Barnsley v Reading Preview

Posted on | December 5, 2008 | 1 Comment

Barnsley’s defeat to Nottingham Forest last weekend means that they’re still in something of a relegation fight, with the Tykes sat in 16^th place but now just seven points clear from the drop zone. Reading on the other hand are in good form and even though they’re four points from the automatic positions, Steve Coppell will be pretty happy with the way this season has shaped so far.

Last Saturday’s game against Nottingham Forest was huge for Barnsley and a win then really would have put them in a comfortable position heading into the Christmas period. Instead, they’re still looking over their shoulders and with some tricky fixtures coming up; Simon Davey may start to feel some pressure shortly. The Tykes entertain Reading at home this Saturday before travelling to Swansea and then Wolves – all games which they could lose. However, on the positives, it looks as though the Oakwell side are still playing well and the statistics suggest that they were again slightly unlucky to get nothing at Forest. Also, it’s worth remembering that they’re still one of the form teams of the division although the next few weeks will prove a massive test.

Reading’s blip in form a few weeks ago looks to have caught up with them now, with dropped points to Southampton and Cardiff meaning that they’ve slipped a little further away from 2^nd place Birmingham. However, Tuesday saw their season get back on track again where they brushed aside a poor Coventry outfit, despite falling behind early on. At the moment, it looks as though Reading are amongst three teams who are seriously challenging for automatic promotion but with the season so young, Steve Coppell won’t be too despondent yet. There’s plenty of time to go and the Royals have shown many times this season that they’re one of the big boys of this division and we fully expect them to take it right to the wire.

As for team news Barnsley will be without Diego Leon and Martin Devaney who will both miss the clash through injuries. Darren Moore is another one who is struggling, although after returning to training earlier this week there might be a chance of an early comeback for the veteran. As for Reading, Steve Coppell isn’t looking to make many changes following Monday’s victory over Coventry. The Royals boss doesn’t have any new concerns and is likely to stick with the side that beat the Sky Blues.

At the start of the season, very few people would have tipped Barnsley to get anything. However, over recent weeks the Tykes have proven to be one of the better sides in the division and despite a defeat to Nottingham Forest last weekend, we think they’ll bounce back in this one. They won’t get all the points, but Reading will have to settle for a draw in South Yorkshire on this occasion – 2-2.

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