retired_amyslack

It was neither a surprise nor a disgrace to taste defeat at league leaders Liverpool and with Steve Harper in fine form the visitors were a tad unfortunate to concede three goals although a deflected effort from Nicky Wroe and a neat finish by Salihi kept the scoreline close. The club’s scouts had been kept busy by the manager trying to find talented players who could be obtained for no fee and Angus was thrilled when he received details of a 20-year-old Colombian forward who had been released after three seasons at Once Caldas. The youngster was keen to try the Premiership and obtaining a conditional work permit proved to be quite straightforward meaning that Angus had a new striker available for the trip to relegation threatened Blackburn. And so it was that Cristian Martinez Rodriguez made his debut, looking lively and scoring his side’s first goal in their 2-2 draw. A week later and the manager had signed another target when Montenegro midfielder Simon Vukcevic was granted a work permit. The 25-year-old had been without a club since being release by Russian club Saturn after six productive seasons.

Due to international matches the new boy had a week to train with his new teammates before he made his debut at home to struggling Middlesbrough in early April. He showed some nice touches during the goalless draw as Mido’s 11-game scoring drought continued. With striker Rodriguez missing through injury another draw followed at Reading as their winless streak was extended to half a dozen matches. A week later Mido finally broke his scoring drought at home to West Ham but his side were unable to defend their lead and they ended with yet another draw. In their next match they worked hard against league leaders Arsenal, leaving London with a narrow 2-1 defeat. Just two days later they were entertaining Sunderland, a team rooted to the bottom of the table and whose relegation had just been confirmed. It took the home side almost an hour to break through a stubborn defence but when the dam was breached the visitor’s resistance crumbled and the Tykes scored three more to secure an emphatic 4-0 win. They travelled to Birmingham for their final game of the month with their confidence on the up. Up to this point Rade Prica had been used as an attacking midfielder by Angus but for this match he was selected alongside Mido up front as the manager looked to solve his goalscoring problem. The 30-year-old Swede made an immediate impact, scoring all three goals in the fine 3-1 win.

With just two league matches remaining Barnsley occupied a safe 11th place but Angus was looking to end the season on a high and secure a few more points to move his team a little higher up the table. Opponents Manchester United were enduring a terrible season and sat in 13th place going into the match and the home side were perhaps unfortunate not to have converted some of their chances as the game ended goalless. The season closed with a trip to Everton and Angus was delighted with how well his players performed in securing an excellent 3-1 win to bring their Premiership campaign to a conclusion on a high. The win took them above their opponents on goal difference to secure a highly satisfactory 9th place finish.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Pos | Inf | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | ECC | Chelsea | 38 | 26 | 5 | 7 | 63 | 26 | +37 | 83 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | ECC | Arsenal | 38 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 75 | 35 | +40 | 79 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | ECC | Liverpool | 38 | 24 | 5 | 9 | 59 | 30 | +29 | 77 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | EC | Man City | 38 | 19 | 7 | 12 | 60 | 41 | +19 | 64 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | West Ham | 38 | 16 | 14 | 8 | 61 | 43 | +18 | 62 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | | Newcastle | 38 | 19 | 5 | 14 | 65 | 55 | +10 | 62 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Tottenham | 38 | 19 | 5 | 14 | 59 | 51 | +8 | 62 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | Charlton | 38 | 18 | 3 | 17 | 47 | 56 | -9 | 57 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | BARNSLEY | 38 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 56 | 49 | +7 | 53 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Everton | 38 | 15 | 8 | 15 | 57 | 65 | -8 | 53 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Man Utd | 38 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 39 | 35 | +4 | 52 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Derby | 38 | 15 | 7 | 16 | 50 | 51 | -1 | 52 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Birmingham | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 41 | 46 | -5 | 52 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | Watford | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 37 | 42 | -5 | 50 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Aston Villa | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 40 | 52 | -12 | 44 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Reading | 38 | 11 | 7 | 20 | 42 | 67 | -25 | 40 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Blackburn | 38 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 36 | 58 | -22 | 34 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | R | Ipswich | 38 | 8 | 10 | 20 | 43 | 75 | -32 | 34 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | R | Middlesbrough | 38 | 8 | 5 | 25 | 49 | 70 | -21 | 29 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | R | Sunderland | 38 | 5 | 8 | 25 | 33 | 65 | -32 | 23 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>
The Chairman and the Board were absolutely delighted with their manager with Gordon Shepherd particularly pleased with the £11.8M profit on the season. Angus was also pretty satisfied with how his squad had performed although no single player had been outstanding and scoring goals had been a bit of a problem. Top scorer Mido had managed 16 in 38 starts with his contribution tailing off alarmingly after a bright start. It looked like a number of players would be leaving the club over the summer as their contracts expired and it was clear to the manager that he had a lot of work to do to try to improve the squad and build on a decent season. Their achievements were noted in the press however with the club being touted as Premiership overachievers and Mido identified as the signing of the season. The Barnsley fans seemed to agree with that assessment as they voted him as their player of the season.

