The Crunch Time Cometh

[SBRed48]

A potentially decisive time coming up.

Playing the top three at home and a potential Play Off chaser away,
Barnsley-v-Plymouth ---Sat
Wycombe-v-Barnsley---Sat
Barnsley-v-Wednesday-Tues
Barnsley-v-Ipswich-----Sat

It doesn't come bigger than that

I'll predict five points, a win, two draws and a defeat.

[POGGYWELL]

I see Ipswich, Wednesday & Plymouths fixtures look a wee bit more crunchy than of late.
Very interestingly Derby feeling a little crunched following two games of more difficult opposition.
Not many bonus point games for any of the top teams coming up in the next couple of weeks.
Looking forward to see just how this pans out.
Way above pre-season expectations I must say and in Duff we trust.

[Young_Nudger]

I’m still not convinced.
I still don’t think we look like the real deal that is able to beat the top teams.
But then again - I’m often pessimistic when it comes to predicting that Barnsley Football Club will win games.
And on a positive note we seem to playing as though there is another gear there if we need it.

[pass_and_move]

I know there's been talk of it but to me, automatic promotion isn't on. We have the momentum and look a good side but there's too many points between us and Plymouth. It may raise hopes if we beat them on Saturday but they'll still be 8 points in front of us should that happen. There's also Ipswich to overhaul and they ain't gonna lay down easily.


The only way that the Reds are gonna haul themselves into serious automatic contention is by winning 3 and drawing 1 of the next 4 games which is too big an ask imo. That's not me being negative by the way, just reality. These are very tough fixtures that all arrive in short space of time. It's gonna be exciting, that's for sure but we need 10 points from these 4 to have any chance of the autos.

What I'm looking for is us to keep on improving and picking up points which I think we will. Let us go into those play offs on a high and win the fekkers. All the pressure is on Wednesday,Ipswich, Bolton and Derby. They spent big in the summer and their fans expect promotion. We have more of a 'free hit' at it than clubs like that.

Duff and the lads have by far exceeded my expectations this season. It's a treat to see us flying high with all the adversity that the club has had to overcome which just impresses me even more about the job that Duff, Paterson and Disco are doing. Superb. Let's relax and see what happens.

[SBRed48]

I know there's been talk of it but to me, automatic promotion isn't on. We have the momentum and look a good side but there's too many points between us and Plymouth. It may raise hopes if we beat them on Saturday but they'll still be 8 points in front of us should that happen. There's also Ipswich to overhaul and they ain't gonna lay down easily.


The only way that the Reds are gonna haul themselves into serious automatic contention is by winning 3 and drawing 1 of the next 4 games which is too big an ask imo. That's not me being negative by the way, just reality. These are very tough fixtures that all arrive in short space of time. It's gonna be exciting, that's for sure but we need 10 points from these 4 to have any chance of the autos.

What I'm looking for is us to keep on improving and picking up points which I think we will. Let us go into those play offs on a high and win the fekkers. All the pressure is on Wednesday,Ipswich, Bolton and Derby. They spent big in the summer and their fans expect promotion. We have more of a 'free hit' at it than clubs like that.

Duff and the lads have by far exceeded my expectations this season. It's a treat to see us flying high with all the adversity that the club has had to overcome which just impresses me even more about the job that Duff, Paterson and Disco are doing. Superb. Let's relax and see what happens.

I agree with that Pass but would add we also have a financial pressure to get promotion. If we don't achieve promotion this season the club finances will be a mess--reserves in the accounts used up, debts to pay (£2.8 mill EFL Covid loan plus purchase instalments), losing approaching a million a month relying on Emergency Share Issues to keep club afloat, next season's ST income already being used up, sponsorship messed up by CEO, a drop in TV income from Championship £7mill to Third Division £2million to absorb for a second year.

As I have said before it is "Promotion SB"----Promotion Sh1t or Bust, That is pressure.

[pass_and_move]

I agree with that Pass but would add we also have a financial pressure to get promotion. If we don't achieve promotion this season the club finances will be a mess--reserves in the accounts used up, debts to pay (£2.8 mill EFL Covid loan plus purchase instalments), losing approaching a million a month relying on Emergency Share Issues to keep club afloat, next season's ST income already being used up, sponsorship messed up by CEO, a drop in TV income from Championship £7mill to Third Division £2million to absorb for a second year.

As I have said before it is "Promotion SB"----Promotion Sh1t or Bust, That is pressure.

Yes you're right SB. There's huge financial pressure to get promoted which I overlooked in my previous post. If we stay in league 1 then surely the owners will have to put in some capital.

It'd be interesting to hear what Duffs remit was back in August from Parekh and Co. I wonder if the remit was 'promotion SB' or 'SS'--Stop the Slide.

Surely even the board couldn't have expected promotion at the first attempt could they? Especially how the financial situation was/is not to mention the amount of turnover in players last summer.

[POGGYWELL]

I’m sure the players and coaching staff will focussed on the playing side of things.
Up the Reds !

[animallittle3]

Behind closed doors Duff his staff and the players will believe the top two is achievable and rightly so because mathematically it is achievable with the number of games still to play .

It would take a remarkable run for that to happen but not impossible either .

With four or five games to go for instance and ourselves within five points of the top two then it becomes a very different ball game .

The business end of the season and ourselves breathing down their necks that pressure dial starts getting turned up and the pressure starts to affect players .

I'm perfectly happy to stick in there and see if the current top two can deal with the pressure and if they slip up we may nick it on the final day perhaps or maybe Ipswich Town can .

Any two from four can go up automatically on the final day and we give ourselves the opportunity .

Bring it on .

[Arblasterfromthepast]

My view is that automatic is going to be tough to achieve, but I believe that's what the players and the coaching staff are targeting. I believe it's definitely a possibility at this point in time but I won't be getting too hung up on it one way or the other.

[animallittle3]

My view is that automatic is going to be tough to achieve, but I believe that's what the players and the coaching staff are targeting. I believe it's definitely a possibility at this point in time but I won't be getting too hung up on it one way or the other.

There's a huge difference between Stendel's promotion winning squad and the current one .

Stendel had the best squad in the league full of goals , creativity and absolutely rock solid at the back .

I wouldn't go as far as to say it was easy for Stendel but he certainly had the players who had proper talent at league one level .

The current squad is performing admirably due to superb coaching , it's more manufactured .

Duff has done what Val did in the lock down season and coached a style of play in to the group that compliments the talent they do have .

He's got the players buying in to what he wants , Norwood and Cole aren't Moore and Woodrow but I'd bet fair money neither have played better in their respective careers than they are at the moment and neither have had hugely successful league one careers previously .

He's got that blend going in midfield and I suspect due to the hours on the training ground , all Mowatt needed with his ability was someone to do the dirty work , kick people and give him the ball which McGeehan did , it was as easy as that .

Slightly more issues going on with our midfield lads to get them at the level they are at today .

Take Duff out of this and I suspect we'd be where Pompey are in the table right now , the difference is we've got a superb coach and they haven't .