Barnsley v Reading Preview
This game comes just days after these two faced each other in the Carling Cup, with Barnsley winning that fixture 2-1. However, Reading fielded a weakened side in that one and with the venue being Oakwell this weekend; a completely different game is in store.
Barnsley have had a poor start to the season and while they have recorded two victories, both have been in the Carling Cup. This has meant that Simon Davey has already come under pressure from supporters with some calling for his head in their recent league defeat to Leicester. The Tykes are currently propping up the table having just collected the one point and Davey will see this as a must-win fixture if he’s to convince the Oakwell faithful he’s the right man for the job. On the positive side, the club finally completed the signing of Charlton striker Andy Gray and with Iceland midfielder Emil Hallfredsson also arriving having received international clearance, at least their squad is being freshened up. What’s more, Jamaican international O’Neil Thompson should join up with the squad shortly as soon as his work permit is cleared. However, whether or not this new blood is enough to claw the Tykes away from the relegation zone is another matter.
Reading have also had a poor start to their campaign. With Steve Coppell and several key players departing, it was always going to be a tall order to challenge for the top honours. However, new man Brendan Rodgers has found things even harder than he probably imagined, with the Royals sat just one point ahead of Barnsley having drawn two and lost two. It’s already clear that Rodgers has some big defensive problems with both Newcastle and Sheffield United knocking three past them each. The Madejski Stadium outfit have been hit with another blow this week as well with the news that their bid for prolific striker Tommy Smith could be unsuccessful – with the Watford striker poised to join Portsmouth after a late bid from Paul Hart’s men.
As for team news, the home side have huge defensive problems and Simon Davey has hinted he may have to dip into the loan market. Luke Potter is definitely out with a knee injury, while Bobby Hassell and Darren Moore are major doubts. While O’Neil Thompson has received a work permit, he isn’t expected to feature as his international clearance hasn’t yet arrived. Reading are expected to make a host of changes for this one after Brendan Rodgers gave many fringe players a chance in the Carling Cup game. He’ll also have two new faces to choose from, with Jobi McAnuff and Grzegorz Rasiak both arriving in the week.
Barnsley may have beaten Reading only days ago, but that means nothing for this game. Reading played a lot of fringe players for that one so expect a lot of changes here. However, Barnsley will still put up a battle and we can see a draw here – 2-2.
