End Of Season Review

With a 7th successive season in the NPower Championship being secured last week - and rather fortuitously due to Portsmouth's points deduction - The View From The Red Zone looks back on what has proved to be yet another anti-climax of a season for Barnsley, or has it?

Pre-season saw Barnsley appoint Keith Hill and David Flitcroft, otherwise known as Hillcroft. They brought something different to the table that past managers hadn't - a mesmerising brand of neat passing football that had gained them recognition from a host of Championship clubs. There was no hesitancy in changing the squad around as eight new faces came in and nine players departed. The most notable signings were undoubtedly Craig Davies, whose 25 goals last season earned him a place in League Two's PFA team of the year, and Ricardo Vaz Te, who had so far had unsuccessful spells in England, Greece and Scotland. The notable, yet unsurprising outgoings were 2009-10 player of the year Hugo Colace, and 2010-2011 player of the year Jason Shackell. Barnsley won every pre-season game, including a comfortable 2-0 win over neighbours Sheffield Wednesday and a 5-0 annihilation of Scunthorpe.

Apart from Keith Hill, no manager was willing to take a gamble on the Portuguese 25 year old.

Cast your minds back to August. A warm summer day in Nottingham and Barnsley were again on their travels for the first game of the season. A huge level of anticipation could be felt throughout the club and its fans for the coming season after the appointment of Keith Hill, along with assistant David Flitcroft. The match kicked off, the air filled with optimism from the 2,000 travelling fans who were in full voice from start to finish. A valiant performance from a Barnsley side that were expected to be heavily beaten by promotion hopefuls Nottingham Forest resulted in a 0-0 draw and a share of the spoils.

The following couple of games for Barnsley prompted a small section of the fans to call for Hill's head after a cup exit at the hands of League Two Morecambe and two consecutive league defeats at home to Southampton and Middlesbrough. These shouts for Hill to be sacked seemed to make something click as The Reds went on to record a 2-1 victory away at eventual champions Reading and finished off the first month of the campaign at Millwall with a mirrored result of Forest away. Manchester United youngster Daniel Drinkwater was brought in on a three month loan deal and had an instant connection with central midfield maestro Jacob Butterfield.

September saw The Tykes go unbeaten, yet winless all the way through the month. Four 1-1 draws against Leicester, Watford, Birmingham and Derby respectively saw this little unbeaten run extended to six games. Jacob Butterfield started to show his true quality chipping in with three goals in four games whilst veteran striker Andy Gray netted the only other goal of the month.

October proved to be a better month points-wise as Barnsley picked up six points from a possible fifteen. They started the month in fine form with a 2-0 victory over lowly Coventry which extended the unbeaten sequence to seven - the longest run without a loss since the 8 games in November and December of 2009. Unfortunately this was followed by a 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth in Barnsley's first televised game of the season. This also ended the Oakwell outfit's unbeaten away record. Barnsley showed great resilience to bounce back in to the next game at home to Burnley in which they recorded at 2-0 win with Ricardo Vaz Te getting off the mark. Continuing in typical Barnsley fashion, they succumbed to defeat in the next game away at Cardiff City. The only positive to be taken from the game was the Jimmy McNulty strike which happened to be the 4,000th league goal scored by Barnsley.

The October fixtures came to a close at Oakwell with the visit of bottom of the league Bristol City. Exciting summer signing Craig Davies showed his predator instincts to react quickest to a slot home the equalizer before Nicky Maynard kept up his rich vein of form against Barnsley to fire home a 93rd minute winner in front of the Bristol faithful - his 5th in his last four outings against The Reds.

