Barnsley FC showed how cries of discontent can be quietened in Leicester City draw - analysis
A deeper dive into Barnsley’s 1-1 draw with Leicester City
The meeting between Barnsley and Leicester was billed as a clash of contrasting styles.
How would the possession-based build-from-the-back Leicester style fair against the high-pressing and in-your-face rock and roll football favoured by Barnsley?
It started out as a meeting of managerial minds - but the 1-1 draw did not end as one.
Leicester controlled the early stages, circumventing the Barnsley press and threatening with their array of attacking talents. First blood was drawn just seven minutes in, when Liam Cullen latched on to a Luke Thomas cut-back and slotted home.
Reds midfielder Luca Connell then saw red for a challenge on Thomas and the cards appeared firmly stacked in favour of the Foxes.
The game soon morphed from a battle of styles to a test of mettle. It was no longer the efficiency of Barnsley’s press being judged, instead it was the resolve with which they could defend with a numerical disadvantage.
Tactics afficionados had been promised a game in which the efficiency of two systems would be place under the microscope. In the end, it was more about guts than graphs.
Barnsley’s head coach Daniel Stendel needed spirit - and found it in abundance after the break.
“The start, we can improve behaviour,” he said. “But first you have to bring the mentality in the duels.
“You need to win headers, you want to win the duel, you want to win the ball.
“Today was also a lot of blocking the ball and this is the start to improve, to work with them.
“You need the right attitude to improve, and it was [done] really well today, and I'm really happy when you see all the game that we finished with a point.”
Leicester were wasteful but Barnsley defended as a cohesive unit, willing to launch themselves in harm’s way. The inexperienced goalkeeper Rogan Ravenhill made full use of his frame to smother shots and the back four in front of him saw efforts cannon off them time and time again.
Reyes Cleary rifled home an equaliser shortly after the hour mark, a goal to which Leicester could not respond.
A sense of doom had descended upon at Oakwell following back-to-back league defeats and it would be premature to say those dark clouds have lifted completely.
However, the extent to which some resilience can quieten the cries of discontent is remarkable.
Post-match, as you gazed upon the unity between head coach, player and supporters, you would have never believed this is a club in which the rot has set over recent years.
“I think the team earned the support more back from our fans and I think the applause after the game was really positive for that,” said Stendel. “But we also have in our head we want to bring back the people in the stadium and a really, really good relationship between the stands and the pitch.
“I think this is really important for us. I think it's a positive sign and motivation for more.”
The resources at Stendel’s disposal pale in comparison to what some of his rival managers have been afforded.
Academy prospects have been fast-tracked to fill out a squad with obvious weaknesses, yet the Stendel factor cannot be underestimated.
With the backs of his players firmly against the wall, against a Leicester side with a frankly alarming embarrassment of riches, the popular German managed to provoke a response.
As his side closed out the game, Stendel celebrated challenges like they were match-winning bicycle kicks.
If Barnsley are to defy expectations this season, and emerge from the mid-table obscurity into which they have sunk of late, they will need to bottle that second-half spirit.
“We needed the right mentality and this is a big part in football,” said Stendel. “I hope everybody who maybe didn't know it before knows it now.”
Barnsley: Ravenhill, Gale (Taylor 67), O’Riordan, Shepherd, Kay, McGeehan (Yoganathan 67), Connell; Richards (Noslin 34), Kelly, Cleary; Toure (Bland 54).
Unused substitutes: Flavell, Kirk, Alker.
Leicester City: McCarthy, Aluko (Coulibaly 45), O’Hora, Faes, Thomas; Page (Howell 81); Braybrooke (Watson 62), Lundstram, Cullen (Burns 62), Alves (De-Cordova Reid 86); Riis.
Unused substitutes: Ravizzoli, Souttar.
Referee: Sebastian Stockbridge (Tyne & Wear)