Analysis of Barnsley's 2-1 home defeat to Birmingham City on Saturday.
ON A weekend when Storm Darragh swept across the UK, it wasn’t the high winds and heavy rain that tore the Reds apart – it was £10m striker Jay Stansfield.
The Reds came into the game against Birmingham City on Saturday in poor form and having lost in the dying seconds against Wrexham in midweek. The Blues had spent more than £30million during the transfer window and Barnsley had spent less than £1million.
But, when the game started, you wouldn’t have been able to decipher between the two.
The Reds were on top for the majority of the game and should have had a penalty in the first half when Stephen Humphrys was brought down in the box – but the referee waved away the appeals from the Reds fans, players and head coach.
Barnsley started the second half strong and had two great chances in the opening minutes, resulting in Jon Russell’s header being cleared off the line.
They got the goal they deserved in the 58th minute when Humphrys found himself in the box and managed to cut inside, then out, before unleashing a strike which was turned into his own net by Park Seung-ho.
That was the last time the hosts had anything positive to shout about.
Just 30 seconds after the restart, Stansfield found space 30 yards out and unleashed a wicked effort into the top corner, leaving Reds ‘keeper Ben Killip no chance.
Adam Phillips was then sent off for a second bookable offence on 70 minutes and the tide had officially turned.
Stansfield grabbed another ten minutes from time from a corner and the Reds were left defeated.
Barnsley now sit in eighth in the League One table, and are without a win since their November 8 game against Rotherham United at Oakwell.
They’re four points off the top six, with everyone else having games in hand, and a huge 13 points off the top two.
HUMPHRYS RUNS THE CHANNELS
Darrell Clarke said after the game that one of the few positives he could take from the game was the performance of front man Stephen Humphrys.
The head coach admitted that against Wrexham Humphrys didn’t run the channels as he would have wanted but against big-spenders Birmingham City he was excellent.
Going forward he was Barnsley’s main threat and continuously teased Chris Davies’ defence.
There was a clear gameplan from the start to play the ball over the back of the Blues’ defence, with Humphrys often running in behind to hold up the ball. He did that incredibly well but it was his work-rate which impressed the fans.
Admittedly the goal given to him over the speakers at Oakwell when the Reds went 1-0 up was an own-goal by Paik Seung-ho, but his side wouldn’t have been in that position had it not been for his skills in the 18 yard box.
It’s clear that the area Barnsley need to strengthen in January is up front, but Humphrys is showing his worth week in, week out.
He’s a clear focal point to play off but also uses his pace to run the channels well.
Davis Keillor-Dunn, despite his goals, seems to be struggling playing out of position in a front two and would benefit dropping a little further back into his natural position in midfield.
Sam Cosgrove’s limited minutes and generally mediocre performances up top are giving fans nothing to shout about at the minute.
There’s definitely a player in there – as everyone saw in last season’s play-off campaign – but he’s perhaps lacking confidence.
He’s the sort of player Barnsley need to come into form, and fast, if they’re to have any chance of realising their goals of promotion this season.
INJURY LIST GROWS
Although Clarke likes to be coy and give nothing away about the injury concerns at Oakwell, the list is certainly growing.
Both Josh Earl, who has been fantastic this season on the left of a back three, and young forward Fabio Jalo were ruled out of the clash against Birmingham through injury.
Marc Roberts was then taken off injured during the game and has potentially been Barnsley’s player of the season so far. Gaga Slonina has also been out, as have Max Watters and Josh Benson.
Conor McCarthy found himself on the bench on Saturday and even played his first minutes in the league since 2022. He was later subbed off after only being on the pitch for 25 minutes.
Clarke said he refuses to be a ‘victim’ about the injuries his side have and admits he won’t use them as an excuse– but with a squad already lacking in depth in a number of key areas it’s certainly a concern. The board will need to do a lot of work in January.
SWITCHING OFF IN BIG MOMENTS
The Reds were excellent for large parts of the game and thoroughly deserved to take the lead early in the second half.