Just like October, November started just as well with Luke Steele saving a penalty in a 2-1 victory over Hull in the first game of the month. Barnsley kept up their consistent inconsistency by going on to suffer a 2-0 defeat at Brighton on Bonfire Weekend. The international break came at just the right time for South Yorkshire's number one club as they bounced back from defeat on the South Coast to win the first Yorkshire derby of the season, against Doncaster Rovers at Oakwell - Craig Davies getting his 2nd and 3rd goals of the season. Was this the start of a run of sensational results for The Reds? The final weekend of November saw Barnsley claim Leeds United's scalp on Leeds' own turf in a game that Barnsley fans will remember for a long time to come.

London Road was the first destination of December and Barnsley knew it would be tough to get a result at free scoring Peterborough, despite having a brilliant record against the Cambridgeshire club. The match fought out provided goals galore in a 4-3 success for Barnsley. A very high thrill factor indeed as Peterborough scored three goals in six minutes to make up a 3-0 deficit, only for Craig Davies to smash home a goal of the season contender with 12 minutes remaining to steal the points. Swiftly following that encounter came a 2-1 win at home to Crystal Palace - Ricardo Vaz Te scoring inside 7 seconds. This run of four wins on the bounce sparked talks of a play-off place between Barnsley supporters, which unfortunately never came to fruition. Another televised match, against Ipswich at Oakwell saw Barnsley lead 2-0 at half time, only to be humiliated as Ipswich ran riot in the 2nd half scoring five times. Defeats to West Ham and Blackpool came and the boo-boys were again in full voice. Barnsley rounded off 2011 with a scintillating 4-1 hammering of Leeds United.

The four scorers against Peterborough. From left to right: Vaz Te, Davies, Butterfield, O'Brien.

The half-way point of the season came and Barnsley were twelve points above safety sitting comfortably in 13th place, in contrast to last season when the club sat in 16th position hovering only six points above the dreaded drop zone. A slight improvement yes, but not all the fans were on Keith Hill's side yet and that wasn't about to change. Craig Davies and Ricardo Vaz Te had showed the understanding they had of each other as they contributed with 19 of the 35 goals that Barnsley had scored so far. An injury sustained against Leeds meant that influential captain Jacob Butterfield would miss the remainder of the season.

2012 started off in awful fashion. Rumours circulated that hat-trick hero Ricardo Vaz Te had rejected a new contract offer, Barnsley lost 2-0 to local rivals Doncaster Rovers, and more rumours circulated about vile chants from Barnsley 'fans' towards Billy Sharp about his late son, Luey. I use the term 'fans' very loosely. The 3rd round of the FA Cup was the next test against another free-flowing passing team in Swansea. Barnsley were once again valiant, but bowed out with a 4-2 loss. Marvellous performances against Leicester and Derby sandwiched a lacklustre performance against Millwall. Keith Hill brought in several lower league players, much to the disapproval of many Barnsley fans. This was a poignant reminder of the club's financial difficulties.

February brought misery to most Barnsley fans. Four defeats and only one win lead to a slump down the table. The only points came against administration bound Portsmouth. The result was identical to the reverse fixture, with the home side taking the points again. Defender Scott Golbourne opened his account on his debut away at Watford after being signed in January from Exeter City.

March was another very bad month for Barnsley, as they picked up a mere four points from seven games. They started with the visit of Nottingham Forest and recovered from a goal down to rescue a point and secure their first draw in 25 outings. Up next was a trip to the Riverside Stadium to face high flying Middlesbrough, but to no avail. The subsequent game echoed the result of the Middlesbrough match as Barnsley went down 2-0 at Southampton's peril. Keith Hill tried to shake it up by bringing in four loanees; Frank Nouble, Lee Collins, David Button and Kallum Higginbotham. It appeared that the 42 year old was running out of ideas and this shone through with an embarrassing 4-0 home defeat to Reading. A single goal loss away at Crystal Palace was the next step in the chapter. What followed though was an astute performance at home to Peterborough after going a man down to win 1-0, in which Stephen Dawson put in a masterful shift. His effort and commitment to get the job done in a professional and highly effective manner got people talking about possible captaincy and a future Barnsley legend. The Reds ended March going down 1-0 at Portman Road to a rejuvenated Ipswich side.

