How good is Lee Barnard?

[Welly7]

Barney is a good league one striker who is in exceptional form at the moment and that makes him so important to us at the minute. His stats are impressive and if he goes it could mean big, big trouble for us this season.
To compare anyone to players of yesteryear is always tough, but he isn't in the same league as Collymore or Freddy and personally I'd agree that Angell, Benji are above him and add Cadette & Crown to that list.
Barney's been quality for us because he scores goals and if/when he leaves I really hope it works out for him because he'll deserve it!!

 

[ElstreeBlue]

And if they all bid 200k ?

Then in that case, that's what the market says and my own valuation for a proven 3rd tier goal-getter would be way out.

However, I just think that with "proven goalscorers" at our level in such rare supply and with so much demand for them, and given other figures paid for goalscorers that don't have Lee's goalscoring ratio, how can £200k be anything like what's he's worth?

This is a classic auction situation. The seller (us) may be happy to get £200k (because of his contract situation) - ie we may well be happy to take £200k if that's all anyone bids. However, it's not between us and, say, Leeds.

The value is driven up by the auction. They're all bidding against each other for a rare commodity - or at least that's what we should be engineering with the limited time available (10 more days). If Leeds refuse to bid more than £200k because Barney would be on offer for free in the summer, they may just find that the rare commodity would have been snapped up by someone else in the auction and he's no longer available for free in the summer. That's why it's the people looking to buy him that would drive the price up, regardless of what we're willing to sell him for.

As you say, though, JM, if the highest price the bidders are willing to pay are £200k, then we should sell at that price. I can't believe that's what the bidders perceive as his value to them, though! But maybe I'm wrong!

 

[TrevorFitzpatrickHattrick]

I think there are two types of valuation for a player like Barnard.

Firstly, there's the value that we as supporters place on him, which is understandably on the higher end of the spectrum given that his goals have almost singlehandedly kept us off the bottom of the table.

Then, there is the realistic market valuation. Basically, we haven't got a pot to pi$$ in and most of the wider football world knows this. Why on earth would Pardew or Grayson start offering £500k for a player that is out of contract in the summer (and left the door well and truely open for a move), coupled with the fact his current club is in the financial mire? Also, Saints and Leeds aren't exactly goal-shy this season, so capturing Barnard will simply add to the depth of their respective squads. If he was at a financially sound club, there'd be far greater scope to start gapping the price up as we could argue we had no desire to sell the player. Then it'd be up to the bidders to push the price up or baulk.

For me, £200k and potential add-ons is about right, and sadly gives a further indication of how bad the finances really are.

I'd be stunned if Tilson was able to reinvest any of the fee, so we'll be covering this huge loss with loans/freebies. Just goes to show how big a risk Ron is taking here, selling our only proven striker with a week and a half left of the window...

In terms of ability, he's top-end League 1 class and his work ethic will make him a popular player, whoever his new manager is. Good luck to the lad.

 

[Rayleigh boy]

reckon hes better than we have seen - better with better players -

 

[BoyWonder2]

Had a good debate with my mate yesterday about Barnards worth.

Ignoring the fact he is out of contract in a few months, how good is he?

I'll start by saying despite what I put below, I do like Barnard and would rather have him in the team that not for sure!

Cons
1) Cannot hold the ball up well, normally bounces off him
2) Not particularly quick
3) Not capable of the truly spectacular (ala Eastwood/Collymore) goal out of nothing.
4) Liable of being injury prone
5) Hasnt got top drawer movement

Pros
1) In good form - is it permanent or temporary?
2) Good in the air for his height
3) Doesnt mind putting himself around
4) Willing worker
5) Good attitude

You certainly wouldnt put him in the Eastwood/Collymore class obviously, I would also put Angell and Benjamin above him.

With the form he is in, could he be likened to a Carruthers or Constantine? I.e. in a spell, looked very good front men - but couldnt sustain it.

I find it crazy personally that 'big' clubs are chasing him and some people on SZ expect him to go for around half a million!!?

My own view is that he is worth around £150,000 - £200,000 in this contract situation and if he had a couple of years left, then maybe £300,000-£400,000 absolute tops.

I haven't read the rest of the thread, so sorry if what I say has already been covered.

