Black and White invasion at Oakwell!

Posted on December 11th, 2009 | 70 Comments |

Barnsley FC’s mascot, Toby Tyke
Barnsley FC’s mascot, Toby Tyke
5pm tomorrow could see Newcastle United 10 points clear at the top of the championship if they manage a win against an in form Barnsley at Oakwell.

The Newcastle players will be looking to give boss Chris Hughton an extra special birthday present if they can notch up an eighth straight win to boot. However nothing can be taken for granted, and this match will certainly not be easy as Barnsley have managed 3 wins and 2 draws from their last 5 games. In fact, since joining the club from Rotherham, manager Mark Robins has seen his side lose only five of his 17 games in charge. However, Robins didn’t seem to be too happy with the Tykes’ last performance, a 1-1 draw with tricky customers, Scunthorpe. Speaking to the Sheffield Star, he said:

“We’ve got a big game on Saturday against Newcastle and there will be 7,500 Geordies coming here so it might be like an away game for us,”

“It’s a game to look forward to but we certainly need to put in a better performance than against Scunthorpe because Newcastle are flying.

“You can’t perform at the level we have been doing for every single game. [Our form] has been a long time coming, but you move on and Saturday is a big, big game for us.”

Indeed, wor lads could be excused for thinking they’re playing at home, as they will have the backing of an incredible 7,000 travelling supporters who will make their way to South Yorkshire tomorrow afternoon!

The Barnsley manager, looking forward once again to the match, said today:

“This is one of the biggest games we have down here this season and we have to make sure we have enough Barnsley voices out there to out sing all those Geordies who are coming down.

“That is a challenge to our supporters and if they can do that then I am sure it will be an unbelievable atmosphere”.

Meanwhile, Chris Hughton will have virtually a full squad available for selection, making sure there will be significant competition for places as the players compete to be part of a winning line up. It remains to be seen if Hughton will select Striker, Andy Carroll, who was left out of the team against Coventry following his arrest last weekend. However it has been confirmed Carroll will be included in the travelling party as he competes for a place with Shola Ameobi and Nile Ranger, who both scored midweek at the Ricoh Arena, and Marlon Harewood and Peter Lovenkrands, who both played against Watford last Saturday. Kevin Nolan is also likely to return after missing the Coventry game midweek due to suspension.

Hughton said of the upcoming game:

“Three points would be the ideal present, of course. The way we are going at the moment it is about keeping the run going.

“It will be a tough one at Barnsley because they are a team in good form. The manager Mark Robins has gone in there and done well.

“It’s an opportunity to keep things going.”

Continuing on the qualities of his opposite number, he then added:

“I know Mark well, I have known him for a while.

“He is a good football person and I am not surprised by the job he has done.

“He done a wonderful job at Rotherham, so there is no surprise he is doing a great job at Barnsley too.”

Getting back to Newcastle United, he concluded:

“What we know now is, the most important thing is the results.

“We have been able to claim results away from home at tough places.

“Every game is a tough game, and this one will be no different.

“If anything, Barnsley are a side in better form than Coventry. We have to expect something similar at least.”

Hopefully the defence will continue with another magnificent performance tomorrow. With only 10 goals conceeded all season, the best I believe out of all the leagues, it’s certainly a hats off to the lads who are doing a great job.

Barnsley team news is that skipper, Stephen Foster, is expected to be passed fit for the match despite sustaining an eye injury in a collision midweek, and he should take up his place at the heart of the defence alongside on loan Stoke City defender Ryan Shotton. So Burnley should also have a full strength squad available for selection, and their line up could be:

Barnsley: Butler, Robinson, Taggart, Bishop, Fleming, O’Connell, Biggins, Rammell, Pearson, Redfearn, Archdeacon.

Iceman, Emil Hallfreðsson, may also be in with a shot at a recall on Barnsley’s left wing

Howay the Lads.

NUFC Blog’s Away fan’s guide to Barnsley (written by Toonsy).

NUFCBlog Author: geordie deb geordie deb has written 38 articles on this blog.

Related Posts:


70 Responses

  1. i reckon we’ll have a stern test tomorrow, i hope chris has kept the lads firmly focused and not let our current form get them all giddy (like it has us!)
     
    its gonna be pretty open, lets hope our marauding legion of fans give’s them the willies!
     
    not literally like.. that’d be quite messy

  2. batty , your name is quite ironic , coz thats the last time his team was perhaps slightly good , when batty was in it ! Funny really eh !!

  3. unfortunatley i think we’ll get beat today (hope i’m wrong) , but to cushion the blow put it in a treble…

    barnsley – win
    mackems – win
    heed – win

    …this pays a pocket-bulging 9/1 ish.

