Barnsley v Birmingham Preview

Posted on | February 21, 2012 | No Comments

Both of these teams approach this fixture on the back of positive results, after Barnsley won their fixture against Portsmouth on Saturday while Birmingham impressively held Chelsea to a draw in the FA Cup. However, with this game falling just several days after those encounters, it remains to be seen what type of shape both sets of players will be in.

There is no doubt that Barnsley’s victory on Saturday was a massive relief for all at the club, even though the Tykes are sat in a comfortable mid-table position with absolutely no concerns of relegation. For the past few seasons the Oakwell outfit have become used to poor finishes and following recent form, it looked as though that could be the case again this term. However, Keith Hill’s men managed to triumph at the weekend, recording a comfortable 2-0 victory over struggling Portsmouth. That result means that the Tykes are now fourteen points above the drop zone and considering the fact they were tipped as relegation certainties the start of the campaign, that is a fantastic achievement. Their supporters obviously won’t be getting too carried away, but with the club winning their last two home games they may at least carry some optimism into this clash.

Birmingham on the other hand are in a very good place and as well as having the chance to cause a scalp in the FA Cup as they prepare for a replay against Chelsea, the Blues are also performing well in the Championship. Chris Hughton’s men may have experienced a slow start, but they are in full flow now as they occupy 6th position. With the club just six points behind the automatic places and having two games in hand over a couple of sides above them, there is no doubt their position is very strong at this stage of the season. Furthermore, their recent form is stunning, with the St Andrews outfit unbeaten in fourteen games. Also, despite possessing an inconsistent record away from home in the early stages of the season, the Blues approach this game having not lost in their last six.

Barnsley manager Keith Hill has classed this as a “free game” for his side, who are feeling the effects of Championship intensity due to their small squad. Hill is tipped to rest several players, one of which will be Jim O’Brien, while David Cotterill and Stephen Dawson are both pushing to make their debuts. Birmingham meanwhile have been dealt a blow with Nikola Zigic still not fit to return, while Stephen Carr and Guirane N’Daw are also poised to miss out through injury. On a more positive note, Marlon King could start after shaking off his injury.

While Barnsley have won their last two at Oakwell, their opponents are in sensational form and we certainly can’t see them dropping all the points here. Bearing this in mind, we think this game could end in a goalless draw.

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1. Barnsley v Birmingham Preview
2. Birmingham v Barnsley Preview
3. Barnsley v Birmingham Preview
4. Birmingham v QPR Preview
5. Leeds v Birmingham Preview

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