MX23RW : Saturday, November 9 01:52:24| >> :600:127108:127108:

Mid-season report: Barnsley

Mid-season report: Barnsley
© PA Photos
Inconsistency has left Barnsley 16th in the Championship table yet only six points off the playoff places. Sports Mole takes a look at the Yorkshire club's fortunes so far this season.

Following the resignation of Mark Robins over the summer, Keith Hill's appointment as Barnsley boss made him the tenth manager in as many years at Oakwell.

Having led Rotherham United to a ninth-place finish in League Two the previous season, Hill spoke of his excitement at taking over a club in a higher league.

Sports Mole takes a look at how Hill has fared in his first five months with the team.

August

A goalless draw at home to Nottingham Forest on the first day of the season got the Tykes off the mark, but they suffered a shock Carling Cup second round defeat in their next game with a 2-0 loss at home to League Two Morecambe.

A 1-0 defeat at Southampton was followed by a 3-1 loss at home to Middlesbrough. Their first win of the campaign was finally secured with a 2-1 triumph at Reading before a home draw against Millwall.

September

A run of four 1-1 draws marked a frustrating September for Barnsley as they were held at home to Leicester City and Watford, while away they were unable to find wins against Birmingham City and Derby County.

October

An inconsistent October saw the month begin with a 2-0 victory at home to Coventry City before a 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth.

A 2-0 win against Burnley at Oakwell was soon followed with an eight-goal thriller at Cardiff City. Unfortunately for Barnsley, the Welsh side ran out 5-3 winners. October ended with a 2-1 defeat at home to struggling Bristol City courtesy of Nicky Maynard's injury-time strike.

November

Things were looking up for Keith Hill's side in November as they picked up nine points from a possible 12 with wins against Hull City, Doncaster Rovers and Leeds United.

The only blot on the team's copybook that month was a 2-0 loss at Brighton & Hove Albion.

December

The end of 2011 saw a typically inconsistent set of results for Barnsley as wins against Peterborough United and Crystal Palace were cancelled out with defeats against Ipswich Town, West Ham United and Blackpool.

Despite such an unpredictable campaign, the Yorkshire club are still only six points off of the playoff places. Like many of the clubs around them, a run of wins could give them an outside chance of making a shock Premier League return.

However, they will want to keep hold of their young captain Jacob Butterfield if they are to stand a chance. The 21-year-old has been linked with a move away from the club, but it is essential that Barnsley keep hold of the midfielder.

ID:11745: cacheID:11745:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3828:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Andy Gray
Read Next:
Barnsley 4-1 Leeds
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Wycombe WanderersWycombe1392231161529
2Birmingham CityBirmingham1292123111229
3Wrexham1374221101125
4Barnsley147432318525
5Mansfield TownMansfield127322014624
6Lincoln CityLincoln137332016424
7Bolton WanderersBolton137242219323
8Huddersfield TownHuddersfield137151912722
9Reading137152120122
10Stockport CountyStockport145632017321
11Exeter CityExeter126151310319
12Charlton AthleticCharlton135441514119
13Peterborough UnitedPeterborough145362526-118
14Rotherham UnitedRotherham154561418-417
15Stevenage145271015-517
16Blackpool134452125-416
17Bristol Rovers135171520-516
18Northampton TownNorthampton134361720-315
19Wigan AthleticWigan133551211114
20Leyton Orient133281118-711
21Crawley TownCrawley143291225-1311
22Cambridge UnitedCambridge123181117-610
23Shrewsbury TownShrewsbury1422101325-128
24Burton Albion130581325-125


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!