Following the 5-0 defeat at the hands of Huddersfield Town at the beginning of March, Barnsley received a barrage of criticism from supporters but appeared to turn a corner when they defeated Nottingham Forest 1-0 the following week. The progress, however, has been halted as the Tykes fell to a 3-0 defeat by promotion chasing Leicester City this week, with Barnsley now left with just twelve games to save their season.
Barnsley have just 29 points thus far this campaign and are only two points above the bottom placed Charlton, who have 27. Charlton have four games in hand on Barnsley however and it is looking increasingly likely that once those games are played, it will be the Tykes who are left propping up the Championship table.
They are now priced on average at around 1/3 for relegation and for many Barnsley fans, it is a sign to stay clear of sports betting for a while and maybe hit the casino floor. 32Red offer some of the best deposit bonuses for you to enjoy on the 32 Red slots, table and card games that are available. For many of you, it will likely take you mind off the situation at Oakwell for at least a couple of hours.
Not only did the Tykes suffer a dismal 3-0 defeat to Leicester though, they also lost two key players to injury and they will now be counting on the credentials of their physio team and fitness staff as they attempt to recover for the important relegation run-in that is about to unfold. Midfielder Jim O’Brien, signed from Motherwell this season, has already been ruled out for the rest of the season having suffered a knee injury, but Martin Cranie and Peter Ramage were also forced off the field against Leicester City and Barnsley will no doubt be a lot more fragile at the back in the absence of the two defenders.
The Barnsley defence has already conceded a hugely worrying 59 goals this season and with just 34 games played it averages at over one goal per game. This is bad news for the Tykes’ strike force, who have only netted 31 goals and will need to improve in front of goal if they are to secure vital points to stave off the threat of relegation.
One player who could return to Oakwell is Brek Shea, whose loan spell at the side ended recently as the USA International returned to parent club and Premier League outfit, Stoke City. Shea is in the midst of fighting for a place in the USA’s 23-man World Cup squad for the summer and a loan move is something that could greatly enhance his chances of turning out in Brazil for his nation this summer. Shea’s last spell with Barnsley ended sourly as he was involved in a post-match altercation with fans following the Huddersfield defeat, so he will no doubt want to return to Oakwell and put things right with the fans who supported him through his eight game spell with the club.