How good is Lee Barnard? In my opinion, extremely good. Granteed he is no Eastwood/Collymore but they was streets ahead of anything else I've seen (Only actually seen Eastwood play for us). Barnard would be in the next catergory. His goalscoring record is incredible for us, 30 odd in 60 odd starts is mightly impressive.

He is more of a natural goalscorer than Eastwood, and by that I mean I'd back Barnard over Eastwood in a one-on-one situation. Just think back to MK Dons at home (I think) and Barnard had two goals disallowed for offside. One of them was a superb lift over the goalkeeper, and the other was a very tidy finish as well.

He doesn't pick up the ball 40 yards out, beat 3/4 men and stick it in the top corner, but he does have the ability to score goals from outside the box just like Brighton last season away and Bristol Rovers at home this season. He can score all types of goals, screamers, tap-ins, right foot, left foot and header.

He isn't blessed with pace, but he knows how to use what he has by using positional play, and finding gaps inbetween centre half and full back, or between both centre halfs. He wins an awful lot in the air for a man of his size, and his engine is terrific. Never stops running. I imagine that would be the case even if he played on Saturday with a potential move on the horizon.

I think he could cut it at Championship level, something that Eastwood has failed to do until recently, bar his spell with us. Eastwood tried to be the same player he was in League Two/League One when he'd do it alone and make his own chances. He'd be fantastic in the lower leagues, like we saw, because of the defenders he'd face in those divisions. But when he tries the same stuff in the top flight he is up against International centre halfs, centre halfs that have top flight experience. But Barnard doesn't do that. Create a chance for him and he'd stick it away.

He may struggle at a struggling Club like a Barnsley or a Scunthorpe, but I reckon he'd fly at a QPR or a West Brom. In those sides he'd have the likes of Taarbat, Routledge, Jerome Thomas and Chris Brunt supplying the chances for him, all he'd need to do is stick the ball away.

Barnard will be a hard act to follow, and I really hope Spencer can do a job up top, and Tilson is allowed to bring someone else in as well.

 

[Pak Power]

My thoughts are much the same about Lee Barnard's work rate finishing etc, so I wont repeat them. I would only add that his agent will be doing the work for us, in as much as the agent will try to get as much as he can for Lee and him (or her) self.

In a supply and demand situation the club with the biggest bucks will triumph, that I have no doubt, because, where do you find proven league one goalscorers, and how much will you have to pay for one, If you are looking to add to the squad for a promotion push etc.

Good Luck Lee, and thanks for being a worthy shrimper !



46/92


Warning: May contain an opinion:

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Lacks any outstanding attributes but has a fairly solid set of tools. Generally a good finisher and a hard worker, his biggest plus at the moment is his confidence although he's scored consistently over his three seasons at the club. He has one of the best touches in the squad, which I think is normally a sign of having that little bit extra class. In the right situation he could easily contribute in the championship and score goals.

It's a shame we didn't extend his contract over the summer when he would have been cheaper to re-sign, but there were legitimate doubts as to his fitness, to the extent that quite a few on here wanted shot of him.

It's a shame to see him go but £200,000 for effectively a three month loan looks like good business for us, especially as we'd have to pay him five months wages for those three months. We can hopefully sign someone with a bit of class from a premier$hite club on loan until the end of the season who can score enough goals to ease any lingering relegation fears. This then gives us time to sort out our striker for next season. Spencer will be one option, and we can ease him in from the bench, we can maybe also pick up a non-league striker or two and again ease them in. If one of them works, brilliant, that will be a bonus; but it the meantime we can be concentrating on finding someone for next year, knowing that we'll have both Freedman and Barnard's wages off the books next season, giving us a bigger wage budget to play with.

 

[Medway Blue]

He is a very good player. He can't be compared to Eastwood and Collymore because they are different types of player. Barnard is a natural finisher and you don't get many players like that at this level. Thing is, I think he can do even better at a higher level if he maintains his fitness. He is an intelligent striker - his movement off-the-ball is good, his positioning and vision is good and he is an intelligent forward. Unfortunately, we just don't have the players to spot all of his runs and positioning and if he were playing in a team that had a more talented midfield, I think he'd get better service and score even more goals.