Birmingham 0 – 3 Barnsley

  Barnsley got their season back on track with a much needed three points away at promotion chasing Birmingham City in the Championship.  

The win was a welcome relief for the reds who had managed only one victory in their last 11 games before this fixture.

The hosts made life a bit easier for the reds by getting a man sent off but Barnsley were already a goal to the good at this point and on course for another away victory.

Head Coach Paul Heckingbottom rang the changes from the shambles against Forest and it was pleasing for the reds to get a clean sheet after shipping five against Forest.

MacDonald was restored as Roberts centre half partner and I believe that is the best combination available to Paul Heckingbottom.

I’m not sure about Jackson yet. The only game I’ve thought he looked good throughout was against Wigan at home but they never really troubled our back four.

Morsy was brought in to add a bit more stability to the midfield with Hourihane and Scowen both playing as well which is something we may need to do more and more in the Championship.

I was surprised to see Kent recalled given his recent performances but the selection paid off as again Hammill was dropped to the bench even though in my opinion he was one of the better performers against Forest.

That being said, even without his substitution rant, his performances in general so far this season have been way below those of last season. I hate to say it but I think League One is his level now. He isn’t quick enough to beat Championship defenders with pace and not quite tricky enough to fool them at this level either. If he is to make a Championship footballer he needs to alter his game slightly and look to pass more when he would usually run at defenders.

I was pleased to see Bradshaw given a start. He has spent a long time on the bench now and needed to be given a chance like all the other strikers have had recently. I can see why he has been on the bench given his performances at the beginning of the season but he needs to be given the same opportunities as the others now.

I was very pleased that Winnall notched two goals to hopefully silence the growing number of critics he has from the Oakwell faithful.  It seems he can do no right and the other strikers can do no wrong in many people’s eyes this season.

He’s our leading scorer and for me for the most part has played pretty well this season. Early on in the season we were creating chances for fun. At that point Winnall was out injured. In recent months we have struggled to create chances for our strikers so even more credit to him for scoring as many as he has.

Some fans have also been moaning about his lack of celebration when he scores. I don’t see an issue here as he still celebrates but more low key than many others would. Some are saying it’s because he’s heard and read the criticism from the fans. If this is the case then I certainly don’t blame him and I wouldn’t blame him for not signing a new contract. Who would want to play for a club where they feel that the fans don’t appreciate them despite continuing to put the ball in the net? Could our fans chase another good player out of the club? And why do we continue to do it?