retired_destiny1124

Nice to see you back around Bob

retired_amyslack

Thanks Faramir - trying to keep this one going if possible

Season 06 – 2011/2012

The Barnsley Chairman was more than happy with the financial situation at the club and to the manager’s delight he revealed plans to upgrade the club’s training facilities and also to extend the capacity at Oakwell with an extra 10,000 seats as well as increasing the wage budget to the best part of £500K a week. However he steadfastly refused to make any alteration to his policy regarding transfer fees so Angus had no choice but to confine himself to pursuing his shortlist of players who were reaching the end of their contracts with their respective clubs. In conjunction with the coaching staff he released ten youngsters from the youth team and also allowed no less than eight senior players to depart the club - Deividas Cesnauskis, Marek Jankulovski, Rade Prica, Steve Harper, Gavin McCann, Paul Heckingbottom, Colin Healy and Omar Pouso. Most left because they were seeking either higher wages or a longer contract than the manager was prepared to offer. However in the case of Pouso the problem lay with the Home Office who refused to renew the Uruguayan’s work permit, a decision that was very disappointing for Angus.

During the course of the summer half a dozen new faces appeared at the club, most of whom were intended to give the club more options in attack. 24-year-old Steven Naismith had spent five seasons at Hearts and had actively been looking for an opportunity at a higher level. Alex Geijo was a 29-year-old Swiss striker who had enjoyed five productive seasons in Spain with Xerez. Experienced centre back Michael Gravgaard had over 20 caps for Denmark and was a key member of the FC Copenhagen rearguard. At 29, former Celtic player Gary Caldwell was a seasoned campaigner and could play at right back, centre half or as a holding midfielder. Dutch midfielder Theo Janssen had enjoyed three seasons at Everton until he found himself out of favour and looking for a move. Finally 26-year-old forward Italo Mattioli had been a prolific scorer in his five seasons at Salernitana in Italy and could play anywhere along the front line.

The manager had three first team players unavailable for the season opener, a televised match at home to West Ham, and by the end of the match he had two more out of action. Midfielder Rodriguez lasted less than a minute before being carried off and he was later diagnosed with a damaged achilles tendon and would be out for several months. He was joined in the treatment room by Mattioli who was unable to continue after the interval. His team fell behind with 20 minutes remaining but five minutes later Geijo squared the game with an excellent finish after being put through by Mido. A midweek trip to Watford followed and a poor first-half display saw the Tykes two goals down at the interval. Their play improved after the break but they failed to reduce the deficit, losing both the match and winger Georgiev for several weeks with a groin strain. Centre back and club captain Paul Reid was an absentee for their next match at home to Reading and defensive partner Gravgaard lasted until just before half time before he too limped off. By that time the home side were ahead thanks to Steven Naismith’s first goal for the club. Geijo doubled their advantage on 52 before Naismith scored his second late on the secure a 3-0 win.

Angus and his players travelled to Stamford Bridge for their next match hoping to put on a good display against Chelsea for the TV cameras. Despite having to make three enforced substitutions the players dug deep and with Kovac a rock in central defence there was no way through for the home attack. The Barnsley centre back sealed his Man of the Match award when he rose highest to a Vukcevic corner to power home a header and grab a totally unexpected win for his team. Mido was the biggest casualty of the match, a broken arm matching the injury sustained by Dave Nugent in training a few days earlier. Still on a high after their triumph the visit of Carlisle in the 2nd round of the Carling Cup caused few problems, the home side progressing with a 3-1 win, Vukovic, Geijo and Naismith providing the goals. A five-goal thriller was next on the agenda as visiting Manchester City proved to be tough opponents. They struck first early in the game but goals from Naismith and Geijo reversed the scoreline after half an hour before the visitors equalised on the stroke of half time. A late second from Naismith, his 5th in five starts, gave the Tykes a deserved win, the three points lifting them to an unexpected 3rd place in the table.

