Gregor Robertson: Barnsley
To the roll call of opposition managers left flummoxed by a visit to Oakwell, and the force of Barnsley’s “vertical football”, we can now add the Championship’s wiliest old fox, Neil Warnock. The 2-0 victory against his Middlesbrough side on Saturday moved them up to fifth.
Barnsley — the data-driven, frugal-spending, intense-pressing Yorkshire club — continue to ruffle feathers and the thought of Valérien Ismaël’s relentless young team doing the same in the top flight next season becomes more thrilling by the week.
“They deserve everything that they get for the massive amount of running they are doing,” Warnock said, before bristling at comparisons with the direct approach of his promotion-winning Sheffield United team of 15 years ago.
“My Sheffield side, I am not being funny, but Chris Morgan looked like Franz Beckenbauer in comparison with them [Barnsley’s defensive three],” the 72-year-old said. “They don’t think about anything but hoofing it straight away, do they? But the [Barnsley] spirit has got to be fantastic. I hope they go up as they will ruffle a few feathers.”
Molly Hudson: Brentford
The best teams promoted to the Premier League are both competitive and good to watch, and Brentford tick those boxes. Sitting third in the Championship, the club look destined for another trip to the play-offs, particularly after their 5-0 victory over Preston North End at the weekend.
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This will not be comforting news to their fans given that last season’s play-off final defeat by Fulham was the fourth time they have fallen at the last hurdle. In total, they have suffered nine play-off failures.
Despite losing their attacking duo Saïd Benrahma and Ollie Watkins to Premier League clubs, Brentford have found another star with top-flight potential in Ivan Toney, who has 29 goals and ten assists in 39 matches.
In their run to a 2-0 League Cup semi-final defeat by Tottenham, Brentford beat four Premier League teams and under their charismatic manager Thomas Frank they can play an attacking style of football but also grind out results when necessary.
Crucially promotion could end the cycle of selling their stars. The potential of those players is clear as they thrive elsewhere, but it would be exciting to see what Brentford could achieve if their best players stayed together.
