Raising the Bar: Barnsley (A), Tue 5 Mar 7.45pm

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Here's a lovely thought, for us and Evatt: Forget about Michael Duff. The minimalist maximiser of mediocre teams held off Bolton's late charge to win Division Four for Cheltenham in 2021, and two years later - having hopped to Barnsley - denied us in last summer's playoffs, with a trademark one-two of strangulation and set-piece goal. But he's gone now.

The new Barnsley are very different. Here's a stat that would have made Duff vomit: in the 16 games Barnsley have played since the start of December, they've kept just one clean sheet. They've also scored in each and every game. They were at it again today, going behind twice to a fairly poor Wycombe side (they're 7pts above the drop, 19pts off the playoffs) but scoring four.

It's perhaps understandable that Barnsley have been leakier at the back. Besides Duff they lost their loanee keeper (Luton's Harry Isted) plus all the back three that beat us: skipper Mads Anderson (pinched by Luton), scorer Liam Kitching (bought by Cov) and Burnley loanee Bobby Thomas (also bought by Cov). Add in rumbling off-field problems and it's flat caps off that they're anywhere near, really.

While incoming manager Neillllll Collins has patched up his backline to a extent, they win more than they lose largely by scoring a lot. Devante 'son of Andy or is it Andrew?' Cole is the chief problem, having bagged Dionesque 17. But Luton-loanee second striker John McAtee has also scored 9, as has niggly balding midfielder Herbie Kane, and another 9 players have chipped in with 3 or more goals each.

Then again, we've got 13 players on 3+ goals, having not had a bad time of it ourselves. Sadly Dion won't be around to lead the charge, as he did in last year's league game when we won 3-0. On that occasion we were seriously helped by the home defending - Duff hadn't yet tightened all the leaks at the back. It's far from infeasible that we can profit again.

This is the fabled game in hand. If we don't lose, we're in 2nd. If we win, we're 3pts clear of third and 6pts clear of fourth. But fourth is where we'll be if we lose, and with Barnsley still holding a game in hand on us.

Big game. Huge. But not necessarily one to be terrified of - Barnsley don't have the jinx on us; the play-off aberration was their only win in the last 18 'league' games against us, dating back to the start of Tony Blair's reign. It could be a hell of a game – could go end to end to end to end. It's hardly likely to be much ado about nothing-nothing. Strap in, folks.

[TANGODANCER]

Staying positive, we can win this, but only if we deserve to. Luck, bad refs and careless play will probably be less in evidence here than in lesser games, so our best efforts are needed. I was chuffed at the way we defended against Cambridge in terms of effort and covering for each other, but we'll need to step up a gear against the Yorkies. All you need is goals (I can hear John Lennon) no matter how dazzling the rest. Only the goals count.

Against the Cams a disallowed goal, some atrocious decisions from the ref and hitting the bar and a post mustn't be forgotten and our display was better than the 2-0 result. We need a good all round performance to show we're back on track. The good bard said: "The quality of mercy is not strained. It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven upon the place beneath, except if that place be Yorkshire" ..(he didn't really, but he might have done)

So jokes apart, remember Marston Moor and the combined Scots and Yorkies hammering us Lancastrians, so up and at em. Revenge is best served cold, and, well it's cold right now. Forward March.. (see what I did there)..

[Mar]

Barnsley haven't got the best home record, they're about level with our away record so it'll be an interesting game for both sides.

Our aspirations for the season involve finishing above these and getting promoted so on one hand it means beating sides like this. On the other hand we're hoping whatever the outcome, we do better than them over the course of the season and get promoted. So even if we lose, provided we're ahead of them come the end of the season it'll be job done.

I've got this down as a mustn't lose sort of match. Get points against the top 6 and do better against the the rest.

Our fate is in our own hands. IIRC Evatt said Charles won't be ready for the Barnsley game, so it'll be more of the same from Collins and Vic.

[BWFC_Insane]

We got some swagger back against Cambridge. I feel we need to win this one. Looking at Barnsleys fixtures I doubt they drop too many. So crucial we beat them.

I also think inspite of the play off doom in our heads this is arguably the easier of the three games we have against sides in the top 4. Away to derby. I can’t remember us ever doing much - maybe I’m wrong but our record there feels utterly dismal and Warne seems to always be a thorn. And Portsmouth here has point writ all over it.

But Barnsley away for me it’s the one I feel we can if we have the right mindset go and win.

They are better going forwards than at the back. I think it’s a game we go and try and counter on them. Cause them problems on the break.

[Harry Genshaw]

Saturday was much better. Hope I'm wrong but I can't see anything other than defeat on Tuesday.

3-1 to them

[TANGODANCER]

The more we regard this as a special game, the more we'll be tempted to play less confidentially than normal. Whoever we play it's three points to gain for a win, one if we draw and nothing at all to lose even if we do. A bonus from not letting Barnsley or any of those around us advance away from us matters not whether it's Portsmouth or Carlisle that gain advantage. Points are the mecca of the games not praise. Win clean and tidy if you can, down and dirty if you can't,( AND DON'T GET BOOKED.) but win.

