Coventry v Barnsley Preview

With both of these sides struggling down at the wrong end of table in the past, similar was expected this term. However, both sides are currently defying those predictions as Coventry sit in 9th spot while Barnsley are several places lower in 16th. However, both lost their last game and with the division being so tight at the moment, both managers will know the importance of bouncing back.

Coventry supporters must be very happy with their season and the work that Aidy Boothroyd has done in his short time at the club. While there were early doubts on Boothroyd’s appointment, he’s seemingly transformed them into a team battling in the lower regions of the table to one that is very close to breaking into the playoffs. As it stands they sit in 9th spot, two points away from the top six, having accumulated eighteen points from the opening twelve fixtures. Recent form has been relatively good as well although after recording two wins from three, they then went down 2-1 at home to Cardiff in their last outing. However, it took until the 87th minute for the Bluebirds to net the winner in that game and with Cardiff riding so high, Coventry can still take great heart from that performance.

While Barnsley supporters probably should be happy with their current position, a few fans are getting increasingly frustrated with how their season is heading. For the past few years the Tykes have had severe problems on the road and it still doesn’t seem as though Mark Robins has addressed this, with the club without an away win since February. That has meant that they’ve had to rely heavily on their home form which is obviously a huge burden to have. What’s more, the team often seem to crumble after conceding and their 3-0 defeat to Burnley, which saw them concede three goals in quick succession in the second half, was another example of this. The Tykes were tipped as relegation candidates at the start of the season and while they now sit in 16th, there’s no doubting that they must start getting results away from home if they are to survive.

It’s very quiet on the team news front for the home side who have no new concerns heading into this one. Aidy Boothroyd will be without the likes of Freddy Eastwood, Chris Hussey and James McPake but other than that, there are no other problems for the Sky Blues. Barnsley meanwhile were rocked midweek after Jay McEverley was forced under the knife following serious damage to his knee. However, Mark Robins worked fast and brought in Matt Hill on loan from Wolves and he is almost certainly going to be a direct replacement for the former Derby man.

As for a prediction, we fully expect a comfortable Coventry victory here. Barnsley haven’t won at Coventry for seventy seven years and combining that statistic with their dreadful away form at the moment, there’s only one conclusion for us