Angus was delighted with the way his team was performing but was nonetheless speechless when he received news that he had been voted the Premiership Manager of the Month for September, only the 2nd time in his managerial career that he had been so recognised. An early strike from Geijo got the team off to a flying start at Birmingham on the first day of October but the home side got back into the game on the hour and the match ended all-square. However, a sprained ankle for Naismith meant that the manager was fast running out of strikers for the visit of Everton a few days later and a laboured display saw them lose 1-0. After a short break for international matches it was time for a trip to London and a match against surprise Premiership leaders Tottenham. The superior finishing of the home side made the difference as they ran out 2-0 winners with Barnsley spurning a number of chances.

retired_amyslack

The TV cameras were at Oakwell for the visit of Blackburn as Angus rang the changes to his starting eleven in an effort to reverse their short losing streak. An early goal from Kovac was cancelled out before half time and although the home side tested the visiting keeper regularly it was mainly down to the excellence of their own stopper Andrew Moody that the game ended 1-1. 20-year-old Lewis Maher had started the season as number one and had played well but a finger injury had allowed his older teammate into the side and Moody looked intent on keeping his rival on the bench. A trip to Old Trafford in the 3rd round of the Carling Cup was next on the agenda and two goals down inside 20 minutes they did well to pull a goal back before half time through Mattioli. But a late strike from the veteran Gary Neville sealed the win for the home side despite a stoppage time goal from Geijo. The month ended with a televised game at Charlton and luck was not with Angus and his team as they spurned a host of chances and returned from London on the wrong end of a 3-2 scoreline. A dubious penalty awarded to the home side didn’t help Barnsley’s cause but the manager’s main concern was their seeming inability to turn chances into goals.

November began with a televised derby match at bottom club Sheffield United, a surprisingly lifeless affair that was enlivened only by Salihi’s winning goal early in the second half. Another hard-earned point came their way at Bolton thanks to the excellence of keeper Maher who had played his way back into the side. The home side made most of the running and would justifiably feel a bit hard done by, especially as they played the closing stages of the game against ten men after Kovac was shown what Angus felt was a harsh red card. Mika Aaritalo made a welcome return to action after his serious injury the previous season, coming off the bench and almost stealing a win with a shot that came back off the crossbar. An injury to Maher meant that Moody was back between the sticks for the visit of Portsmouth and the absence of Kovac gave Gravgaard a place in the starting eleven. Dave Nugent made his first start of the season and Steven Naismith returned from injury as Angus shuffled his team selection in the search for goals. Once again the stats showed very little difference between the two teams but it was the visitors who took the points thanks to a goal in each half, the opener a disputed penalty and the second coming from a defensive lapse by Warnock.

The same day that Barnsley face Manchester United at Old Trafford Angus secured the signing of one of their players, 21-year-old forward Daniel Galbraith, a player that the manager had been tracking for some time. The Scottish international had been on a week to week contract for a surprisingly long time and was known to be looking for a move in search of regular football. Despite his contract situation Angus had been unable to negotiate directly with the player as that would have meant making a compensation payment to United. More in hope than expectation he had therefore tabled an offer to take the lad for no fee and to his amazement United manager Gareth Southgate had accepted and Barnsley would have another new face come the January window. For the match itself Angus rotated his team selection once more, bringing the promising Rodriguez into midfield now that he was fit again and starting Mido in attack. The Barnsley manager was given another surprise when he saw the name of his latest signing on the United teamsheet, another Southgate decision that baffled the Tykes boss. An enthralling first half saw the home side rattle the woodwork twice with the visitors also striking the frame of the goal, but the match remained goalless at the break. The two sides continued to take an adventurous approach in the second half and it was credit to their respective goalkeepers that there were still no goals at full time.

By the time that high flying Aston Villa came to Oakwell in early December the eagerly awaited stadium expansion had been completed. Despite the game being played on a Monday evening the upgraded stadium was virtually full and with 33,000 fans roaring them on the home side enjoyed the better of the first half with a Mido goal giving them the lead at the interval. But it was a different story in the second half as Villa roared back into the game, scoring three times in a disastrous 15-minute spell midway through the half. A late second from Mido was too little, too late, and the Barnsley faithful were as disappointed as the manager with the 3-2 defeat.