The final month of the season was in no way better than the past few months and Barnsley failed to register a maximum in any game. This was also the worst points total for an individual month since August 2009 - the month of Simon Davey's sacking. The team started off with their 3rd televised game of the season at home to West Ham United and someone somewhere struck a self-destruct button as Barnsley found themselves 3-0 down after only 35 minutes. Old boy Ricardo Vaz Te capped West Ham's scoring with an easy finish and a muted celebration to go with it. Barnsley's run in looked seemingly difficult and it looked as though they could be dragged into the relegation mix. After the West Ham debacle, a changed Barnsley team travelled to play-off certainties Blackpool a grabbed a fantastic point, courtesy of a fluke goal from David Perkins. Three games followed, no points gained and only one goal scored.

Highlights of the 4-0 thumping at the hands of West Ham United.

 
Barnsley faced Brighton on the final day and both teams served up a pretty dour game. A few of the youngsters started the game and showed signs of promise - Jordan Clark, in particular. Academy graduate John Stones missed a gilt-edged chance to win the game for the home team in the dying seconds.

On the whole it's been a successful, yet unsuccessful season in ways. Club general manager Don Rowing stated that at the beginning of the season Keith Hill's aims were to keep the club in the league and to break even. The first aim was achieved a couple of weeks back against Hull due to Coventry's defeat to Millwall. However, it is only by default that the club has stayed in the division. Had it not been for Portsmouth's inability to only spend what they could afford then they would not have been deducted the ten points which took us above them. Don Rowing has come out to say the second aim of breaking even is on course to be achieved.

Looking back at where the club has finished since its promotion back to English football's second division, this has been the 2nd most successful season with the club finishing in 21st place and eight points above the relegation zone. Compare that to the season of 2007-08, where we finished the nearest to the play-offs we've been, yet only stayed up by three points.

Squad changes aplenty have already taken place with six players being released when their respective contracts end in June. These are; David Preece, Alistair Taylor, Jay McEveley, Nathan Doyle, David Cotterill and Andy Gray. Keith Hill has already stated his intentions to sign four or five Championship standard players on permanent deals, as well as three trialists and in addition to these, a couple of loan players.

Andy Gray (above), and Nathan Doyle (below) have both been great servants to the club.

 

Second Half Syndrome

It's the same old story season after season for Barnsley. A new manager, new signings, and still no change. When Keith Hill took charge of Barnsley, people were expecting drastic changes for the forthcoming season, yet in some fans' eyes, it's proved to be another big expectation, and another big disappointment. In my opinion he's done a fantastic job. The budget he was limited to was that of a mid-table League One club and once again he's defied the odds by taking the Oakwell club to 18th in the table with them still a clear nine points above the dreaded relegation zone. Since the turn of the year, Barnsley have slipped down the table, winning only three of their games since the 4-1 demolition of Leeds United on the last day of 2011. Our season very much reflects most of our games - fantastic first half and a dire second half. Ipswich at home is a defining example of this. What I want to know though, is what causes this second half of the season slump?

The players

Could the players be the cause of the dip in form after the half-way point in the season? Several players come and go in each transfer window of every season for Barnsley and yet the outcome is always the same. A good run of form always comes about towards the end of the calendar year, and this creates a good buzz and atmosphere at the club. However, after the turn of the year when we're seemingly safe, the players appear to lack effort, look disinterested and just don't have the willingness to see out the season. The fans get restless and boo the team and this then puts a lot of pressure on the players to perform better to stop them from getting dragged into the relegation fodder, as is usually the case. As well as a lack of effort, the vast amount of changes that occur at Oakwell result in players never really getting the chance to bond with others and develop a good team spirit and high morale in the camp. Barnsley are often cited by many as a selling club and a stepping stone for players to get themselves in the shop window, and with key players leaving in January, this has once again seemed to be the case with Ricardo Vaz Te and Daniel Drinkwater moving on. The timing of when the players left didn't help the club, with Vaz Te leaving with only a few hours left of the transfer window.

