Our usual form against our South Yorkshire rivals is pretty good. Last season we beat them 2-1 at home, and drew 1-1 at their place, after a below par performance from our players. However, this season Barnsley are largely considered to be promotion favourites, and after the sales of four of our top players, we could struggle to match the former championship side.
Saunders has a fully fit squad to choose from, and it is more than likely that new signing Sylvans Ebanks-Blake will face Barnsley for the first time in his career. Barnsley will be without new signing Ryan Williams due to a groin injury, and midfielder Conor Hourihane looks doubtful due to damaged knee ligaments.
There has been much debate from the fans over which set of players will perform the best together this season. Should we stick with the same formation as last season? Should we put two up top? Who should play in midfield alongside Morsy and O'Shea? However, i believe a change of formation may work best for the Spireites. Last season we mainly played a 4-2-3-1 formation, with two holding midfielders, then three attacking midfielders sat in behind the main striker. However, this season due to a lack of League One quality midfielders, i think we should revert to a 4-1-2-1-2 formation, with two wide midfielders, a holding midfielder and an attacking midfielder, with two strikers up front. In my opinion, this is the team we should line up with tomorrow afternoon:
GK:
Tommy Lee
RB: CB: CB: LB:
Talbot Hird Raglan Jones
CDM:
Morsy
RM: LM:
Gardner Ariyibi
CAM:
O'Shea
ST: ST:
Ebanks-Blake Gnanduillet
Even though Gnanduillet isn't the most reliable or proven goalscorer at this level, he is still big and powerful and a handful for most defenses. These qualities are likely to benefit a striker like Ebanks-Blake, who can make runs off the ball and finish any chances made by Gnanduillet. It worked well last season with Doyle. Cook put Gnanduillet and Doyle up front, and whenever a long ball was played, Gnanduillet headed it on, and Doyle used his pace to latch onto Gnanduillet's headers, and Ebanks-Blake could do the same. You never know, he might even continue his great pre-season form into the new season and bag a few goals!
Barnsley's biggest threat: Sam Winnall
With Barnsley's probable best player, Conor Hourihane looking doubtful due to injury, the little 24 year old striker could be the man that Barnsley look to for goals. Last season he scored 9 goals in League One for Barnsley in 24 appearances. Also, the season before he scored an impressive 23 goals in 43 League Two appearances for Scunthorpe United, and he was also nominated for League Two player of the year that season. He is good with his feat, and if he doesn't score, he can always find a man with a pass. His main position is a striker, however he can also play as an attacking midfielder. He also scored the equalizer for Barnsley after Jay O'Shea's opener when we played them in the away fixture last season.
Score prediction: 2-2
I think tomorrow the team will have to go full pelt. They need to boost the confidence of the supporters, and will be desperate to get the season off to a good start. We have enough quality in the side to score goals, so i think we will be able to score one or two with an attacking mindset, however Barnsley are a quality side with a very good midfield, plus our defense is known to be very shaky at times, so i think they will also get a couple of goals. Ebanks-Blake and Jay O'Shea the scorers for us i predict. COYB!
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