Barely three days elapsed before their next match, an oddly-scheduled Thursday evening match at home to Derby, and Angus made a number of changes to his starting eleven for the match. Once again Mido opened the scoring but this time there was to be no fightback from the visitors as Geijo scored two more either side of the break to secure an excellent 3-0 win. The injury news was less welcome however as with Maher already missing, replacement keeper Moody also took a knock (albeit nothing major) and left back Warnock suffered a groin strain. A third consecutive home game followed and the manager was pleased that his team were able to keep an attack-minded Arsenal side at bay for the full 90 minutes, the goalless draw a definite point gained in his book.

retired_amyslack

Any trip to New Anfield is never easy but despite Liverpool’s domination had Georgiev not missed an early penalty then the Tykes could have escaped with a point. However, Pepe Reina underlined his expertise at stopping spot kicks with a fine save and Dirk Kuyt’s 24th minute goal was enough to secure a win for the home side. Boxing Day saw Barnsley in action at Newcastle and the visitors were second best throughout, returning on the wrong end of a disappointing 3-1 scoreline. Two days later they were on the road again, heading south to West Ham who, with Carlos Tevez leading the way, were on track for their fourth top-five finish in five seasons. An appalling opening quarter of an hour saw the Hammers smash home three goals and the game was as good as over. They added a 4th ten minutes from the end to underline their superiority, sending Angus and his team back north in pretty low spirits at the end of the year.

New Year’s Day saw the official arrival of Daniel Galbraith and the youngster was straight in the squad for the trip to Reading. The first half did not go at well for the visitors as they conceded inside two minutes and allowed two further goals by half time. The second period started much more brightly as they pulled one goal back through Mido and then a second through Gravgaard. But when left back Warnock received his second yellow card in the 63rd minute the game was up. Angus made the brave decision not to sacrifice a forward but paid the price just minutes later when Reading scored their 4th. On 73 Mido made sure of defeat by getting a straight red for pushing an opponent and the home side went on to score twice more before fulltime to inflict an embarrassing 6-2 defeat on the Tykes.

A visit from bottom of the table Watford two days later presented an ideal opportunity for Barnsley to break their losing streak but despite spells of intense pressure and some frantic goalmouth scrambles the game ended goalless and Angus saw his team slip down a further place to 16th. Things went from bad to worse in their next match as they crashed out of the FA Cup, losing 3-0 at Championship side Burnley thanks to an abject second-half display.

A win was finally secured the next weekend in the most dramatic and unexpected of circumstances. 3rd place Chelsea were the visitors at Oakwell and with the Londoners having half a dozen first team players absent through injury Angus had a feeling that his team might be in with a chance. There were just 13 seconds showing on the stadium clock when Salihi opened the scoring to record the fastest Premiership goal of the season so far. The visitors pulled a goal back on 14 and then went ahead in the 25th minute when Frank Lampard converted a penalty. But on 32 Alex Geijo scored to send the teams into the changing rooms tied at two apiece. Salihi’s second goal on 51 put the Tykes in front but once again they failed to hold their lead, conceding a 3rd goal with 20 minutes remaining. But then in the 81st minute Man of the Match Salihi held off the challenge of Chelsea captain John Terry to grab his hat trick and secure a stunning 4-3 victory.

A stubborn rearguard action at Man City the next weekend looked like gaining a hard-won point but with the clock showing 89:30 Darius Vassell snatched the winning goal to send Angus and his team home empty handed. By the end of January Rodriguez had returned from an extended spell of international duty and he was included in the eleven for the midweek visit of Birmingham. A tight encounter looked like it might end in Barnsley’s favour when Kovac opened the scoring with 20 minutes remaining when his long range free kick found the net, aided and abetted by the wet and muddy conditions underfoot. The win was confirmed a few minutes later when Mattioloi scored their second to send the 30,000 locals home happy.

February began with a televised match at Goodison Park and it was Everton who made most of the running but some heroic defending by Gravgaard and inspired goalkeeping by Moody kept them at bay until 20 minutes from time when James McFadden made the breakthrough. Angus responded by switching to a more attacking formation and was rewarded within minutes when Man of the Match Gravgaard scrambled home a corner kick. But not for the first time in the season the Tykes were denied by a late goal, this one coming in the final seconds of the four added minutes when McFadden converted from the penalty spot after young centre back Guthrie had upended an Everton player. It was a bitter blow indeed, made worse by an injury to Salihi that would keep him sidelined for several weeks.

