one of "Mad Dog" Allen's more coherent posts !!

<h3 class="headline" id="headline">MARTIN`S FRIDAY UPDATE </h3><div class="articleBody" id="articleBody">

<span lang="EN-GB">Training's finished and we're on our way. The team has been picked and I'll announce the subs tomorrow. And now I have to wait and see, just like you, who turns up. In my book there's turning up, and actually turning up. It will need everybody to actually turn up to get something.</span></p>



<span lang="EN-GB">Kevin O'Connor has a fracture in his foot and will be out for at least one month. He has had several scans and late yesterday, after one, we found out what we feared. Of course this is not good news for him as he will be out for at least one month. But this presents the opportunity to other people to show their worth. Oli Skulason is off to Lilleshall next week for an intensive week of rehabilitation to try and build the thigh muscle up to strength to allow him to join back in contact training. This is not a setback. This is as planned and expected. The boy is doing good.</span></p>



<span lang="EN-GB">I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow. </span></p>



<span lang="EN-GB">Best wishes.</span></p>



<span lang="EN-GB">Martin</span></p></div>

 

and a more than decent match preview _RK take note??

<div class="articleText"><h3 class="headline" id="headline">BARNSLEY PREVIEW </h3><div class="articleBody" id="articleBody">

<span>Barnsley are one of League One's form teams and arrive here on Saturday with a great chance of claiming at the very least a play-off place at the end of the season.</span></p>

<span>The Tykes have had a good campaign and have only been out of the top six for one match since mid-October.</span></p>

<span>Their form at Oakwell has been the key and they currently have the best home record in the division with 11 wins, seven draws and just one defeat (to Doncaster in late September) from their 19 home games. We earned a 1-1 draw there in August with Lloyd Owusu's first goal of his return spell equalising just a minute after a Michael Turner own goal had given them the lead.</span></p>

<span><table class="caption" cellspacing="0" width="140" border="0"><tbody><tr><td class="captionImage" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></td></tr><tr><td class="captionText"><div class="innerCaptionText">Our scorer at Oakwell - Lloyd Owusu </div></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p>

<span>Away from home their record is reasonable with five wins, five draws and seven defeats.</span></p>

<span>An indifferent start of two wins and three defeats in their first six games left them in lower mid-table and their early-season form was inconsistent. However from mid-October they embarked on a 10-match unbeaten run, which included six victories, to propel themselves into the play-off zone.</span></p>

<span>They struggled a bit over Christmas but hit back in the New Year and six wins and four draws from their 12 League One games in 2006 have left them right in the shake-up.</span></p>

<span>This is their second consecutive game against a promotion rival as last Saturday they ended up drawing 2-2 with our next opponents Swansea.</span></p>

<span>That draw came at the end of a difficult week for the club in which influential midfielder Jacob Burns left to join Polish champions Wisla Krakow and key defender Bobby Hassell suffered a bad rib injury at Bournemouth.</span></p>

<span>Hassell was expected to be ruled out for a long time but there was good news this week when x-rays revealed he had not broken any ribs and he could even return before the end of the month.</span></p>



<span>A BIT OF TYKES HISTORY</span></p>

<span>Barnsley</span><span> have a long League career under their belts - with the most recent highlight being their season in the Premiership in 1997/98 - the first top flight campaign in their history.</span></p>

<span>They were 10^th in the table early on but started to struggle and by early October they were bottom of the table. They never escaped the bottom three again despite three consecutive wins in February/March giving them hope.</span></p>

<span>They have spent the rest of their League life bobbing between the middle two tiers, except for two short spells in Division Four in the 1960s and 1970s.</span></p>

<span>Barnsley's other memorable moments have come in the FA Cup as they lost 2-0 to Newcastle in the 1910 final at Crystal Palace - the same venue where they drew 0-0 with West Brom in the 1912 final before beating them 1-0 after extra-time in the Bramall Lane replay to lift the trophy.</span></p>