  4. re: the telegraph article… you have to hope its true because that’d be the right thing to be doing now… prepping for the new season… as we’ve found several times at NUFC before, if you stand still in this game, you get left behind, its a fulltime 24hr slog and complacency is what we cant afford.
     
    i would lvoe to see MA go some way to make amends for the state of NUFC, it wont be much but it will atleast show he’s learnt and he’s now going in the right direction… wishful thinking perhaps but no-one can deny he saved the club with one hand and ruined it with the other

  5. 3 points today…going to an x-factor party afterwards with my girlfriend which I am dreading as I hate that shit….a toon win will make it bearable and ease the torment.
    Batty the missus wants a 6 pack of pretty polly tights for xmas can you order me some on generous monthly terms mate?

  6. Believe nothing Eastend…then you won’t be disappointed when it turns out to be more lies and bullshit : )

  7. i know SJT… just cant help being an eternal optimist!
     
    for the avatar melarky, you have to sign up (home page, on the right) and add it from there
     
     

  8. eastend…i’ve never bet against the toon getting beat in my life and dont intend starting today – i do think our luck will run out against barnsley & with that just offering an alternative to those that arnt bothered & fancy a wager….but then again i couldn’t tip a barrow so just ignore it.

  9. Sorted Eastend Cheers.
    I think we will get the win today cos we are the Daddy of the Fizzy’s!

  10. Anyone know where I can listen to this outside of the North East?  BBC commentry doesn’t go outside the region and I don’t think  there is any streamed TV?

    0-2 both to Harewood today, both in the first half :-)

  11. Commentary is streamed on ustream I think the match will be televised online today as well.

  12. @Penalty: There’s a few stations that might do it (idk the frequencies), alternatively get yourself on nufctv and listen to it on there?
     
    @SJT: It won’t be televised online as there’s no overseas or national coverage of it.  No feed going out from the stadium = no stream.  Next game we have anything is the 20th (Smoggies) on BBC1 (1pm if you’re interested).

  13. Thanks everyone I’ll give those a go.  And I’ve changed mi mind.  Still 0-2 by halftime but the Harewood/Lovnkrands Combo will be the scorers.

  14. SJT – nunited4eva is the guy you need to look for on ustream. Hopefully with additional porn noises aswell again :D

  15. Official team

    Harper
    R.Taylor
    S.Taylor
    Coloccini
    Enrique
    Pancrate
    Butt
    Smith
    Jonas
    Carroll
    Nolan

  16. Harper
    R Taylor
    S Taylor
    Colo
    Enrique
    Pancrate
    Butt
    Smith
    Jonas
    Nolan
    Carroll

    subs – Krul, Khiza, Harewood, Ranger, Ameobi, Lovenkrands, Simpson.

  17. Switching back to 4-5-1, wise decision or is it just being coward? Since Barnsley do seem quiet in form it might be wise, but I always prefer seeing us attack so I don’t really know what to think about that…

  18. alkinou – I suppose Nolan will play as a support striker with the option of dropping back if needed. I just hope that it doesnt isolate Carroll up top.

  19. Ugh 4-5-1.
     
    Looks like a fairly balanced squad, though.  I imagine that Nolan is playing in an attacking role?

  20. Nice one toonsy.
     
    My internet’s slow as xxxx today.  nufc.co.uk is skipping like nobodies business :(

  21. Penalty-Spot – A mate of mine is a Baggies fan. He keeps asking me why im not saying much to him about football. I just keep saying that nothing needs to be said, smile, and walk off :D

  22. Sheff Utd 1-0 Palace

    They keep wasting their opportunities, eventually one will catch us out if we keep allowing it.

  23. Can’t wait.  It’s on TV (monday nighter I think) and will be a hell of a game.  Get down the pub with y mate, (worth its weight in goald that one when we win)

  24. Penalty-Spot – Aye, if we can keep going till then as we are, and win that then we should be fine. Still a long long way to go yet though. 25 games after today.

  25. Workey,    post 3#
    Nothing but generalities, little substance.
    Was hoping to read about a possible long term plan and available funds.
    I often wonder, looking at the fast buck crowd sniffing around the club, during the recent “For Sale” period, would we in fact be better off under the present ownership, rather than the devil we dont know ?
    It does seem that there is now a bit of stability,  about both the side and the club in general,   financially, who knows ?
    One thing for sure Ashley if nothing else has stopped the  financial death
    spiral that the club was in under the last administration and could be perhaps looked at as the savior of the club.
    Something that most fans will find hard to swallow, but the facts are available, the man has put his money where his mouth is, investing heavily in the club.
    Yes, perhaps it`s an investment that he hopes to make a profit on, regardless he has prevented NUFC becomming LUFC and the fans should give him credit for doing so, instead of the insuting and ignorant chants directed at him constantly.