Most liked posts in thread: Barnsley Away 12th Jan

You bunch of saddo’s. I had a quality dream about Rachel Riley

 

They are a good side, we were in their faces from the off and they found it difficult to get their passing game going, from their first meaningful attack they scored and they were never in trouble once they went in front.
Hopkin's formation was strange but Im sure he did it for the right reason, as many have pointed out we were playing so well with our attacking formation and I'm not a believer in changing your style/formation to counter the opposition.

 

Hope you're not In front of me or my 8 year old I'll tell you to sit the feck down

 

Im Catholic and got a ticket.

 

We were fine for 30 mins and then never in it after they scored
Just brush it off. They’re much better than us and for what we need this season, not being able to compete against a side like that isn’t a problem.

Home to Southend next week, who’ve been smashed today too. Ideal game.

Maybe add a player or two this week as well.

No point analysing this game.

 

Lately we've been playing very well despite playing with 10 men every game. But this game and Sunderland Hopkin has changed the way we play to try and contain them. It doesn't work, our defence isn't good enough our midfield isn't good enough to do that.

Hopkin needs to play to our strengths not to try and stop the opposition because this lot can't do it. Barnsley could have had 7/8 yesterday with better finishing

 

Good evening Fellow City Gents,

I had some spare time this evening so I did a bit of research for the upcoming game against Barnsley just out of interest more than anything.

I've developed a bit of an obsession predicting scores within our league this season haha (sad t**t)

Thought I'd share - hope you like it:


LEAGUE POSITIONS:

Barnsley: 4th
Bradford: 20th


LAST SIX LEAGUE MATCHES

In a game full of ifs, buts and maybes: I will start off with an outline of both teams performances over their last 6 league outings:

CITY

V Plymouth DRAW
V Walsall WIN
V Scunthorpe WIN
V Sunderland LOSE
V Rochdale WIN
V Stanley WIN

TOTAL GOALS SCORED: 16
TOTAL GOALS CONCEDED: 4


BARNSLEY

V Wycombe LOSE
V Portsmouth DRAW
V Blackpool WIN
V Peterborough WIN
V Charlton WIN
V Luton DRAW

TOTAL GOALS SCORED: 6
TOTAL GOALS CONCEDED: 3


IN DEPTH ANALYSIS:

So yes, we know that Bradford have scored 10 more goals than Barnsley in their last 6 matches.
We also know that Bradford have only conceded 4 in their last 6 matches (only 1 goal in the last 5 games in fact).

With Barnsley scoring 6 and conceding 3.
HOWEVER, we can also note that City's previous 6 games have come against 4 teams who sit in the bottom half of the table and only 2 teams in the top half.

When looking at Barnsley's previous 6 games we can see that all their 6 games have come against teams which are in the top half of the table (4 out of the top seven!)


POTENTIAL IMPACT FACTORS:

Fa Cup 3rd round

Barnsley play premier league outfit Burnley this Saturday in the FA Cup - they won't have the advantage of a 5 day rest (Hopkin has told his City players to rest until next Monday as a reward for their good performances over the busy Christmas period).

In this big 3rd Round FA CUP clash, I believe Barnsley will 'fancy their chances' and as such will play a maximum strength team. This in turn could impact on the teams recovery for the city game and lead to potential injuries both of which could work in City's favour.

Local Derby:

With 2,500 travelling fans at Rochdale - we can predict a large away following for the bantams. It looks likely the game will have a big attendance.


PREVIOUS ENCOUNTER

City lost 2-1 to a 10 man Barnsley team in November. We can all recall a very well organised team - I would say one of the best, if not the best we have played this season.


FIXTURE COMPARISONS

City lost to Sunderland 1-0 (should have been 1-1)

Barnsley lost to Sunderland 4-2


JANUARY TRANSFER WINDOW

With the transfer window open both teams will be looking to strengthen. Barnsley are rumoured to be looking for a replacement striker, could this be finalised in time for Bradfords visit?


INJURIES

Hopkin states that Lewis O'Brien is unlikely to miss this fixture after leaving the field following a heavy challenge which resulted in stitches. Bradford are more than likely going to have a fully fit squad to chose from ahead of their trip to Barnsley.
Will Barnsley have the same advantage following their FA Cup game?