[BWFC_Insane]

Strangely confident on this one. Barnsley unbeaten in 5. Scoring goals. But feel we can go there and beat them. Interested to see what team we pick. Ideally same as Saturday for me. If they have enough legs. Ogbeta is starting to get going. Midfield is our best three. Vic and Collins best pair with no Dion.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Strangely confident on this one. Barnsley unbeaten in 5. Scoring goals. But feel we can go there and beat them. Interested to see what team we pick. Ideally same as Saturday for me. If they have enough legs. Ogbeta is starting to get going. Midfield is our best three. Vic and Collins best pair with no Dion.

Someone's hacked your account....

Know what you mean though. Barnsley are free-scoring but they've only got two more than us in the league, and conceded one more from a game fewer. We're not that different except that systemically, we know we can keep clean sheets.

Might be a slugfest. Might be a roller-coaster. But we can win.

[nicholaldo]

Evatt's comments today are hardly the type to fire us up going into such a crucial match.

Media training, or at least just a thicker skin, might be in order.

[BWFC_Insane]

Evatt's comments today are hardly the type to fire us up going into such a crucial match.

Media training, or at least just a thicker skin, might be in order.

The one that got me was 'if we can stay in touch till after the international break, we'll get players back, the pitches will be better and the weather will improve and then its in our favour'.

Pretty much advertising we're a fair weather, bowling green pitch or bust team. That's everything I find it hard to warm to in a sentence. I liked the Bolton Wanderers that played on a pudding of a pitch at Burnden in deepest darkest January and still played great stuff. Or the one that rocked up to Tranmere half an hour till kick off changed and ready then departed immediately after the game.

I just don't like the fact we've gone soft and like the fact we're advertising it even less. If I was Barnsley I'd have that pinned up Tuesday in the dressing room and be cutting the pitch up now!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It's an interesting note of self-pity, for sure.

[BWFC_Insane]

It's an interesting note of self-pity, for sure.

Was it a psychological trick to take the conversation away from 'there's another big game at Barnsley' coming up to take some pressure off the players?

[boltonboris]

Genuine thanks DSB for putting the time into that post. The stats you very clearly laid out for us really outlines just how evenly matched the 2 teams are going into this game. A defeat would be gutting, obviously, but at the same time, away from home, it shouldn't be considered an Evatt Out moment either.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It's an interesting note of self-pity, for sure.

Was it a psychological trick to take the conversation away from 'there's another big game at Barnsley' coming up to take some pressure off the players?

I think it could be that.

I think it could be that he wants to see whether the fans are behind him or not (in which case, he may not be entirely pleased by the social-media reaction he claims to ignore).

I think it could be more simply that he says a lot of things – so many that journalists like Marc Iles are practically forced to split the torrent of quotes into several stories on successive days – and it's possible that it was a more unguarded comment than he intended.

It's not a gambit I'd have played, myself, but as you say it does take the spotlight off the players – something managers like Mourinho do fairly constantly. (Of course, this may be mere ego. After all, Mourinho and his wife Matilde named their daughter Matilde and their son Jose, so their incoming mail must be hella confusing.)

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Genuine thanks DSB for putting the time into that post. The stats you very clearly laid out for us really outlines just how evenly matched the 2 teams are going into this game. A defeat would be gutting, obviously, but at the same time, away from home, it shouldn't be considered an Evatt Out moment either.

You're very welcome. I miss the old game of football writing sometimes, although I have to say since I left it I'm paying the mortgage off a hell of a lot quicker.

If I have time, I'll always do a preview post (and I suspect our genial host DJBlu added the stats panel underneath). After all, the expectation is frequently better than the event. But I do think we can win - and like you, I think the reaction to a loss might well be underservedly strong. Let's hope we don't find out, like we didn't find out if there's be riots in the streets if we lost the Sherpa Van Trophy semi at Accy with that loser Kachunga up front.

[Worthy4England]

There is no one in this division we can't beat. Whether we will or not is another matter altogether. We played them often enough last season and this, to know what they're going to set up like, kick Sheehan etc.

Of the games, I thought the best one, was this year (apart from the walk-in for their goal) as we looked to play with much more tempo. We had lots of possession (as we do) and it was pretty even for SoT for and against 4 v 5.

I doubt either team should need much encouragement to get "up" for the game.

[Prufrock]

They make it incredibly transitional, the game at ours was mad, players on both sides cramping up within 70mins.

If we match them physically I think we'll win. Might suit us a bit more to play at their gaff where we can absorb and then break a bit more, though I'm sure we'll try to control the game anyway. Might depend on whether they choose to let us.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

They make it incredibly transitional, the game at ours was mad, players on both sides cramping up within 70mins.

If we match them physically I think we'll win. Might suit us a bit more to play at their gaff where we can absorb and then break a bit more, though I'm sure we'll try to control the game anyway. Might depend on whether they choose to let us.

I think we might need Sheehan to go down whenever they kick him, rather than springing up.

[DJBlu]

Last time we lost to Wigan we went on a 12 match run losing only 1 game to Reading away.

This included 2 games with 7+ goals and beating Derby.

Stop being wobbling wonder holes.

We'll shit em by 3.

[TANGODANCER]

"Dion Charles is back on the grass and will be assessed ahead of the trip to Barnsley," Ian Evatt has confirmed.