BARNSLEY'S Bobby Hassell says his career in midfield is over. And not a second too soon.
Hassell, a natural-born right back by his own reckoning, has been hassled by the club's own fans since his switch further forward.
"Some fans have had a go but I just say that I'm there to do a job, sometimes it's gone well, sometimes it hasn't,"
he admitted ahead of tomorrow's match at Birmingham.
The 28-year-old returned to the back four last weekend against Coventry. Marciano van Homoet was suspended and Rob Kozluk fell out of favour with Barnsley boss Simon Davey, leaving Hassell at left back..
"I'm back at the back and hopefully there to stay," he added. "I played longer in midfield than I ever wanted to and longer than the gaffer probably would have liked."
Hugo Colace's problems over international clearance left Davey without a midfield enforcer. In Colace's continued absence last Saturday, Davey opted for a midfield quartet of Gary Teale, Brian Howard, Diego Leon and Martin Devaney.
Davey has more options for tomorrow. Mounir El Haimour is back from injury and is in the squad. Kozluk is also in the reckoning again.
Barnsley aim to collect their first points of the season at a strong Birmingham team.
"We're going there for the three points but we'd take one just to be up and running," Hassell said. "In my opinion we've deserved four out of the six points we've played for so far.
"We've been guilty of making silly errors in games, I was guilty of letting Coventry in for their second goal."
Birmingham have three wins in three but in both Championship fixtures so far have relied on super-sub Kevin Phillips, who almost signed for Barnsley in the summer when he quit West Brom.
His last gasp goals, off the bench, defeated Sheffield United at St Andrews and secured three points at Southampton.
Phillips made his only start of the season in the Carling Cup tie at Wycombe where goals from Mehdi Nafti, Scottish international Garry O'Connor, Cameron Jerome and Quincy Owusu-Abeyie brought at 4-0 win.
Midfielder Nafti will miss tomorrow's game injured. Likewise Damien Johnson and Kemy Agustien are unavailable.
Manager Alex McLeish made five signings in the summer with Phillips, former Everton midfielder Lee Carsley and £1m buy Marcus Bent joining permanently and Dutch duo Quincy Owusu-Abeyie and Agustien arriving on loan.
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