Team News
Scott Golbourne could be given his first Barnsley start after scoring as a substitute against Watford last week.
Blues have doubts on the fitness of Nikola Zigic (Knee) and Guriane N’Daw (Hamstring) but Marlon King (groin) is fit after playing against Portsmouth.
Reverse Fixture
Blues needed a late Chris Burke goal to rescue a 1-1 draw when Barnsley came to St Andrews in September. Jacob Butterfield had earlier put the visitors ahead with a stunning strike from thirty yards.
Recent Form
Barnsley sit fifteenth having won three and lost three of their last six in the league. At home they have won just two of the last six.
Blues are now third having won five and drawn one of the last six. They are unbeaten since Christmas and have won their last four away games in all competitions by a combined score of 15-1.
Outlook
As I write this Chris Hughton and Curtis Davies have just been awarded the manager and player of the month awards for January. While both are richly deserved you do have to worry as these awards have been known to be a curse in recent times. After Chris Hughton won for October we barely won a game for six weeks. I’m particularly pleased for Davies who this time last year was a much maligned signing but now is considered to be our rock at the back.
Saturday’s game is the first of a number of away games we have against sides in the bottom half of the table. After this game we have trips to Coventry, Doncaster, Ipswich and Portsmouth. If we are to make that eighty point target (Which I’m sticking to by the way) we will need a few wins on our travels. We can’t rely entirely on our home form. I’d say we need to pick up three or four wins away from home and these are games we should target for them. I’m not saying they will be easy but I’d rather not have to rely on us winning at Leicester or West Ham. There are ten leagues games to be played before the end of March so slip ups by all teams can be expected.
The one area we have improved greatly in recently is our defence away from home. We have not conceded more than one goal since drawing with Blackpool at the end of November. We will also be helped by Barnsley selling their leading scorer Ricardo Vaz Te on transfer deadline day. They do have other goals in the team though with Craig Davies having scored nine and Andy Gray seven. They have conceded twenty four goals in the league which is the third highest in the division. Our forwards will get chances but it would be helpful if Zigic is available as King does not appear to be fully fit. I’m a bit worried that Zigic’s injury is one of those “One week away from fitness” ones like he had for six months last year. Otherwise we might have to rely on Super Curtis from set pieces again.
My Prediction Barnsley 1 Blues 1 – Curtis Davies og for them. Curtis Davies header for us.
C’mon you Blue Boys.
nah son 1.3 to blues all the way watch were goin up kid….
Very harsh predicting an own goal, even if he does make amends scoring the equaliser! I too think it will be close, the longer our unbeaten spell continues, the greater the pressure we’ll be under. 2-1 Blues. King and Fahey for us. Gray for them 🙂
‘If we are to make that eighty point target (Which I’m sticking to by the way) we will need a few wins on our travels.’
If Blues settle for 80 points, they settle for the play off lottery as well. 84 points might just edge 2nd spot on goal difference, 86 to be on the safe side – do the maths, Sir! This is a tough run in, misplaced optimism does no-one any favours.