Grounds for concern as Barnsley target another ‘Great Escape’

OF all the venues for Barnsley to start hatching a ‘Great Escape’ plan, Loftus Road would be at the bottom of the list alongside Carrow Road.

Both grounds have proved houses of pain for the Oakwell outfit for too many years to mention. It is indicative of the Reds’ stressful season that they must now resume at QPR – where they have lost on their last 11 visits.

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Their only victory in 27 matches at QPR arrived way back in 1950. Given the way that fates have conspired against the club on the pitch this campaign, it is perhaps indicative that they must start at such a luckless location.

Barnsley's Cauley Woodrow will be key if the Tykes can escape relegation. Picture: Steve EllisBarnsley's Cauley Woodrow will be key if the Tykes can escape relegation. Picture: Steve Ellis
Barnsley's Cauley Woodrow will be key if the Tykes can escape relegation. Picture: Steve Ellis
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Looking at Barnsley’s season, they need something special to save it and an act of escapology which would stand up with vintage survival missions of yore.

Think Oldham in 1992-93, Coventry City in the mid-Eighties, West Brom in 2004-05 and Bradford City in 1999-2000 and you are in the right ball park.

That is reinforced by glancing at Barnsley’s daunting finish which takes away games at Elland Road and Griffin Park – they will be the last-ever visitors to Brentford on July 22 – and a home finale against Nottingham Forest.

Granted, Barnsley’s predilection for the unexpected has seen them record two draws against West Brom and do the double over Fulham already this season.

Barnsley's Alex Mowatt. Picture: Simon HulmeBarnsley's Alex Mowatt. Picture: Simon Hulme
Barnsley's Alex Mowatt. Picture: Simon Hulme
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For a young side to do it at the business end of the campaign is another art entirely.

Seven points adrift of safety with nine games remaining, the Reds’ predicament looks a dire one to most onlookers.

But all the best leaders are dealers in hope and Gerhard Struber is talking things up – and if Barnsley do get relegated, they might as well go down fighting.

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Should the Reds go down, Struber’s future is unclear and much of the smart money would be on him returning to Austria. He is not the sort to die wondering.

The 43-year-old, who has made a strong impact on the training ground since arriving in November, will appreciate that while his side’s situation is critical, it is not yet terminal.

Looking at the remaining fixtures, there looks to be one thing in Barnsley’s favour and a final window of opportunity.

In the space of seven days between July 4 and July 11, Struber’s side face successive games against relegation rivals, with these fixtures having been circled with red ink for a good while.

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After calling in at Stoke on July 4, Barnsley visit Luton three days later for a six-pointer which could well be a cup final in all but name.

On July 11, they host Wigan. Weeks do not get any bigger.

The trick for Barnsley before starting to look too far ahead is setting themselves up to attack those games, with key home matches against Millwall and Blackburn following next Saturday’s appointment at QPR.

Under Struber, Barnsley have improved incrementally.

Before he came, Barnsley had shipped 33 goals in 16 games at an average of over two per match.

Conceding 29 goals in 21 games since is progress. But to survive, Barnsley need sustained improvement across the park – not just the odd flash of inspiration.

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Three successive wins over Fulham, Middlesbrough and Hull City looked to be a momentum-shifter, only for Barnsley to lose insipidly against two bread-and-butter rivals in Reading and Cardiff, 2-0 victors at Oakwell in the Reds’ last game on March 7.

Their first home game back after the break against Milwall – a side who will be stacked with Championship nous and physicality like Cardiff – will see if Barnsley have learned anything.

If they are going to somehow survive this season, attack looks to be the best form of defence.

Barnsley are not going to stay up by keeping clean sheets. They have kept just five all season.

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Barnsley’s strength is in the final third. For a side propping up the table to have two players in double figures in league goals is unusual, with Cauley Woodrow and Conor Chaplin being forwards who would augment teams higher up the table.

They are individuals with the capabilities to worry fans of the likes of Hull City, whose two game-breakers in Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki left in January – and Charlton, whose own leading marksman in Lyle Taylor won’t play for the rest of 20-19-2o.

Barnsley have those two factors going for them, alongside a captain of stature in Alex Mowatt and a young forward who looks ripe for a lengthy Championship career in Jacob Brown.

Should the final nine games of the season prove momentous, then those four must come to the party in a big way.

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