Poor example from Fairclough

It is always difficult for a manager to know whether to chase everything that his club competes in or to pick and choose which to work for.



In Barnet's case it looks like the Conference league title is all they are interested in this season.



Last Sunday they played Carlisle in the FA Trophy and were roundly defeated 4-1 but the impression is that Bees's manager Paul Fairclough had decided before the match that he wasn't interested in the Competition.



According to the official Barnet Website, Fairclough only selected four players "that could lay claim to a regular place this season". Last week Bulls News reported that five players were injured for this game but were all expected to make recoveries before next weekend's game with Hereford United.



Assuming that perhaps 15 players would make up the "regular place(s)" in the side, the implication is that the Bees rested at least six other first team players for the game, none of whom were said to be injured.



Fairclough is manager of the English National Side which has a game against Holland on February 16th. If most of the Conference clubs took the same attitude to this game as Fairclough has to the Trophy, he could find it difficult to pick a half decent side for the game.



It is therefore questionable whether a manager in his position should put out a reserve side in a Trophy game. When Liverpool did the same recently in a Cup game they were roundly condemned.



Barnet were the top team in the Trophy, similar to Chelsea's position in the FA Cup. Smaller clubs dream of playing top Conference sides just as Conference sides dream of playing top premier clubs. Just look at the pleasure Exeter received from the games with Manchester United recently. And in the same vein the visit of Hereford United to Eastwood in the next round of the FA Trophy.



By putting out a "reserve side" Barnet have snubbed the Trophy and at the same time helped their promotion chances by having less fixtures to play. Some will say clever tactics, other will disagree.



It is not the first time Barnet have used the reserve team tactic in a Cup match this season. They lost at home 0-3 to Greys Athletic in the Conference Cup last month thereby curtailing their fixture list.



Carlisle are now said to be worried about a fixture backlog according to the Daily Telegraph this morning. What would Barnet have said had the Cumbrians put out a reserve side last Sunday and allowed the Bees to win the game?



As well as losing the game, Barnet's afternoon was made worse by an injury to Damian Batt, who was carried off midway through the first half. It is understood he could be out for up to six weeks.

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