VERDICT

A tricky fixture, however I predict GOALS as I don't expect Barnsley to sit back and be quiet if we are fortunate enough to continue our goal scoring form.

With this in mind: I predict

2-2 DRAW

Although I hope we can get the 3 points! #CTID

Happy New Year to you all
Come on city!
CARTS

 

What debate? There is NO debate.

Leaving aside that they're illegal in grounds, no one with any respect for our club's history should be associated with smoke bombs. It's a complete no no.

 

OK. Go on, I'll say it......

A win today with favourable results elsewhere could get us upto 17th. All the teams above us are away. Some have tricky games. (indeed, somewhat bizarrely the two teams directly below us are also away!) Not only that but all those teams will be hoping Barnsley give us a thumping and it jolts our form. It would be a right kick in the teeth to the other teams around us if we got a win or even a draw today.

Come on City!!

 

Playing a better team at their most comfortable ground. Always a stretch too far.

Don't think we've got it right tactically, but honestly, no big shakes. 20th is the target, beating Barnsley away isn't a requirement, nobody else has managed it

 

Barnsley are an excellent team, strong and skillfull and no surprise we lost to them. Like everyone else I was really surprised at the changes that were made and the tactics. We didn’t even try playing with the ball on the ground, it was pumped up every time, and their defence just sorted it. It was like we conceded defeat before kick off, not that the lads were slacking, but you didn’t get any sense that we thought we could get a result. Setting up a team to nullify an attack, has only one outcome
. Having said that I thought for 20 mins we looked like we wanted to have a go, but as soon as they scored their first goal, that was it. Plus it could have least have been 7-0.

As ppl have said, this result will not dictate where we end up. I did wonder whether the team were distracted about players leaving.

This is a real problem when you have good loan players., you are always worried that they will leave, and the. We have to try and replace them.

 

I said this break would be no good for us. Never mind players resting, came at totally the wrong time and ruined the momentum.

 

3400 sold

 

Rachel Riley has just tweeted she prefers heinz to Campbell's

 

I've got a four: Lust.

 

We gave them the game from the moment Hopkin pinned the team sheet up in the changing room. Caddis in midfield, Paudie O’Connor slotted into a back line that had been keeping clean sheets, not changing a failing formation until way late into the game etc.

Lets not kid ourselves, Barnsley could easily have had 8 or 9 today had they had their finishing boots on and had O’Donnell not had a good game. Sometimes managers don’t help themselves, today was one of those days.

 

They are unbeaten at home since March. You can forgive Hopkin setting up differently for this one. Full of pacy, athletic lads.

It backfired, s**t happens. Miserable day out. Hour getting out of that horrible car park after (where were the stewards FFS?....they don’t care once they have your fiver) but we draw a line under it. Bring on Southend.

 

I'd rather keep Miller. Yes a little light as you say but here is a lad whom has scored 18 goals and assisted 8, in 72 games ( how many as a substitute, I ain't a clue) at league 1 level for two struggling teams in Bury and Bradford At 20 years of age, I'd say there is potential their.

 

We were second best to Barnsley by some way I agree.
But IMHO and as that of a coach (albeit nowhere Hopkin level) I thought the set up was very strange. Personally I thought we invited the pressure on ourselves as a result of the set up! On the right side you have McGowan and P O'Connor playing his first game, so no understanding between them and not an experienced full back against one of their best guys in Thiam. Let Caddis use his experience as a full back!! Chicksen was exposed down the left as well. Plus playing narrow in midfield just allowed them down the channels with one or two on ones to get crosses in which we didn't cope with.

I think they have everything, Barnsley, pace and skill in abundance, strength power, height, physicality....but I don't think we helped ourselves in the way we set up....my opinion....

 

Playing Doyle upfront on his own has never worked so cannot understand why Hopkin would go with that. As limited as Miller is technically he at least stretches defenders and allows the team to get upfield.
Not sure why he didn't just play A.O'Connor in midfield with Caddis at right back.