Next up was a visit from high flying Tottenham and the home side were pinned back for extended periods during the first half. That was pretty much as Angus had expected and his game plan was to try to keep the Spurs attack at bay and look to hit his opponents on the break given the opportunity. His plan came together well when Rodriguez opened the scoring on 41 to give the Tykes the lead against the run of play. But two minutes later the visitors struck back with an equaliser after a mad scramble in the Barnsley penalty area. Not to be outdone Angus’ team went upfield straight from the restart and Rodriguez scored his second of the match to put them back in front. The young Colombian was unable to continue after the interval and to the delight of the home fans substitute Galbraith made an immediate impact, giving his team a two-goal cushion early in the second half. The expected Spurs onslaught failed to materialise although the Londoners did pull a goal back on 75, Defoe tapping in after Berbatov had rattled the crossbar.

The win was just what the doctor ordered and Angus was keen to see his team capitalise on an excellent result with three more points the next weekend at struggling Blackburn. Having survived some early pressure the visitors took the lead midway through the first half, Geijo scoring his 10th of the season thanks to a fumble from the home keeper. The lead lasted until half time but was cancelled out within five minutes of the restart. But on 54 they nosed in front again when Rodriguez was in the right place to tap in after the keeper could only parry a strike from Caldwell. Having worked hard to build a lead Angus was most unhappy to see his side concede twice in the closing quarter of an hour to suffer a frustrating 3-2 defeat.

retired_amyslack

March soon arrived and Angus was pleased to be able to write Steven Naismith’s name down on the teamsheet for the first time this year. 18th place Charlton were the visitors and Angus made it quite clear to his players that they had to start producing results against teams below them in the table, otherwise they could easily be drawn into a relegation struggle. The match was far from a classic and for 89 minutes the visitors managed to frustrate the Barnsley attack but finally victory was achieved, Rodriguez latching on to a pass that split the Addicks defence to finish well.

The team had two weeks to wait for their next competitive action and by the time that relegation strugglers Sheffield United arrived at Oakwell for an eagerly anticipated derby Salihi, Mido and Nugent had all returned to full training after injury layoffs. This however was balanced by keeper Moody, centre back Gravgaard and striker Galbraith all suffering training injuries. As coincidence would have it the match took place on Angus’ 43rd birthday and he hoped that his players would deliver an appropriate present. United’s gameplan was one of containment and it worked almost to perfection – the match was goalless at the break and the visitors took a surprise lead within minutes of the restart. But deep into stoppage time Rodriguez popped up with a crucial equaliser to salvage a point and preserve a modicum of local pride.

International friendlies meant that another ten days passed before Barnsley were back in action although a number of their players did feature for their countries in the interim. Derby were just two places above the Tykes in the table but the Rams had been solid mid-table performers since getting back into the top flight three seasons ago and home advantage made them favourites. Derby had an effort disallowed after quarter of an hour but had the ball in the net again just before the interval, this one allowed to stand and giving them a slender lead at half time. They added a second on 53 to extend their advantage, forcing Angus into a more aggressive formation as he urged his team to chase the game. Substitute Mido pulled a goal back on 66 and with five minutes remaining the Egyptian looked to have squared the game only for a late offside flag that cut his celebrations short.

April began with a visit from Bolton who were enjoying a steady season campaign after two seasons in the Championship. The home side got off to a good start when Kovac powered home a header from a corner after quarter of an hour. The two sides were well matched and both keepers excelled themselves with a series of fine saves. Barnsley’s Lewis Maher was eventually beaten with a stunning free kick in the 79th minute as the game ended tied at 1-1 but the young Scot took Man of the Match honours for his performance. Just two days later they were in action again, travelling to the south coast to face Portsmouth. The 0-0 scoreline illustrated that there was little to choose between the teams on the day although for a few seconds it appeared that Naismith had grabbed the points with a late goal but his effort was ruled out for offside.

retired_mari

Great story so far Bob :thup:.
Real interest since Barnsley are my home town team . Didnt realise they could do so well lol .
KUTGW .

retired_amyslack

Thanks Rev, glad you're enjoying it.


The Tykes faced a pretty tough run in towards the end of the season with four of their final five matches against teams currently in the top six in the table. The sequence began with a visit from 6th place Manchester United who were looking to improve on their poor league position last season. It was not the most exciting of games and the one real moment of excitement came shortly before half time when Maher pulled off a great save from Giuseppe Rossi’s penalty to ensure that the game ended goalless. A trip to 5th place Aston Villa was next on the cards and with the Villans chasing a place in the Champions League Angus anticipated a demanding afternoon. The manager feared the worst when his team fell behind after just ten minutes but he was encouraged by their response, Simon Vukcevic scoring his first goal of the season on 21 to equalise. However it took Villa just quarter of an hour to retake the lead and they reached half time with their noses in front. They extended their advantage five minutes after the restart and continued to press, striking the woodwork and forcing Maher into some fine saves. Aaritalo reduced the deficit in the 78th minute, he too scoring for the first time this season, but the visitors were unable to find an equaliser and Villa moved a game closer to European football.

