Barnsley v Swansea Preview

Posted on | April 12, 2009 | No Comments

Roberto Martinez said after Saturday’s game that his side are still in the hunt for the play offs, although there can be no doubt which of these sides needs the points the most. Barnsley are embroiled in a relegation battle and with the Tykes sat just three points above the drop zone, it looks as though it’s going to be a tense, tense finale for Simon Davey’s men.

The funny thing is, Barnsley’s problems could have been all but over at one stage on Saturday afternoon. With just ten minutes remaining in their game against Watford, the Tykes found themselves a goal ahead and with relegation rivals Nottingham Forest losing, it means that the Oakwell outfit were about to build a hefty wedge between Forest and themselves. However, late goals in both games changed that and now, the Tykes lead Forest by just the one point. Perhaps the most worrying thing for Simon Davey is the number of games his side have won lately, with just the one victory coming in their last eight games. However, having also notched four draws they’re also proving more difficult to beat although at this stage of the season, they really need to be getting maximum points out of fixtures if they are to guarantee another year at this level.

As for Swansea, most people believe their play off push is over. The Swans trail 6th place Burnley by seven points and with just four games remaining, it would seem something of an impossible task to leapfrog them. However, Roberto Martinez remains positive and claims that if they can collect maximum points, they will still have an outside chance of picking up a top six placing. One thing that the Swans certainly do need to change is the number of games they draw, with the Liberty Stadium side drawing twenty games this season. That’s resulted in lots of dropped points and if they fail to make the play offs this season, that must surely be something that Martinez will address.

There’s not much to report in the way of team news for the home side with Simon Davey having no new injury problems. However, having won so little games in the last few weeks, it’s extremely likely that the Tykes will ring the changes. It’s a little different for Swansea who are sweating on the fitness of Angel Rangel and Matty Collins, who will both be given late fitness tests ahead of the trip to Oakwell.

As for a prediction, we’re going to go for a draw. Swansea have drawn so many games this season and with Barnsley having a fair few to their name in recent weeks, the form suggests that another is on the cards here – 1-1.

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1. Swansea v Barnsley Preview
2. Barnsley v Swansea Preview
3. Barnsley v Scunthorpe Preview
4. Birmingham v Barnsley Preview
5. Middlesbrough v Barnsley Preview

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