Either on the field - or off it. It never is. Wilder - who I consider the best manager in the football league - having got a team full of misfits and has beens promoted to the Premeir - is using the friendly to gauge who he keeps at the club. So expect their players to be going at 100 mph. Additionally - Barnsley team is full of new players wanting to impress infront of their own supporters for the first time. Add those two things together and it equals a match that could easily produce injuries, yellow and red cards. As for the match itself - it will be interesting to see how Danny copes with the often unusual Wilder tactics e.g. overlapping centre backs etc. Off the field. Both Barnsley and Sheffield United will have new players on show so there is likely to be much interest and sizeable turn out from both sets of supporters. Which might signal trouble - especially if the police just perceive it as JUST a friendly that not many will be interested in. I hope I’m wrong. But under all the circumstances surrounding both clubs - it was a mistake to organise a friendly against Sheffield United.
We should not have a normal relationship with that club. I'm so disappointed we arranged a friendly with them.
Why do folk get wound up about Sheff utd? They don't even register as a derby on my radar. Just another team from the north Midlands to me.
Yes, obviously - both sets of players will absolutely be risking injury ahead of the new season by going at it 100%. That's definitely the message the managers will be sending them out with - get stuck in, hit them hard & early, let them know you're there. Definitely.
They lost 2-1 in the Nth Midlands derby against Burton. I'm expecting the same even though 20 players per side will be used.
I keep saying hope we win it, for 100% success record in pre season.. Wins breed confidence. Having said that it's a bit of a no win anyway for little old Barnsley. If we beat them, it will be reported as just a friendly, they didn't take it seriously, purely a training exercise. If they beat us, they'll be all over Radio Sheffield saying how far in front of clubs like Barnsley they are. As for the pace of the game... Quicker pace will defo suit our younger team.. I'm not seeing it as anything but a friendly and I hope Sheff Utd field the first choice team, only because I think that will give us a real idea of our own strengths and weaknesses. They were promoted on merit last season so looking forward to seeing how our players can step up. Providing we are not absolutely mullered and look completely out of place, I won't be negative about a small loss. Back to the first line of my post though, hope we win.. You Reds!!
Because obviously you'd gauge your entire premiership season and squad on 1 game against a championship team
A win would be a confidence boost. A defeat would be a like up the arse before Fulham. A draw would be the worst result, other than if it is a high scoring open game, in which case that would be both.