The month ended with a visit from champions elect Liverpool who held a ten-point lead over Arsenal as they sought to secure their second title in three seasons. The pattern of the match was as might be expected with the visitors pressing for a win and the home side looking to contain and hit on the break. Half time came and went without a goal but the Reds broke the deadlock on 53, top scorer Dirk Kuyt getting behind the Barnsley defence for an easy finish. But minutes later Mido stole an equaliser when he capitalised on a dreadful clearance from ‘Pool keeper Reina. The game finished tied at one apiece but Barnsley were far from disgraced, the final match stats were surprisingly even with Reina atoning for his error with several excellent saves.

The penultimate game of the season meant a trip to London to face second place Arsenal. Anything less than a win for the Gunners would hand the title to Liverpool so Angus was certain that his team would not have an easy ride. They did manage to avoid giving away an early goal but just after the half hour the home fans were on their feet Nicklas Bendtner opened the scoring. The 24-year-old Dane had developed into a world class striker under the tutelage of Arsene Wenger and his strike took his season’s tally to 38 in all competitions. A second goal followed shortly after the restart, free kick expert Gareth Bale doing the damage this time. Throwing caution to the wind, Angus encouraged his players to open up the game and they were rewarded when Mido pulled a goal back with 20 minutes remaining. But hopes of completing a comeback were dashed ten minutes later when Bendtner scored his second of the match to secure a deserved 3-1 win for the Londoners. However the result was academic as far as the title race was concerned as Liverpool’s defeat of Sheffield United saw them crowned as champions for the second time in three seasons.

The season ended with a visit from Newcastle and Angus was disappointed to see the stadium only three-quarters full with just over 25,000 fans in attendance. Barnsley took the lad midway through the first half through Kovac and as the game entered stoppage time it looked like the Tykes would gain their first win in ten league matches. But the Toon’s top scorer Obafemi Martins had other ideas and he barrelled his way through the home defence to tuck away a last gasp equaliser. Barnsley’s poor run in to the end of the season (six draws and three defeats in their final nine games) saw then end in a disappointing 14th place, 5 positions and 13 points worse than last year.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Pos | Inf | Team | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 1st | ECC | Liverpool | 38 | 26 | 10 | 2 | 74 | 28 | +46 | 88 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 2nd | ECC | Arsenal | 38 | 25 | 6 | 7 | 83 | 37 | +46 | 81 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 3rd | ECC | Chelsea | 38 | 23 | 6 | 9 | 59 | 34 | +25 | 75 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 4th | EC | Tottenham | 38 | 21 | 8 | 9 | 76 | 45 | +31 | 71 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 5th | | Aston Villa | 38 | 20 | 7 | 11 | 71 | 52 | +19 | 67 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 6th | EC | Everton | 38 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 72 | 56 | +16 | 62 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 7th | | Man Utd | 38 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 47 | 38 | +9 | 62 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 8th | | West Ham | 38 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 57 | 49 | +8 | 54 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 9th | | Bolton | 38 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 48 | 57 | -9 | 53 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 10th | | Newcastle | 38 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 51 | 54 | -3 | 49 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 11th | | Derby | 38 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 45 | 54 | -9 | 49 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 12th | | Portsmouth | 38 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 53 | 66 | -13 | 49 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 13th | | Man City | 38 | 10 | 13 | 15 | 45 | 53 | -8 | 43 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 14th | | BARNSLEY | 38 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 42 | 55 | -13 | 40 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 15th | | Birmingham | 38 | 8 | 15 | 15 | 31 | 46 | -15 | 39 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 16th | | Blackburn | 38 | 9 | 11 | 18 | 44 | 66 | -22 | 38 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 17th | | Charlton | 38 | 7 | 16 | 15 | 42 | 60 | -18 | 37 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 18th | R | Reading | 38 | 8 | 9 | 21 | 50 | 73 | -23 | 33 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 19th | R | Sheff Utd | 38 | 6 | 12 | 20 | 28 | 55 | -27 | 30 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 20th | R | Watford | 38 | 4 | 7 | 27 | 19 | 59 | -40 | 19 | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| </pre>
As far as Angus was concerned it was an unsatisfactory season overall. He had hoped for a stronger showing in the league after an encouraging campaign last season and he wasn’t happy with a 14th place finish. It was particularly disappointing that none of his players had really shone and he clearly needed to find a way of getting more out of his squad so that they gelled together as a team. There was no doubting the fact that he had some players with real potential and his challenge was to start to get the best out of his squad.