The departure of Vaz Te (left) and Drinkwater haven't helped Barnsley's cause.

The manager

Keith Hill has surpassed the club's expectations of keeping them in the league in his first year at the helm, but the fans are becoming increasingly tired of his excuses for the poor run of form the team are currently on. Is he the reason we're doing so badly in this second half of the season? Fans moan that his ideas are draining and that he has no reply to the way teams play against us. They believe he is clutching at straws by experimenting with players in new positions, this was shown through playing Jay McEveley at centre back and Nathan Doyle at right back. Even the @Not_Keith_Hill account on Twitter suggested that he may play David Preece on the left wing as his next masterstroke. The majority of supporters are still, like me, 100% behind Hill and his backroom staff and believe he is the man to take us to the Premier League one day. The recent criticism he has come under though is undeserved. He says that the loss of our midfield has played a big part in the drop of form. Before Christmas, the team went on a four game winning streak with a midfield consisting of Jim O'Brien, David Perkins, Jacob Butterfield, Daniel Drinkwater and Ricardo Vaz Te, of whom the latter two have now left the club - the other three are currently injured and it looks highly unlikely that the Butterfield will sign a new contract extension, leaving Hill to ponder upon trying to rebuild a midfield with the same flair and tenacity.

Butterfield was the heart of the team.

The fans

Are the fans the main impact on Barnsley's slump into the second half of the season? The fans are the only factor of the club that stays constant throughout. Players come and go, managers come and go, but the fans stay. The player changes in the transfer window always mean that the squad will be weaker afterwards, as is the case with this season, yet fans still expect the team to be performing at the levels they were when they had their most influential players. It's inevitable that the team will take a dip in form going into the final stretch of the season without their key players carrying them on and it's unfortunate that the minority of fans fail to realise Hill is doing the best he can with what resources he has to work with. Although they may not know it, the booing that comes from certain sections of the Oakwell crowd will affect the players' confidence going into the next match. Direct criticism on Twitter is also another contributing factor towards knocking a player's confidence. This can then have a domino effect and pass on to the whole squad. In my opinion the small section of mindless fans that boo and moan are the main influence on our bad form. The sooner they become optimistic instead of pessimistic, the sooner I believe results will come. The positivity was gleaming around Oakwell in the home game vs Peterborough United and that spurred the team onto a vital victory. That hardwork and grit combined was further helped by the fans togetherness and ability to create a fantastic atmosphere.

Ironically, the Oakwell 'faithful' seem to lose faith.

A Striking Situation

With the recent lack of goals coming from the forwards department in recent weeks, The View From The Red Zone looks back at a selection of strikers from past years that have shone (or not) in front of the Oakwell faithful.

In my eight or so years of watching Barnsley play, I have never seen a striker who I believe can score 20+ goals and perform at a consistently high standard throughout the season, and I believe this is what is holding us back at the moment. Kicking the list off is a striker who we have to go all the way back to 2005 to see in a Reds shirt...



Paul Hayes

The first man on the list is Dagenham-born Paul Hayes, who came to Barnsley with high expectations after a magnificent 2004-05 season with Scunthorpe United, scoring 20 goals in 51 appearances for The Iron. A hard-working striker who gave his all for the club and scored seven goals in his first season, helping the South Yorkshire club to play-off final glory at the expense of Swansea City. He was always a grafter but never had the end product, despite scoring the opener in that famous victory over The Swans in Cardiff. He never really settled in to his surroundings at Oakwell and found himself shipped back to Scunthorpe in March of 2007.

Hayes went down in Barnsley folklore with this volley.

