Troubled Barnsley prepare for life after Markus Schopp, who was sacked following the Tykes’ seventh straight defeat at the weekend. Off the bottom only by virtue of Derby County’s points deduction, Barnsley’s first aim post-Schopp is to address the problems that have seen them concede five goals across their last three home H2Hs vs the ‘Rams’.
Given Barnsley’s likely ‘safety first approach’, this could be a tight game, especially if past managerial changes at Oakwell are anything to go by. Notably, each of Barnsley’s last three maiden games under a caretaker boss have ended level with both teams scoring.
While still rock bottom, Derby are a resilient outfit under Wayne Rooney, having avoided defeat in seven (W2, D5) of their eight league games prior to a 2-1 defeat to Blackburn last time out. Even so, Derby’s away form is still largely horrific, with the ‘Rams’ failing to win in 15 of their last 16 away league games (W1, D4, L11).
It may well be bonfire night this week, but Derby’s Championship games so far have seen precious few fireworks in terms of total goals scored (just 1.6 per match on average). Here, Wayne Rooney’s herd can hope to channel some of their manager’s pedigree for success against a Barnsley side who have conceded at least twice in three straight league games.
Players to watch: Barnsley’s Aaron Iseka Leya should be a prominent starter, after recently scoring in back-to-back league fixtures for the first time since January. Here, he could net in three straight games for the first time in his career. Meanwhile, Graeme Shinnie is the only Derby player to score across their last 483 minutes of away league play.
Hot stat: Seven of Barnsley’s last nine games played under caretaker charge have ended level
Preview:
West Brom v Hull
After being humbled at the hands of Fulham at the weekend, West Brom return to action against relegation-threatened Hull City and will see this match as a chance to get their promotion push back on track. Despite sitting four points off second place, WBA’s form over the last five games has been nothing short of horrific, losing three (W2), leaving them 16th in the form table across the last five games ahead of the round.
However, in that wretched five-game run, their two wins came at the Hawthorns, and home comforts could again play a part as the ‘Baggies’ are unbeaten on home turf in the league this season (W5, D2). Not only that, their home H2H form against their midweek visitors is emphatic too, with five consecutive home victories over Hull that saw WBA net a whopping 14 goals in the process.
The visiting ‘Tigers’ haven’t been dishing out many Championship maulings, with only Middlesbrough losing to Hull in the league since their opening day demolition of Preston (W2, D3, L10). Since that victory at Deepdale, Hull have gone six consecutive away games without hitting the back of the net (D1, L5) and now sit in the relegation zone, all of which is unlikely to strike fear into WBA hearts.
As their form suggests, this is Hull’s worst-ever start to a second-tier season by way of points (nine) since the Championship’s rebrand. In fact, even after registering the same game total in the Premier League, Hull have never recorded so few points - highlighting the mountain Grant McCann’s side face if they are to beat the drop this season.
Players to watch: Karlan Grant has scored in WBA’s last four victories, either opening or closing the scoring in all four. Meanwhile, Keane Lewis-Potter has had a hand in five of Hull’s nine Championship goals this season (2G, 3A).
Hot stat: Hull’s shot conversion rate of 4% is the lowest of any Championship side so far, scoring just nine goals from 222 shots.
West Bromwich Albion will be targeting an instant response to Saturday’s defeat at Fulham when Hull City come to town on Wednesday night (ko 8pm).
The Baggies slipped to a 3-0 reverse in the capital, keeping them third in the Sky Bet Championship table.
Visitors Hull are back in the second tier following promotion from League One last season, coming up as champions having finished two points above Peterborough United.
This week’s guests have had a difficult start to life back in the Championship, picking up 9 points from their 15 matches, form which will see them arrive at The Hawthorns occupying one of the bottom three spots in the division.
Opposition
Hull City will be hoping to halt a run of four consecutive Sky Bet Championship defeats at The Hawthorns on Wednesday.
The Tigers have lost out by one-goal margins in their last three games, losing to Coventry, Luton and Peterborough, leaving them on nine points from their first 15 games.
