Preview: Southend V Barnsley

THE BLUES

Seven goals in two games away from home should signify more than three points, especially with one fit forward, but that's all we got as the spotlight focuses on the defence for the visit of Championship side Barnsley in the Fourth Round of the F.A. Cup. The prize for both teams is a possible plum tie in the last 16 and the league season reenergised, or the start of a closer look at how many points are needed to stay up!

Of course it's not that bad for the Shrimpers, the play-offs are still more than a possibility, but the Hartlepool result was a disappointment, especially in the way the goals were conceded. Swap Francis for Hunt, and we will probably see that against Leeds, and we are playing the defence that was God awful last year. The only time we have looked relatively safe this season was when Collis and Richards were in the back four. Nardiello is no mug and if JCR decides to have one of those nights it could make for tough viewing.

The Barrett-Clarke partnership has to be looked at by Tilly. He has showed with Captain Kev he's got the right stuff, he now has to turn his thoughts on to who I have no doubt are two of the tougher personalities at the club.

In midfield Francis and Gower certainly give us attacking options, as with JCR and Gower last season, but also as last season it seems to be at the expense of the back four, especially with such a defence that displays a notable lack of inches. As I wrote about the Bournemouth game, on another day it could have been 3-3 at half time. I do not want the McCormack-Bailey partnership to be split up but T&B have to give the back four more cover if the against goal column is to be kept in check. It would seem a shame to stop both of these goal scoring midfielders from roaming around the pitch just to nursemaid the defence but something has to be done, who'd be a manager?

It's nearly 5pm on Thursday and still no word on the official board that Lee Barnard or anyone else has signed on the dotted line, and passed a medical, so it looks as if my new best mate Hoops, though it will be back to Mr. Hooper soon enough if Friday brings more Hartlepool than Bournemouth. Black is doing his best but he will probably be in the midfield v Leeds so will Harrold or MacDonald be fit?

Oh well, it's a Friday night at the Hall, let's get a few beers down us, the voices on top form and give the team the support they deserve. This is the F.A. Cup last 32, there will be some good Tyke support due to the free coaches so I hope a 10k crowd, a great atmosphere. COME ON YOU BLUES!!!!!

THE OPPOSITION

Well it's a cup game but for the record they are 16th in the Championship on 34 points from 28 games. 7 points from relegation, 10 from the play-offs, you takes your choice. At one point manager Simon Davey, who many Tykes fans wanted his head on a plate less than a year ago, was the leagues latest hot young thing, (cue Tilly, Laws, Williams, Ling or any manager under forty who strings three wins together on a tight budget), as they hovered around the top seven. However, outside a fortunate last ten minute win v Blackpool in the third round of the Cup, they have not won in the league since December 4 and a 1-0 win v Wolves. In the 8 Championship matches since they have drawn 4 and lost 4, they last won away on September 22, 3-2 at Southampton, their only win away from Oakwell this season.

Davey has been searching for new blood after the latest defeat, 0-2 at Q.P.R. Davey sites the loss of Jon Macken, Lewin Nyatanga, Anderson De Silva and Dominik Werling as the reason for the sudden drop from 8th place in the Championship and is desperate to sign new players before the transfer window shuts next Thursday. (Sounding familiar.) He told the official website: "We have lost the lynchpins of our team and it is up to me to bring them back or replace them. That is something we will work on again this week and hopefully we can do that. We will have to see what happens. We will be knocking on doors and asking questions again next week so we will see what the answer is this time."

One player looking unlikely to return is defender Nyantanga. The Reds have shipped five goals in the two games since his return to Derby and he scored in the Rams 3-1 defeat at Portsmouth at the weekend. Davey continued: "Lewin played and scored in the Premier League so that has to be another black mark against bringing him in again." Another is German midfielder Dominik Werling, on loan earlier this season, who looks as if he is joining the Leeds master plan of buying every player in the football league to make sure they go up this year, minus 15 points or not!

They have brought in Tininho from West Brom and after a solid debut against QPR on Saturday, he could be an ideal replacement for Werling. Reports suggest he is just as good going forward but seems to be more aware of his defensive duties and could be a decent signing for the club if they can extend his loan deal.

Somebody who is back, not to universal acclaim, is forward Daniel "I made the wrong choice" Nardiello who seemed to be on his way back to Barnsley in the summer but had a change of heart somewhere before the M6 and choose the delights of the Bush instead. Nardiello was loaned out to the Tykes by Manchester United between 2003 and 2005 before he signed a two-year deal with the Yorkshire club in July 2005. The Wales international, 25, joined Queens Park Rangers for free last summer but has played only eight times. "It was a very tough decision in the summer and I know it upset a lot of people. Some supporters will not be happy to see me back," he told the club website. One poster put it like this: "Talk of the devil etc..., well, we've got him now. Question is he going to be booed or shunned by sections of the crowd?, or will he get the support the team needs him to get? For the sake of this freefalling club I for one will applaud him, though I hated what he did to us. The reason I'll do this is to support the team as a whole, and that means encouraging every one of them. We need to do this otherwise I think we're in a bit of bother. Will be through gritted teeth though!"