Three years after leaving Barnsley, Hayes found himself pulling on a Reds shirt again in 2010 - but this time to an unsuccessful loan spell in which he failed to find the net in seven games. In his time back at the club he did however show the same effort that he did in his first period at Oakwell and was very unlucky to wrongly have a 94th minute equaliser ruled out away at Swansea.



Istvan Ferenczi

Deemed as Paul Hayes' replacement, 'Stan' started his career in England with a bang, scoring six goals in his first seven games. The pick of these goals being a lovely curling effort in a televised game against Stoke City. Ferenczi made a name for himself due to his ability in the air. He scored a fair few headers in his time with the Yorkshire outfit - notably against Blackpool and Preston in which his goals helped the team to victory.

Although he had great power and strength, he never really took off and only chipped in with six goals in the 37 games after his impressive scoring run, which eventually saw him transfer-listed by then manager Simon Davey. This baron run may have been down the fact that his attacking partner, Peter Rajczi, had gone back to Hungary after his loan deal had expired. Had Rajczi not gone back to his homeland, we may have seen more high-calibre performances from the tall Hungarian.

Rajczi (left) and Ferenczi formed a formidable partnership when playing together.

Kayode Odejayi

Odejayi joined Barnsley in May of 2007 from Cheltenham Town. He went through a rough spell in his first season at Oakwell, being booed off the pitch at half time at home to Southampton after missing three one-on-one chances to score. Despite being publicly backed by defender Bobby Hassell and manager Simon Davey, Odejayi failed to recreate the form that earned him a £200,000 move to Barnsley.

A big build meant that Odejayi was never easy to knock off the ball and his electrifying speed caused defenders no end of problems, but his finishing left something to be desired. His terrible inability to put the ball in the net on a regular basis lead to him being labelled a donkey by a majority of fans. However, in March 2008, the 6 ft 3 in striker went down in Barnsley folklore as he rose highest to head home a superb Martin Devaney cross in the quarter finals of the FA Cup against Chelsea at Oakwell. This goal eventually proved to be the goal that knocked the holders out. His prominence was short-lived though, as in the semi-final of the competition he missed a glorious chance to equalize having been put through on goal by Brian Howard.

 

Scoring against Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-final tie at Oakwell in 2008.

Iain Hume

A £1.2m signing from newly relegated Leicester, Iain Hume came to Oakwell with sky high expectations and started off in astute fashion, scoring just five minutes into his debut in 2-1 loss at QPR.
Effort was never a thing he lacked and this was shown in his performances through 'til the beginning of November - chipping in with three more goals vs Derby, Doncaster and Sheffield Wednesday. A downside to Hume's game was his inevitability to always be found offside. However there were more advantages than disadvantages to his game, until that game.

On November 8th 2008 in the 35th minute of a heated derby between Barnsley and Sheffield United, Chris Morgan purposely elbowed Hume in the head leaving the Canadian with a life threatening fractured skull.

Hume, moments after he sustained his injury.

Hume returned to action in the first home game of the 2009-10 season against Coventry City. He was never the same after returning to action and scored only five goals in his time with Barnsley after that. He'd lost many of his attributes and most notably he was pulling out of headers and tackles, wary of possibly suffering another injury. At the start of the 2010-11 season he was shipped out to Preston North End on loan and scored four goals in 14 games. He's since gone on to join them on a permanent basis.

Hume is a totally different player at Preston.

Daniel Bogdanovic

One of the most prolific men on this list, 'Boggy' started off in fine form with a goal on his debut against Ipswich. The tall striker had a little bit of everything in his game - strength, pace, finishing, awareness, and like a lot of foreign footballers in England, there was an element of greed. Bogdanovic looked to be the striker that the Oakwell outfit had been desperate to find for years, until the greedy side of him came out.

After scoring and impressive 16 goals in 45 league games for Barnsley, he rejected a new deal with the club to join South Yorkshire neighbours Sheffield United, whom he had 'supported as a boy'. Sheffield United were relegated the following season, with Bogdanovic scoring only five goals throughout the campaign and gaining the nickname 'Daniel Leagueoneovic' from Barnsley fans (This due to the fact that United were relegated to League One).