Last season’s Sky Bet League One champions finished bottom of the Championship in 2019/20 and boss Grant McCann will be desperate to keep his side in the second tier this term.
The former Northern Ireland international, who played with Chris Brunt and Gareth McAuley at Windsor Park, was appointed in June 2019 and has been both relegated and promoted in his two years at the club.
McCann featured heavily for Cheltenham Town, Scunthorpe United and Peterborough United during his playing days, before switching to the dugout in 2015. He managed both Posh and Doncaster Rovers previous to his role at Hull, with whom he has won 47, drawn 27 and lost 49 of his 123 matches in charge.
There have been 15 goals scored between West Bromwich Albion and Hull City in the last three meetings at The Hawthorns.
Albion have won all three - 3-1 in January 2017, 3-2 in April 2019 and 4-2 in July 2020.
Charlie Austin celebrates scoring against the Tigers in 2020
Barnsley v Derby County Live - Build up, team news, match updates
A battle of the bottom two teams in the Championship sees the Rams take on the Tykes at Oakwell
Barnsley FC
Derby County face Barnsley at Oakwell in the Championship.
The fixture sees the bottom two teams in the division go head to head.
Derby are bottom on five points while Barnsley are three points above the Rams.
A win would lift Wayne Rooney's side off the bottom for the first time since the club entered administration and above the Tykes, who have lost their last seven games and have won just one of their 15 league fixtures this season.
Joseph Laumann is Barnsley's caretaker head coach after replacing Markus Schopp.
The Rams' five-match unbeaten run came to an end at the weekend when they lost 2-1 against Blackburn Rovers at Pride Park Stadium.
Barnsley lost 2-1 to Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Saturday.
Derby County's team to face Barnsley in their Championship clash at Oakwell shows three changes to the side that lost against Blackburn Rovers at the weekend.
Jason Knight, Sam Baldock and Colin Kazim-Richards come in and replace Graeme Shinnie, Kamil Jozwiak and Louie Sibley.
Shinnie serves a one-match suspension for reaching five yellow cards.
Forwards Baldock and Kazim-Richards came off the bench at the start of the second half on Saturday, with Jozwiak and Sibley making way.
It is Kazim-Richards' first start since he suffered an Achilles' tendon injury at Peterborough in August.
Knight is fit again after missing two matches due to a thigh problem.
Eighteen-year-old midfielder Osazee Aghatise is among the substitutes.
Sports Mole previews Wednesday's Championship clash between
www.sportsmole.co.uk
By Darren Plant, Senior Reporter | 2d
Blackpool play host to Stoke City on Wednesday evening, looking for the victory which will keep the Seasiders in the top six of the Championship standings.
While the home side are on an upward trajectory, the same cannot be said of their opponents who are without a victory in four outings.
However, on the back of four wins in five, Blackpool have almost reached half of that tally, putting them in the mix for an unlikely promotion bid.
Critchley's side are relishing the tag of minnows of the division, their latest statement result coming against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
At a time when they hold the fourth-best away record in the Championship, Blackpool also head into Wednesday's game on the back of three successive wins at Bloomfield Road.
Midfielder Keshi Anderson has scored in consecutive fixtures, easing the responsibility on Shayne Lavery and Jerry Yates who have five strikes apiece.
However, since ending West Bromwich Albion's unbeaten league record on October 1, Stoke have collected just one point from a possible 12.
That draw came in demoralising circumstances, the Potters holding a 3-0 advantage at home to out-of-form Cardiff City before conceding three times in quick succession.
While Michael O'Neill has not reached the stage where he is under pressure to keep his job, he can ill-afford two more defeats on the road against Blackpool and Luton Town.
Demetri Mitchell is most likely to come back into the team, potentially replacing Josh Bowler on the right flank.
O'Neill will almost certainly freshen up his Stoke side after their capitulation from a winning position against the Bluebirds.
Sam Clucas, providing that he passes a fitness test, and Mario Vrancic could be restored to a midfield three ahead of Jordan Thompson and Romaine Sawyers. Danny Batth is also in contention to be handed a start in defence.