retired_amyslack

Season 07 – 2012/2013

It had been another profitable season for Barnsley and once again Chairman Gordon Shepherd increased his manager’s wage budget, this time to an impressive £735,000 a week. It was no surprise to Angus that he still refused to countenance the payment of any transfer fees but he did indicate that he intended to keep investing in the club’s general infrastructure – stadium, training ground and youth academy – because “thee can’t go wrong wi’ bricks and mortar, I’ll tell thee that much”.

It was a fairly quiet summer as far as player movements were concerned. The club’s scouts had failed to unearth many quality players who were available for free, the exception being a 24-year-old Brazilian midfielder, Leandro Lima, a player whom Angus hoped would offer some flair to his side in the forthcoming campaign. Long-time Barnsley servant Bobby Hassell was released at the end of his contract along with half a dozen youngsters who had failed to make the grade. Swedish centre back Anes Mravac was sold to Preston having failed to live up to his early potential.

Angus did make one further signing over the course of the summer when he brought in 23-year-old left winger Alain Traore after the Burkina Faso international had been released by Chelsea. A 3-0 defeat at home to Sunderland in the season opener left the manager fuming and he left his players in no doubt that they needed to buck up their ideas, and quickly. This was quickly followed by a trip to Birmingham and a gritty defensive display combined with a single counter-attacking goal gave a welcome 1-0 win. A training injury to Stephen Warnock highlighted a lack of cover at left back and Angus was forced to call up reserve player Luke Potter, a centre back by preference but still capable of playing at full back. This was followed by a serious injury to Cristian Martinez Rodriguez who broke his ankle, the striker ruled out for several months.

The end of the month saw a visit from Manchester United, a team in turmoil after finishing in 11th place in the Premiership last season. The Reds had lost their season opener against rivals Manchester City and had recently appointed Carlos Queiroz as manager. Fergie’s former right hand man had left the club five years ago to manage Sunderland and after three seasons at the Stadium of Light had moved on to Sheffield United for a year and then up to Scotland to take over at Rangers. A goal down at the break, Barnsley pressed hard in the second period but a red card for Potter 15 minutes from time sealed their fate and they slumped to a second defeat in three league games. An appeal against the sending off ended in inevitable failure, leaving the club without a senior left back for their next match.

After a brief break for World Cup qualifiers it was back into action with a trip to Derby. Not only was Potter absent but right back Martin Stranzl was suffering from flu and both Alain Traore and Mido were absent on international duty. Garry Caldwell was asked to fill at left back and Pawel Golanski, Steven Naismith, Mika Aaritalo and Hamdi Salihi were all given places in the starting eleven. It may have been too much to hope for his team to gel having had so many changes since their last match but nonetheless the 3-0 defeat was extremely dispiriting for Angus. No matter what he did he just couldn’t seem to get his players performing at anywhere near their potential and his mood was becoming more and more despondent. If they were incapable of beating teams like Derby then the season promised no more than a dogged fight against relegation, a prospect that filled the manager with dread. True, the Chairman may have instituted a particularly restrictive transfer policy but it was up to Angus to work within that and he had to be honest with himself and recognise that perhaps he had not built the most balanced of squads. He had attacking talent to spare but wondered if he needed to add some steel as his team seemed to be very fragile as far as confidence was concerned.

The next weekend presented Barnsley with the perfect opportunity to start to turn their season around – a visit from bottom of the table West Ham, a side that had yet to win in three attempts. However it was one thing to hope for a win and quite another to produce one. A goal down at the interval the Tykes did everything in the second half but score. Most of their efforts flew high or wide, those that were on target were well saved and on the one occasion where they did get the ball in the back of the net the goal was disallowed for an offside decision, a call that later replays showed to be quite correct.

Angus tried his best to not let his personal feelings transmit themselves to his players, remaining upbeat and positive, trying to make them believe that they would soon play their way out of their slump. There was always the possibility that a decent cup run would re-energise the team and a midweek visit from QPR in the Carling Cup offered a chance of a morale-boosting victory. Goals in each half from Caldwell and Mido gave them a cushion but a goal for the visitors 15 minutes from time made for a tense climax before the final whistle sounded. The victory was welcome but thoughts of an extended run in the competition were scaled back a few days later when Barnsley were drawn against Arsenal in the 3rd round.

