Barnsley Preview

It's the proverbial six-pointer against Barnsley on Saturday and if Pardew is not feeling the pressure for this one, he should be. It seems that we were lucky to come away with a point from Ipswich after a lacklustre performance from another much changed side. It hardly bodes well when the opposition manager says it looks like we went there to get beaten. Apparently we appeared more likely to score once we had got our goal, it's just a shame there were only eight minutes left by that point.

The opinion on the blogs since the Ipswich game seems to be one of general resignation that Pardew is not the man to take us forward. Unfortunately, without a win in five now, it is becoming increasingly difficult to disagree and if we don't get a result this weekend then the end could very well be nigh. He's running out of time and options and he needs a convincing and spirited display from this team against the Tykes to give him a fighting chance. However, to use his own words, we are currently 'a team in recovery' so whether we will see such a performance is far from certain.

One of the most frustrating aspects of Pardew's managerial reign to date has been his inability to pick a consistent side, so it's no surprise that the official website is reporting that 'he may tinker with his starting XI again for the game' (more). After the radical changes against Burnley, he returned to a more recognised line up against Ipswich. Apparently the new 'formula' that he had been working on wasn't the answer he was hoping for, something most of the crowd at the Burnley game could have told him before a ball was kicked. Perhaps it is to his credit that Pardew was quick to recognise his mistake, but some would say dropping Josh Wright, Grant Basey and Izale McLeod (all starters against Burnley) from the mid-week squad all together merely highlights the fact that he doesn't know what he's doing.

To be completely honest, I think the team he picks for the Barnsley game is largely irrelevant. He says he needs to pick a side which he feels 'will show more offensively than they did at Ipswich', which could be perceived as his way of saying that we can't create a chance for love nor money at the moment. We hardly have a wealth of attacking options, but we do need to have a go on Saturday. Barnsley are unbeaten in three and just notched their first away win of the season at Doncaster on Tuesday so will have their tails up. However, they do have the worst goal tally away from home in the league (that's two) and the worst overall away record (five defeats out of seven). We can't afford to muck this up.

At the back, I would imagine Pardew will stick with Hudson and Cranie at the centre of defence and I would hope with Yassin at right back, although his substitution for Semedo against Ipswich does leave you wondering. I don't know why Basey was dropped on Tuesday, especially when he had a decent enough game against Burnley and delivered the free kick for our equaliser. Kelly Youga didn't exactly make a great impression on his return with the concession of a penalty, so I'd like to see the Welshman restored to the starting XI.

I would only make one change in midfield I think, replacing Darren Ambrose with Hameur Bouazza. Ambrose has frankly done nothing this season to warrant a place on the pitch and, whilst occasionally frustrating, at least Bouazza has a bit of pace about him and creates chances either for himself or team mates (Nicky Bailey's goal against Ipswich being the obvious example). Pardew seems reluctant to play Semedo in central midfield and with Josh Wright seemingly out of the picture again, I can't see past Bailey and Holland for the starting positions (although there is always the option of bringing back Jonjo Shelvey). I would expect to see Lloyd Sam on the right wing.

Up front, Pardew predictably stuck with Varney again Ipswich for another zero return. Don't be surprised to see his name on the team sheet again on Saturday. He desperately needs a break, if only to drop to the subs bench, but one suspects he would make the starting XI even if he urinated in Pardew's kit bag. Continued resistance to play Chris Dickson from the first whistle and Izale McLeod's disappearance from Tuesday's squad means that it's likely to be one of Todorov and Gray to partner little Luke. With Gray not even on the bench for the last two games and Todorov saving Pardew's bacon last weekend, I expect the Bulgarian to start in spite of a mediocre mid-week performance. Of course, Stuart Fleetwood is back from his loan at Cheltenham Town but surely throwing him at the deep end would represent too much of a gamble, even for Pardew?

Inevitably this won't be correct, but I predict that the following team will be doing battle for us on Saturday: Weaver; Moutaouakil, Hudson, Cranie, Basey; Sam, Bailey, Holland, Bouazza; Todorov, Varney. Subs: Elliot, Primus, Semedo, Ambrose, Dickson.

The negative way to approach this game would be to highlight the fact that we haven't won in five, the positive way would be to remind ourselves that we haven't lost in two and have come from behind on both occasions to secure a point. We really need to score first against Barnsley to get the crowd on side and give the players a bit of belief. In his interview Pardew at least acknowledged the following: "In the past when we've got the first goal we've been restricted so we're trying to get into a mode where we get the first goal, then go on and get a second and then a third". I just hope that this isn't more meaningless rhetoric and he can actually deliver, or else he will be left without any more straws to clutch at.