Interesting. Of course, making the chances, we may even see him having a shot at goal, will be the on his day exciting JCR. His thoughts on his return to Roots Hall are posted on the TLG message board but for me he will get nothing but applause. (At the start!) His skill and effort shone through in a struggling side, his duel with Hammell here will one of the highlights of Friday's tie.

A report on Barnsley's defeat at moneybags Rangers and the team that finished the match. (From Totaltykes.com).

Taking recent performances into account and after QPR's heavy investment, there was never really a chance of breaking the clubs duck at Loftus Road this afternoon. After looking at Simon Davey's starting eleven you had to presume he was hoping for the draw, although any sort of game plan was thrown out of the window after just five minutes of play.

After the debacle against Norwich last week, Simon Davey continued to surprise us by naming an unbelievable starting eleven. Although we were expecting changes, these alterations were strange to say the least with Miguel Tininho, Diego Leon and Michael Coulson coming into the side. This meant that we were to play an ultra defensive 4-5-1 formation, despite Davey's claims beforehand that we were travelling to "win the game". Bobby Hassell was once again tried out in a new position - this time in midfield.

If Davey's plan was to shut up shop and keep QPR out for as long as possible, it went completely to pot within the first few minutes. Rowan Vine was allowed to fizz a cross into our area and after some incredibly slack marking, former Preston striker Patrick Agyemang waltzed through to belt in his second for his new club.

In fairness to the side, Barnsley weren't completely dominated and QPR didn't have that many chances throughout the first half. Then again, Barnsley were equally as poor going forward, with glimpses of class from Howard and Leon the only positives of our half. Even though Barnsley should have been doing our utmost to keep the home side out prior to the break, they seemed to crumble for the last ten minutes of the half. On forty two minutes Muller made a top save from Buzsaky and fortunately for the team, Rowan Vine wasn't able to latch onto the rebound. However, Vine was to get in on the act minutes later, with The Reds defence again showing their frailties. Some good work from Blackstock saw Agyemang cut into the area and after a good cross into the middle, the unmarked Vine simply couldn't miss.

The second half was much more entertaining and both sides had their chances. Martin Rowlands set the tone early on, beating countless men before just losing his footing after taking the ball around Muller, meaning Stephen Foster had the chance to clear. A few minutes later and Barnsley had their first real chance of the game, with Campbell-Ryce managing to get in behind the QPR defence down the wing before progressing through on goal. Unfortunately, the angles were just a little tight, meaning that goalkeeper Lee Camp had the advantage and managed to save well and parry the effort away. Moments later and Stephen Foster was to thank again, with Blackstock the man causing problems this time. The former Southampton man was running at speed towards the Tykes goal and with Foster the only man in position, things could have started to get embarrassing. Fortunately, Foster continued to enhance his reputation, making a superb last ditch tackle to nick the ball from Blackstock and clear our lines.

About twenty minutes from time and Barnsley's afternoon, or should that be Kayode Odejayi's season, was summed up. Ricketts hit a superb cross into the area and with the goal gaping for Odejayi, he unbelievably missed the target to spurn another of his chances. The ball was travelling at such a speed that all the volley needed was a bit of direction, yet KO came closer to hitting the BBC Television Centre than the roof of the net. That was the final big chance of the game and The Reds slumped to yet another away defeat, which drags the team closer to a relegation dogfight. The selection today was mystifying and handing Michael Coulson his first start away from home as a lone striker is barmy to say the least. The tactics were completely negative and as we saw in the second half, Barnsley didn't play too badly once they changed things around. The Reds had a fair amount of possession but never really threatened QPR, and hopefully this result along with past performances will highlight to Simon Davey just how desperate the need is for new players.

Davey lamented after the game: "We had chances in the second half and we needed one of them to go in. We had a lot of possession, we just didn't get the goal. Jamal (Campbell-Ryce) had a good chance, (oh we know how that feels, honestly we do), and after that, Kayode had one as well. We had a gameplan, and it was undone when QPR scored after just a few minutes. But for two lapses of concentration in the first half, it might have been very different. But we got caught out for the first goal and then the second goal killed us."

Muller, Hassell, Van Homoet, Foster, Tininho, Campbell-Ryce, Howard, Coulson (Odejayi 55), Devaney (Ricketts 70), Leon (Ferenczi 54), Souza.
Subs Not Used: Kozluk, Togwell.

THE MATCHES

42 matches played: WON 15 DRAWN 15 LOST 12. (Home: WON 9 DRAWN 8 LOST 4).

