's goal say it all; absolutely sublime.
I think the video also illustrates the difference in James Henry now and him before injury - constantly looking forwards and looking for ways to spring an attack. BB/JR win the ball back, he's looking to get into the box to attack the cross, and get's the crucial second goal that set us up to hammer them. He could be key in the run in, because he's looking like James Henry again. I think the combo of him, Sam Long and Elliott Lee worked really well too. None of them are quick (Sam has good pace, but not massive), but the rotation of the three, one cutting in, one going short, one going beyond the full, really created danger on the right, which in turn left more space for BB to strut his stuff; something I think we've really missed with Mide off form. It's been easy for teams to double up on BB because Mide hasn't posed enough danger on the right. I think Mide is still a very good player, but no denying he's really off form at the mo, which is to be expected given his age and his opening half of the season.
Mark Sykes... Bloody hell there is some player in there, if we could only get him out every game instead of one in every 10. His close control is sublime, and he has one hell of an engine and doesn't stop running all game. He just gets frustrated (with himself I imagine) far too easily and resorts to silly fouling far too often, and his end product makes Agon Mehmeti look clinical. If this 20 man squad cap lingers next season, it will be a massive shame because we won't be able to keep Sykes who I think still has the potential to be a quality player for us. I can definitely see him being a player to come back and haunt us one day if we let him go for free because of this preposterously stupid squad cap.
I really hate how this game has me optimistic again. Play like that the rest of the season we might just sneak in. It's the hope that kills you