<span>THE MANAGER</span></p>

<span>Andy Ritchie</span><span> is one year and one week into his reign as Barnsley manager after replacing Paul Hart in the job last March.</span></p>

<span>It is Ritchie's second managerial job following a three-and-a-half year in charge of his one of his former clubs Oldham. </span></p>

<span>The former England under-21 international striker began his playing career at Manchester United and had three years as a professional before joining Brighton and then moving on to Leeds three years later. After four years at Elland Road he joined Oldham for the first time and then had a two-year spell at Scarborough before returning to Boundary Park as a player and then succeeding Neil Warnock in the managerial hotseat.</span></p>



<span>THE PLAYERS</span></p>

<span>(Squad numbers in brackets)</span></p>

<span>Former Bee and Republic of Ireland international Nick Colgan (1) (ex-Drogheda, Chelsea, Bournemouth and Hibernian), who played five games for us in 1997/98, should be in goal today with ex-junior Scott Flinders (29), who had a trial with Chelsea earlier in the season, on the bench. </span></p>

<span>Ex-trainee Neil Austin (14) is the probable right-back with on-loan Sheffield Wednesday player Paul Heckingbottom (3) (ex-Manchester United, Sunderland, Darlington, Norwich and Bradford) on the opposite flank. </span></p>

<span>Central defence could require a last-minute decision over fitness as first-choice centre-backs Anthony Kay (15), a homegrown former midfielder, and Paul Reid (4) (ex-Carlisle, Rangers and Northampton) both picked up knocks against Swansea. If either of them fail to make it then Matt Carbon (5) (ex-Lincoln, Derby, West Brom and Walsall) could come in.</span></p>

<span>Ex-trainee Robbie Williams (20) is a probable substitute, and can play in defence or midfield, but Bobby Hassell (2) (ex-Mansfield), as mentioned earlier, and Tony Vaughan (6) (ex-Ipswich, Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and Mansfield) are both out with injury.</span></p>

<span>Summer signing Brian Howard (11) (ex-Southampton and Swindon) should partner Republic of Ireland international Stephen McPhail (10) (ex-Leeds) in central midfield with Chris Shuker (18) (ex-Manchester City) on the right and winger Martin Devaney (25) (ex-Coventry, Cheltenham and Watford) on the left.</span></p>

<span>Recent arrival and right winger Anthony McParland (12) (ex-Celtic) should be on the bench and youngster Nicky Wroe (17) is available but ex-trainee Dale Tonge (19) is injured.</span></p>

<span>Daniel Nardiello (23)</span><span> (ex-Manchester United), son of former Coventry winger Donato, is likely to partner Paul Hayes (8) (ex-Norwich and Scnuthorpe) up front.</span></p>

<span><table class="caption" cellspacing="0" width="140" border="0"><tbody><tr><td class="captionImage" style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></td></tr><tr><td class="captionText"><div class="innerCaptionText">Paul Hayes with Michael Turner</div></td></tr></tbody></table></span></p>

<span>Boss Andy Ritchie often changes both strikers during a match so we could see ex-Bees loan striker Tommy Wright (29) (ex-Leicester), who was sent off against us while on loan at Blackpool earlier in the season, come on as a substitute along with Marc Richards (21) (ex-Blackburn and Northampton).</span></p>

<span>Barry Conlon (9)</span><span> (ex-QPR, Manchester City, Southend, York and Darlington) is out injured while youngster Nathan Joynes (28) completes the squad.</span></p>

<span>Many thanks to IAN WESTBROOK for compiling the information on Barnsley</span></p></div></div>

 

Not bad

Hecky's not on loan though, and I doubt Richards will be on the bench...

 

RE: Not bad

I think what happened was he was loaned for the first game and the paperwork for the transfer done after the weekend so anyone reading the first news and not following it up would think he was onloan-and no i think he'll start with Nardy and Richards