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A televised Monday evening match at Ipswich was next on the agenda and with the Tractor Boys three places and two points above the Tykes a win would lift the visitors off the bottom of the table and out of the bottom three. After 90 minutes of backs to the wall defending a result of sorts was achieved – a goalless draw that lifted Barnsley above Charlton, although with the Londoners having a game in hand that position could be short-lived. The end of the month saw defending champions and title favourites Liverpool in town and for reasons that he couldn’t pin down Angus had a good feeling about his team’s chances. The home side enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges but then had to endure an intense spell of pressure around the half hour mark. But having emerged unscathed Angus was delighted when Naismith netted after Jamie Carragher made a total hash of a high ball into the area. The visitors found an equaliser within five minutes of the restart and then took the lead on the hour to quieten a previously vociferous local support. Angus was a little surprised to see Liverpool sit back and defend their lead rather than push on and kill the game off so he urged his players to play with more ambition. They were rewarded when Naismith scored his second of the game with 15 minutes remaining, Carragher once again culpable with another defensive error. The manager was more than happy to take a point from a game as tough as this and he was quick to praise his team for their sterling efforts.

Early October brought further World Cup qualifiers and it was not until towards the middle of the month that Barnsley were in action again with a trip to London. Their opponents were Tottenham and despite being tipped for a top-five finish by many pundits Steve McLaren’s side had started the season badly and sat at the bottom of the table, a point behind their opponents. The opening 45 minutes were far from pretty but with the game still goalless at the interval Angus was not unhappy with his team’s performance. But when Mika Aaritalo was shown a straight red for a two-footed lunge within two minutes of the restart the game took on a different complexion entirely. Sensing that a win was most definitely on the cards the home side launched a series of attacks and in the 64th minute Dimitar Berbatov score the 199th goal of his career to put his team in front. With the odds now stacked against them it was a real test of character for the Tykes but they didn’t fold, responding with a goal of their own, substitute Daniel Galbraith saving a point with ten minutes remaining.

Another big match against London opposition followed the next weekend with 18th place Charlton visiting Oakwell. For perhaps the first time this season Barnsley played for 90 minutes without being pegged back by their opponents and they were well worth their 3-0 win. The opening half hour was understandably cagey but once the home side took the lead they visibly relaxed. The opener came from the penalty spot, Blagoy Georgiev tucking the kick away after Simon Vukcevic had been brought down. Mido added a second five minutes later to take his team into the break with a nice cushion. When the Egyptian scored again minutes after the restart, the 200th league goal of his career according to the statisticians, then it was game over. The win lifted them up to a heady 16th and put the squad in a happier frame of mind as they prepared for the midweek trip to the Emirates in the Carling Cup.

An unchanged eleven put in a very solid performance, frustrating the Arsenal attack for 120 minutes before suffering the heartache of losing the resulting penalty shootout. Nonetheless Angus was very pleased with his players, telling them that had they enjoyed just a little more luck in front of goal then they would have won the tie in normal time. Despite the rigours of extra time the Barnsley manager once again named an unchanged side for his final game of the month, a difficult match at 3rd place Newcastle. It took just ten minutes for his game plan to fall apart, Warnock red-carded for a professional foul. Superior numbers told in the end and despite making a good game of it and coming close to scoring on several occasions the visitors fell to a 2-0 defeat, their first loss in four league games.

The manager’s optimistic mood was dented further when keeper Lewis Maher suffered a back strain in training in early November. The young Scot was firmly established as the club’s number one and backup Andrew Moody was already out with a broken collarbone. This left 16-year-old Noam Davida as first choice between the stick for the visit of Aston Villa, a prospect that gave his manager a sleepless night or two before the game. His concern seemed justified when the youngster conceded the first time that Villa got a shot on target but the teenager put that out of his mind and went on to have a fine debut. The game itself was end to end stuff, particularly in the second half, and the Oakwell faithful were well entertained. Villa opened the scoring on 23 with Mido equalising on the stroke of half time and putting Barnsley in front on 50. The game was all square again just two minutes later but Mido completed his hat trick on the hour to re-take the lead. The game ended with a frantic spell of action with young Davida making a wonderfully athletic stop from a long range effort to keep his team in front and then Traore scoring twice in the final three minutes to seal an epic 5-2 victory.