Under pressure after Preston loss
Written by Mark Stokes on Wednesday 19th August 2009

The season may only be three games old, but the Oakwell faithful were vocal in their disappointment at the play on the pitch. As the final whistle blew the Pontefract Road Stand had already been emptied. The exodus began as the third goal from Preston settled in the back of Luke Steele's net.

Speaking after the match Darren Moore said that it was the players that needed to step up to the plate and that Simon Davey had prepared the team well, but they had let him and the fans down.

After three games Barnsley find themselves in a familiar position in the table. A new season always gives rise to renewed optimism and the fact that the team went unbeaten in nine pre-season friendlies, including an excellent draw against Manchester City, only served to increase expectations.

No wonder that the mood has quickly turned to gloom. In all three Championship matches we have gone two goals down and each time we have conceded in the opening 11 minutes.

Yet, it is still only three games, and there are other teams who have got off to a poor start that many say will challenge for promotion. Reading, for example, are one such team who have started slowly and have failed to score at all in the Championship. Ipswich Town are another side that have been tipped for great things this season who so far have amassed just the one point.

No doubt everyone will have their opinions on why this season's start is mirroring last year, but a team that can go toe-to-toe with Manchester City must have the ability to beat the likes of Coventry and Preston.

The objective for Barnsley this season is obviously to firstly secure our status as a Championship team, then challenge for a mid-table place and then push on for a play-off spot. Many would settle for the first objective and be delighted with the second.

At this early stage where a win can improve league positions by ten places it is much too early to write Barnsley off. Key players such as Hugo Colace have yet to enter the battle with Emil Hallfredsson and O'Neil Thompson both waiting on the sidelines to get into the thick of the action. Match winners like Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Adam Hammill have yet to get into gear, but when it all falls into place this team is good enough to beat any side.

They cannot fail to have noticed a quickly disappearing crowd in the Pontefract Road End Stand, nor can they have failed to hear the boos from those who remained to the end. That is bound to hurt their professional pride and spur them on to improve performances.

On Saturday Barnsley will come up against a tough Leicester City side who have not lost through pre-season and in the opening three games of the campaign. They have recently drawn with Ipswich and Sheffield United on the road. The Walkers Stadium will be packed with well over 20,000 home fans, but Barnsley must get a result from the game.

I think we will get a draw at worst and go on to win on Tuesday night in the Carling Cup and lift the gloom that has settled over Oakwell.