Barnsley position is not enough for boss

BARNSLEY manager Mark Robins expressed sympathy for the Blades who are now condemned to life in League One next season.

His Tykes will end this season as south Yorkshire’s top club, having out-performed the likes of Sheffield United and Doncaster.

However, he is disappointed to see the back of the Blades.

“You have got to feel for Micky Adams and his club – his players have given everything today – and the supporters,” he said. “We will certainly miss the Sheffield derbies next season.

“You like playing these games against your local rivals.”

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Despite taking the local plaudits, Robins is still not happy with the progress of his side this season.

He blamed a depressing away record for the club’s league position this season and says they have failed to achieve their pre-season targets.

Only a victory in the final fixture against Millwall will now enable the club to beat its points tally of 54 last season. However, they are guaranteed to at least equal last season’s 18th-place finish.

“Finishing 18th is not what we were looking for at the start of the season,” said Robins. “We have managed to win just three away games this season which has not been good enough. We don’t do the ‘ugly’ side of the game well enough and that will cost you.”

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Robins felt his side merited a point at Bramall Lane but was still unhappy with aspects of their performance.

“We were doing OK and we had some really good clear-cut opportunities but, as per our season, we attempted to throw the game away,” he said. “We gifted them the second goal and we were not necessarily brave enough.”

Robins admitted that the emergence of several young players at Oakwell this season had been a bonus for the Tykes.

Teenagers Jordan Clark, Reuben Noble-Lazarus, and Jacob Mellis (who is on loan from Chelsea) were all involved against the Blades along with Jacob Butterfield and Kieran Trippier (on loan from Manchester City) both 20.

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“We have youngsters coming through, knocking on the door,” he said. “But people should not get carried away and expect them to be playing every week. We have to feed them in and try and develop them without over exposing them too early.”