Since leaving Barnsley, his career has spiralled downhill, with his latest appearances coming for lowly League One team, Rochdale.

His career may have been so much better had he shown an ounce of loyalty.

Danny Haynes

Signed from Bristol City for only £200,000 in January, Haynes was another striker who had high hopes at Oakwell but never lived up to the expectations. He started off his Oakwell career in blistering form, scoring three goals in his first five games - including a brace in a 2-0 win away at local rivals Doncaster Rovers - as well as having two further goals chalked off for offside against Swansea and Leicester.

After scoring in the victory at Doncaster.

His main attribute was always his speed and was the main reason he was usually able to beat a man, by sprinting past with ease. His finishing was never the best it could be however he had a fantastic scoring record for the remainder of the 2010-11 season to say he was played out on the wing. He eventually left Oakwell with a record of six goals in 32 appearances. After only playing a handful of games in the 2011-12 season, he was shipped out to Charlton Athletic - of whom he played for as a youngster. This came after a supposed bust-up between the player's family member and another player's family member.



Craig Davies

The last player on the list, Craig Davies, has started his footballing career in South Yorkshire with a bang. A free agent after leaving League Two champions Chesterfield, he joined the Reds as Hill's second summer recruitment.

After picking up an injury at the start of the season, Davies didn't really start performing until late October, and when he did, he started with a blaze of goals. His first goal coming in a 2-1 home defeat to Bristol City. Following this, he hit another seven in seven to move him up to 3rd in the scoring charts. This run of form stopped after the new year and since then he's only scored twice. Davies doesn't do easy chances though. Having missed several 1-on-1s, he's more than made up for those with screamers against Peterborough, Leeds and Nottingham Forest. He is definitely looking like the striker that so many fans have missed gracing Oakwell in past years. His strength, height and ability to strike the ball so hard make him one of the most feared strikers in the league. All in all, another gem that Keith Hill has uncovered and will have to tie him down with a long term contract.

Scoring a contender for goal of the season against Peterborough.

The rest of a bad bunch

There have been contenders for other bad strikers on this list, but the two who offered nothing accept for the one goal each are a Peruvian ponce and a not-so-great Dane. Yes, the two players here are two acquisitions from the worst manager I have seen manage Barnsley, Simon Davey. Both signed by the Welshman at the start of the 2007-08 season, nobody had really heard of either of them which left thoughts pondering upon the Barnsley fans of whether or not they could perform to the standard needed at the Championship level. Evidently, the answer was no, they could not.

The Peruvian, Miguel Mostto didn't even look like a footballer, never mind a striker. His shooting was off, he was a slow starter and he just needlessly gave possession of the ball away. The only thing he ever contributed to the team was an equalizing strike in a home game with Watford which spurred the team to go on and win 2-1. His strike partner at the time was a Danish player going by the name of Kim Christensen. Another player who wasn't physically or mentally ready to play in such a demanding league but chipped in with a very important goal to give Barnsley a point away at Charlton Athletic. Despite his height of 6 ft 3 in, he failed to be a dominant presence in the air. After playing 11 times for Barnsley, he went back to his native Denmark where he has remained since.

Two of the worst strikers to play at Oakwell since promotion from League One?

Bobby Hassell v Scott Wiseman

As the Barnsley game was called off this weekend due to a frozen pitch, I thought it would be wise to spend my free time productively, so The View From The Red Zone brings you its first of many Barnsley FC posts, and it's a topic which has been heavily disputed by Barnsley fans on both social networking sites and football forums.
The question I want answering is of who the better fullback is. The term 'age old question' wouldn't seem out of place here, despite the matter having risen only a few months ago. Two very similar players in the fact that they're natural right sided fullbacks, yet very different players based on their attributes and style of play.