Stoke City possible starting lineup:
Bursik; Wilmot, Souttar, Batth; Smith, Vrancic, Allen, Clucas, Tymon; Brown, Fletcher
We say: Blackpool 2-1 Stoke City
At some stage, hope will turn into expectation for Blackpool if they continue on their current path. Nevertheless, that will not be on Wednesday night, and we are backing Blackpool to add another victory to their collection.
Blackburn Rovers v Fulham | Wednesday 3rd November | 7.45pm | Ewood Park | #BLAFUL
The opposition
Rovers have found consistency quite hard to come by this season, winning six, drawing five, and losing four of their opening 15 outings.
That said, they have managed to string consecutive wins together for the first time this season in their last two games, following up a 2-0 victory over Reading at Ewood Park with a narrow 2-1 success in Derby at the weekend to move seventh in the table.
Aleksandar Mitrović aside, Blackburn boast the Championship’s top scorer in Ben Brereton Diaz, who has 12 goals to his name. Brereton Diaz’s international story is a truly remarkable one, with a fan noticing he was eligible to represent Chile while playing Football Manager, and a subsequent campaign being launched for him to get a call-up. Since then, the forward has scored three times in eight appearances for the country of his mother’s birth.
Blackburn team news
Sam Gallagher will need to be assessed after coming off injured against Derby County, though Ryan Nyambe could return. Calf injuries continue to rule out Daniel Ayala and Harry Pickering.
Fulham team news
Tosin serves the first of a three-game ban, while we will also be without Ivan Cavaleiro, Nathaniel Chalobah and Tyrese Francois.
Player insight
Harry Wilson knows Fulham will be in for a battle as we aim to make it five wins on the spin.
“It’s going to be a very tough game,” he told FFCtv. “They’re on a good run at the minute off the back of a good away win at the weekend, so it’s up to us to prepare right and go up there ready to put in a good performance.”
Form
Blackburn: LDLWW
Fulham: LWWWW
Pre-match quotes
“I’ve said for a long, long time, I think our team can beat anyone at home, and the test is coming with Fulham and Sheffield United back-to-back.”
Tony Mowbray
Blackburn Rovers Manager
“They have a lot of individual quality and it's always a tough place to play. I believe they can match us, and I think it’s a game that if we don’t play to our best, compact and not with a good balance, then we will have problems.”
Astonishingly - if Blackpool win - they could go fifth.
Derby have gone back to bottom - drawing at the moment and Barnsley have scored.
Hey ho.
Its not half- time yet.
We have tried our best to source data from as many reliable sources as possible. The wages of Derby County players in the below list are only the
footballleaguefc.com
Derby County 2020-21 Player Wages
These stats are interesting, when you consider Derby are a club in dire straights and who may yet end up being relegated and have further points deducted. Only a few players have a contract which extends beyond 2022. There`s a few players clearly at the end of their careers who are likely to be leaving Derby at the end of the season.
* We have tried our best to source data from as many reliable sources as possible.*
The wages of Derby County players in the below list are only the guaranteed amount and do not include any added performance-based bonuses.
The list of all the Derby County players included in the wages table is as follows.
Derby County 2020-21 Squad
Goalkeepers: David Marshall, Kelle Roos, and Emmanuel Idem.
Defenders: Matt Clarke, Mike te Wierik, Curtis Davies, Lee Buchanan, Craig Forsyth, Andre Wisdom, and Nathan Byrne.
Midfielders: Krystian Bielik, Max Bird, Graeme Shinnie, George Evans, Jason Knight, Duane Holmes, Wayne Rooney, and Louie Sibley.
Wingers: Tom Lawrence, Kamil Jozwiak, Jordon Ibe, and Morgan Whittaker.
Forwards: Martyn Waghorn and Colin Kazim-Richards.
Players Out On Loan: Jack Marriott, Scott Malone, Florian Jozefzoon, Scott Carson, Jonathan Mitchell, and Henrich Ravas
. Players In on Loan: Matt Clarke.