But, as they did at Wrexham in midweek and as they have done on too many occasions this year, they switched off.
Clarke called the way his side responded to taking the lead ‘unacceptable’.
He accepted his players had every right to celebrate the goal in the way they did, but insisted they must be back in their shape as soon as the game restarts.
They didn’t do that and Jay Stansfield found space in midfield and fired in from 30 yards out.
It was a huge kick in the teeth for the Reds who had controlled large parts of the game and certainly didn’t deserve to concede.
But when you switch off against teams like Birmingham there’s no doubt they’re going to punish you.
The same can be said for Stansfield’s second which turned out to be the winner.
He somehow found himself free at the back post from a corner and headed it past Killip with ease.
There was nothing the Reds ‘keeper could do about it but the defending was shambolic.
On far too many occasions this season the Reds have been in good positions in games but have thrown them away after inexplicably switching off.
A lot can be said about luck, or the lack of it, that the Reds have had this year – but when they’re defending the way they are, there’s a real problem.
REF DECISIONS GO AGAINST REDS
Thomas Parsons was the man in the middle.
After the match, Clarke said he didn’t want to comment on his performance as he ‘doesn’t have much money’ but said the fans will be able to let the press know how he performed.
Phillips was sent off in the 70th minute for a second yellow card, having already picked up a booking in the first half.
He couldn’t complain after bringing down Ethan Laird while the Blues were on the counter, although his first was slightly harsh.
In truth most of his decisions seemed to be harsh and almost all of them went against the Reds.
The usual cries from the crowd ensued about his performance but none more so than in the first half when the Reds were denied a stonewall penalty.
Parsons was just metres away when Humphrys was pulled down in the box but he inexplicably waved away the appeals.
Clarke was then booked for his reaction to the decision and, if fans were able to be booked, the 10,000 Barnsley supporters at Oakwell on Saturday would also have found themselves in the book.
It’s easy to make excuses about the refereeing decisions when the team loses, and Clarke says he won’t do that, but there was certainly a feeling around the ground that every 50/50 was going against the home side.
But if Barnsley are to be promoted this season they have to rely on themselves and their own performances – not those of referees.
HOME FORM JUST NOT GETTING BETTER
It’s starting to become a bit of a broken record.
Barnsley have now played ten games at Oakwell in the league this season and have only won two of them.
Attendances are slowly but surely dropping and the Reds look scared at times to play on their own patch.
In the home league table Barnsley sit 18th, having playing at least one more game than everyone else sitting below them apart from Burton Albion.
The club say they’re trying to improve the atmosphere with the introduction of a new fan zone in the coming year but, at the minute, it’s flat.
That’s in part due to the team not giving the fans too much to shout about.
In contrast, there were 5,000 raucous Birmingham fans who have clearly got behind their team’s vision.
BIG-SPENDERS WIN AT OAKWELL
Barnsley’s starting 11 on Saturday cost just over £1m – the majority of that being deadline day signing Keillor-Dunn.
In contrast, Birmingham City’s striker Stansfield was bought for £10m.
Their starting 11 fell just short of £20m.
Obviously the Blues are an anomaly in the league, but it shows exactly what the Reds are up against this year.
Many will argue, and rightfully so, that the away side on Saturday are ‘buying the league’ and potentially even going about it the wrong way.
But that doesn’t matter.
They’re more than likely going to be in the Championship next season. It’s looking increasingly likely that the Reds won’t be.
Barnsley fans, and fans from almost every other club in the league, are bound to be jealous of the riches of the Blues.
But their owners have put their money where their mouth is.
The board at Oakwell are doing an incredible job in keeping the club afloat but there’s no denying that the side is struggling because of the lack of investment in the first team.
Just four years ago the Reds were just three games from the Premier League.
Since then the squad has been decimated and there seems to be no signs of it slowing down.
The club have always been great at finding gems in non-league and the foreign lower divisions – but there’s only so many players of that ilk out there.
The team needs some investment – and fast.