Fairly even then! It all started in the Cup, the third round, on Jan. 8 1938 with a 2-2 draw at home, Martin and Dickinson the scorers. We lost the replay this time 1-2, Bell for us, but gained revenge in the same round of the 2006/07 competition when a 1-1 draw at Roots Hall, the game in the rain with a last minute debated equaliser for the Tykes, led to a 2-0 win away, Maher and Bradbury with the goals on a cold Tuesday Jan. 16 evening.

We've had three 4-1 results all in the sixties. (There was a 1-4 defeat in Sep. 5 1959, McCrory the consolation and, in fact, three goal margins remain the best either side can muster re biggest victories and losses.) Sep. 9 1963 when Ashworth (2) and Beesley (2) scored. Jan. 16 1965 saw our best away win, Bradbury, Smillie, Beesley and Gilfillan on that occasion. Back at the Hall on Nov. 13 1967, Chisnall, Baber, Bentley and a Johnny Mac penalty. Stan popped up with a couple, along with a rare Chrissy Powell goal, wish I could remember it, on Dec. 19 1992 when we witnessed a 3-0 win at the home of football.

The last time we beat Barnsley in any competition at home was on Sunday May 7 1995, 3-1, Gridelet, Thompson and Garry Jones. 12 years later and only that cup win in ten games, five draws and five defeats, so recent history is with the Tykes.

On Easter Monday 2006 we were 0-2 down at half time away at Oakwell and in a run that was making promotion look a touch dodgy let alone becoming champions. Freddie and Marky Gower sealed a point in an exciting second half, nerves were settled and it all ended up with the trophy sealed at the last game v Bristol City the next month.

Barnsley still joined us through the play-offs and spent most of the season locked with the Blues in the bottom half of the Championship. A double for the Tykes, a 0-2 on Nov. 28 2006 away and the terminal 1-3 at the Hall on April 14 2007, Gower with the late consolation, helped them to survival. They could even afford to ship seven goals against West Brom on the last Saturday of the season!

THE HISTORY

For a start they have actually won the damn thing that we are trying to get into the fifth round for only the third time at the weekend! 25 years before that proud Saturday Barnsley FC were established in 1887, playing in the Sheffield and District league from 1890 and then in the Midland League from 1895. They joined the Football League in 1898, and struggled in Division Two for the first ten years, due in part to ongoing financial difficulties. In 1910 the club first reached the FA Cup final, where they lost out to Newcastle in a replay match. However, they would reach the final again in 1912 where they would defeat West Brom 1-0 in a replay to win the trophy for the first and only time in their history. The Cup would be staying in Yorkshire for another season after Bradford City had won in 1911, those were the days, and it was the third year running that the Final had been drawn, strange when one realizes that it was to be fifty-eight years before it was drawn again. In the second game in Sheffield, the score sheet was still blank at the end of normal time. Two minutes from the end of extra time, Glendinning, the Barnsley right-half, beat two opponents and pushed a pass forward to Tuffnell, his inside-right. Away he went on a long dribble through the Albion ranks, finally evading defenders Pennington and Cook to put a fast ground shot past West Brom keeper Pearson.

The club were never quite able to reach the top division in the early years, although they came very close on a number of occasions such as in 1922 where they missed promotion on goal difference decided by a single goal. From the thirties up to the fifties the club found themselves sliding between the Second and Third Division, and in the sixties and seventies they hovered around the Third and Fourth Division, not able to break into the two top levels of English football.

The eighties and early nineties saw the club get back on track, earn promotion and once again establish themselves as a strong Division Two side as they had been in their early history, eventually reaching a position to once again start challenging for a place in the top tier for the very first time.

Over the past decade Barnsley have experienced a number of highs and lows as a football club, at the end of the 1996-97 season Barnsley would at last reach the holy grail of the top tier of English football, the Premiership. It lasted a season. They were swiftly relegated as the majority of promoted clubs are despite a battling effort.

In the following years Barnsley were not so successful, with relegation to Division Two and administration both threatening the existence of the club itself. They suffered greatly, along with many other clubs, due to the ITV Digital crisis, resulting in the club going into administration in 2002. Only a late purchase from Barnsley Mayor Peter Doyle saw the club from folding. Doyle left the club, with Gordon Shepherd and local businessman Peter Cryne currently in control. There has also been a swift turnover of managers, with no less than ten managers in the same number of years.

Barnsley did have the distinction of playing the final play-off game at Wembley before the stadium was closed for redevelopment when on May 29 2000 they lost to Ipswich Town 2-4 for the right to return to the Premiership. Better luck at the Millennium in 2006 defeating Swansea City 4-3 on penalties, 2-2 after extra time, to earn promotion to the Championship. The manager at the time was Andy Ritchie, who was in his first season in charge after replacing Paul Hart.

The team struggled in their first season back in the second tier leading to Ritchie's sacking in November 2006 in favour of coach Simon Davey. A move not universally supported at the time and it did seem a panic move. However, Davey managed to steer the team away from relegation in the second half of the season, and they eventually finished 20th.

(Thanks to all the usual suspects for their help with this article).