Coca-Cola Championship Matchday Six: Watford v Barnsley

Team News

New manager Mark Robins has a few injury problems for his first game in charge at Watford. Daniel Bogdanovic and Luke Steele are both out. Bogdanovic is out for around three weeks with an ankle injury whilst Steele will be sidelined for another month with a broken finger. This should allow David Preece his debut in goal, but it depends on the formation for Boggy's replacement.

The Maltese international was played on the wing in the 3-1 defeat to Reading, in Simon Davey's final match in charge but Robins is likely to go 4-4-2 tomorrow which could see Adam Hammill take up the wing position.

Robins is boosted by the return of Bobby Hassell and the fact Darren Moore is over his foot problem. Hassell missed the Reading double-header with an Achilles problem whilst Moore has required pain-killing injections before every game so far this season. Emil Hallfredsson returned fit from playing for Iceland.

Likely Line-Up:

David Preece

Rob Kozluk

Stephen Foster

Darren Moore

Mounir El Haimour

Adam Hammill

Anderson De Silva

Emil Halfredsson

Jamal Campbell-Ryce

Andy Gray

Iain Hume

Head to Head

Barnsley are unbeaten against Watford since 2001 and have won five of the last six meetings. Last year they took four points off the Hornets, and the year before all six.

The Reds won 2-1 at Oakwell in November 2008, in the game after Iain Hume suffered his horrific fractured skull injury and then they secured a vital 1-1 draw at Vicarage Road in April. It should have been all three, but for a mistake by Heinz Muller with two minutes remaining.

Vicarage Road will also be seen as a happy hunting ground for Kayode Odejayi. He bagged a brace there in April 2008- three days after missing THAT chance at Wembley and then was denied by a fine save by keeper Scott Loach last season.

Watford 1-1 Barnsley Match Report 11/4/09

Barnsley 2-1 Watford Match Report 15/11/08

Barnsley 3-2 Watford Match Report 24/11/07

Last Six Watford v Barnsley Results:

11/4/09 Watford 1-1 Barnsley (Championship)

15/11/08 Barnsley 2-1 Watford (Championship)

9/4/08 Watford 0-3 Barnsley (Championship)

24/11/07 Barnsley 3-2 Watford (Championship)

23/3/02 Barnsley 2-0 Watford (Division One)

3/11/01 Watford 3-0 Barnsley (Division One)

Overall Record:

Watford Wins: 15

Barnsley Wins: 18

Draws: 14

Watford Goals: 52

Barnsley Goals: 58

At Watford (one game at Cassio Road, 23 at Vicarage Road)

Watford Wins: 9

Barnsley: Wins: 7

Draws: 8

Watford Goals: 31

Barnsley Goals: 26

This Season

Watford are proving themselves to be hard to beat this season, and have lost just one of their opening five games. They have only won one too- a 4-2 triumph at Nottingham Forest. It means they have drawn the other three- including both their home games, 1-1 with Doncaster and 2-2 with Blackpool

Barnsley are still looking for their first victory of the season and prop up the Championship- a plight that led to Simon Davey being sacked after the last game- a 3-1 home defeat to Reading. They do seem to be better currently on their travels however and have lost just one of their last eight games away from Oakwell in all competitions.

Mad Sites:

www.watford-mad.co.uk

www.barnsley-mad.co.uk

Official Site:

www.watfordfc.co.uk

www.barnsleyfc.co.uk.

Other Fixtures:

Coventry v Bristol City, 15:00

Crystal Palace v Scunthorpe, 15:00

Derby v Sheff Utd, 13:00

Leicester v Blackpool, 15:00

Middlesbrough v Ipswich, 15:00