A preview of Barnsley's game at Blackpool on Saturday. The Reds are one position below the tenth-placed Seasiders on goal difference after ten games, and looking to end a four-match winless running following a fortnight without a league fixture.
OPPOSITION VIEW
Amos Wynn, Blackpool Gazette
After a frustrating start to the season, Blackpool have certainly picked up since the appointment of Steve Bruce, with the team looking far more comfortable with the way they are being asked to play.
The new boss won his first four league games in charge, which included a couple of tough away trips on paper.
Before the international break there was a blip away to Mansfield Town, where the team was never in the contest, but fatigue would’ve played a big role in that following a busy few weeks.
The target for Blackpool will certainly be to reach the play-offs after missing out on the last day last season.
KEY BATTLES
DARRELL CLARKE V STEVE BRUCE
Growing up as a Manchester United fan in the 1980s and 90s, Clarke must have been a fan of Bruce – the centre-back partner of Gary Pallister in the early years of the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Bruce has been managing for more than a quarter of a century with Sheffield United, Huddersfield, Wigan, twice, Crystal Palace, Birmingham, Sunderland, Hull, Aston Villa, Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle United, West Bromwich Albion and now Blackpool.
He returned to management with the Seasiders last month after a two-year break and enjoyed the type of honeymoon period that has long since passed for Clarke – having won his first four games before a draw and defeat.
Bruce has won his last three games against the Reds, the most recent being a 4-0 success with West Brom against a relegated and very young side under caretaker Martin Devaney in May 2022.
But he also had bad moments against them like a 3-1 home defeat for Aston Villa in 2017, with Conor Hourihane in Bruce’s team, and a 2-0 loss at David Flitcroft’s ‘great escape’ side when a win would have taken Hull to the Premier League.
Bruce’s Blackpool have used a 4-4-2 formation. Clarke has often matched opponents’ system but a back four with all centre-backs did not work too well against Wycombe in the last home game.
ADAM PHILLIPS V LEE EVANS
Phillips is expected to return to the Barnsley midfield for this game, after they struggled in the last three without him due to a toe injury.
One of the top-scorers in the division, the five-goal midfielder adds an attacking impetus to the side and he scored at Blackpool last season.
Clarke must get his role right, after the Reds looked less convincing with Phillips alongside Davis Keillor-Dunn as two number tens than they have with him in midfield within a variation of 3-5-2.
Evans is an extremely experienced Wales international who joined Blackpool in the summer and has a goal and four assists. His passing range and set piece ability are major assets. He has been playing alongside Albie Morgan in central midfield while another option is Sonny Carey who scored a stunning opener against Barnsley in April. Evans is the third most fouled player in the division, while Blackpool right-back Jordan Gabriel is the most fouled and the Seasiders have won the second most free-kicks of any side in the division.
MARC ROBERTS V ASHLEY FLETCHER
Two of the heroes from Barnsley’s 2016 promotion could come up against each other. They are both back in League One this season for the first time since playing for the Reds at Wembley in the play-off final against Millwall.
Fletcher scored in that game while on loan from Manchester United. Although he spent the following eight seasons mainly in the Championship or Premier League, the striker only has 28 career goals in 220 league games – and three in his last 78 in all competitions. He scored on his debut for Blackpool but has not netted since. He did get the winner for Middlesbrough against Barnsley in 2019.
Roberts has had a mixed return to the Reds, but his performances in recent weeks have generally been good.
Barnsley will hope that, after a fortnight of training, their defence is a lot more solid than in recent games.
As well as Fletcher, they will need to watch out for Blackpool top-scorer Kyle Joseph, who has five goals this season.
The other strikers are former Shaw Lane Aquaforce man Jake Beesley and Jordan Rhodes, who started in the Reds academy and had eight career goals against them.
Yet another option is Southampton loanee Dom Ballard who has returned from injury and went away with England under 20s during the international break.
OLIVER CASEY V STEPHEN HUMPHRYS
Neill Collins said Casey should have been sent off for a ‘really bad challenge’ on John McAtee who was scoring in the Reds’ EFL Trophy loss at Blackpool last December, injuring the striker’s knee.
The 23-year-old is an aggressive and aerially dominant centre-back who scored for Blackpool at Oakwell against a relegated Reds side in April 2022. He is expected to start alongside Brighton loanee Odeluga Offiah. They are likely to come up against Humphrys who started both games at Huddersfield and has been part of the gruelling training period for the Reds in the last fortnight, so should be getting closer to full fitness.
Barnsley’s attacking set-up has been messy in recent games, with Humphrys and Keillor-Dunn in theory behind, or next to, Sam Cosgrove – who is due to play his 50th Reds game – without it being clear exactly where they are all playing or how they interlink. They must get it right for this seaside trip having only scored in one of their last five away matches in all competitions. Fabio Jalo, although he has been away on international duty, could come off the bench like he did in April when he was denied what he thought was a clear penalty and appeared to have a goal ruled out for handball.
Blackpool’s left-back could either be James Husband or Hayden Coulson who both scored in April game.
REFEREE
Paul Howard
The London-based official has only taken charge of one Barnsley game in the past – the 3-2 loss at Portsmouth in April.
The Reds were leading 2-1 late on until he rightly awarded a penalty against John McAtee, which was netted before a late winner secured promotion for the hosts and led to a pitch invasion in which Barnsley defender Jamie McCart appeared to be hit by a home fan.