Bobby Hassell

The first of the two players in question is the ever-present Bobby Hassell, who is currently the longest serving player at Oakwell having been at the club since July 2004. Brought in by Paul Hart at the start of his reign, the 'Ginger Ninja' as he is known by many Barnsley fans, has survived eight years and five managers in his time at the 'well. His 'loyalty' has been repayed by the Barnsley faithful naming him Sir Bobby and chanting his name throughout matches. However, is it really loyalty or is he just not good enough to find a better club?

Since his arrival he has kept his place up until recently, holding off players such as Neil Austin, Rob Kozluk and the now Stoke City first team right back, Ryan Shotton. In his time he has put in some sterling performances and popped up with some goals too, seven in as many seasons to be precise. For me, his best games have come when he's playing at centre back, rather than right back. The 1-1 home draw last season against play off champions Swansea springs to mind. A make-shift central defence consisting of Hassell and Nathan Doyle produced a glittering performance to limit Swansea to just the one goal and 'Sir Bobby' was first to every tackle. It was in that game too that he scored his latest goal for the Reds.

More of a defending fullback rather than an attacking one, he's never been known for his whipped crosses and taking of chances - evident in the home game against Millwall a few weeks back. What he doesn't offer in pace, he makes up for with 110% effort and commanding tackling. As of late though he has showed little of his qualities which have resulted in him losing his place in Keith Hill's starting eleven. Towards the end of 2011 he put in a great display in the 4-1 annihilation of Leeds United, but take that away and his season has been riddled with mistakes. The worst performance I have seen in a Barnsley shirt this season has come from the number two - away at Leicester - where he showed hesitancy in everything he did, he didn't react quickly and just really didn't look like he knew what he was doing. This is something I feel Keith Hill has picked up on and if so, it will be a tremendous feat should Hassell regain his starting place under the Hillcroft revolution.

Hassell's time at Oakwell could well be drawing to a close.

Scott Wiseman

The 2nd player in the debate over who the better right back is, is 26 year old Scott Wiseman. Brought in as Keith Hill's 3rd summer recruitment from old club Rochdale along with Matt Done, 'Wisey' has done an adequate job so far in the short period of time he's been playing and has recently managed to establish himself as the first choice right back.

The way in which Wiseman differs from Hassell is that he is more of an attacking fullback and loves to bomb forward and get a cross in. Not only can he play as a right back, but he's also shown that he can perform at a high standard down the right flank as a winger. His cause to be one of the best fullbacks to grace Oakwell is only improved by his lightning quick pace. As a winger he poses a constant threat to defenders and as right back he doesn't give wingers an inch of space to maneuver - both down to his speed and acceleration. Two of his better games have come as a winger in South Yorkshire derbies against Leeds United and Doncaster Rovers. He also puts in some marvellous performances from fullback. The home fixture against Derby County stands out. His first Barnsley goal came in this fixture - a sublime chip to put the Reds 3-0 up.

The downside to Wiseman's game is that he leaves a massive hole at the back when he gets forward. Scoring is all good and well but that's not his job. If creating opportunities at one end of the field leaves you exposed to conceding at the other, is it worth it? At 26, he doesn't have the most experience in the world and this is his first taste of Championship football, so the odd exposure is bound to happen.

Could Wiseman become a Barnsley legend?

So who would I choose?

The player I feel is the better of the two is Scott Wiseman and he would be my choice for right back. My reasoning for this is that in this league you need to have pace about you and Wiseman is one of the fastest players at the club. A lot of people would disagree saying that experience is the key. I partially agree. Experience is always handy, but experience comes with age, and the older you are, the more you lose your pace. Both players have their advantages and disadvantages, though I feel Hassell's disadvantages outweigh his advantages and vice versa for Wiseman. A determining factor in my choice here would also be the form of the two this season. Basically, Wiseman has had more better games this season than Hassell has.