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Reds have rarely had it so bad
NEVER had it so bad, Barnsley's depressed backers might be thinking.
Bottom of the league, out of the Carling Cup, haven't even managed a draw.
It has been worse, and the good news is the club still dodged relegation.
Back 22 years ago, Allan Clarke, in his second spell in charge at Oakwell, managed a team who reeled off six defeats in a row, easily over-shadowing the four losses suffered by Simon Davey's squad this season so far.
And despite that handicap they ended the campaign comfortably tucked into mid-table of the old Second Division.
At the beginning of the '86-87 campaign, the club's diary of disaster read: Crystal Palace lost 3-2; Oldham lost 2-0; Millwall lost 1-0; Leeds lost 1-0; Portsmouth lost 2-0; Shrewsbury lost 1-0; Tottenham (League Cup, first round, first leg) lost 3-2.
Clarke and company turned the corner at Grimsby with a 1-0 win and then went six unbeaten in the League.
Six years on Barnsley, under Mel Machin, were left behind on the start line again. Their run reached six without a win although a goalless draw with at Port Vale did at least put a point on the board.
Machin found wins equally tough to come by 12 months later but three draws helped ease the pain and climb the table.
In contrast Davey says his four without a win sequence is already the worst of his career and the pressure is already on to get a result at home against Derby County on Saturday.
Bad news for Davey is that last season's Premier League whipping boys Derby are desperate and a club who might look on Barnsley's record with envy.
Their 1-0 home defeat by Southampton made it a massive 35 league games since they celebrated a win.
Derby dropped out of the top flight with a parachute cash payment and were among the pre-season favourites to storm the Championship.
Manager Paul Jewell has revamped the team and might even welcome a match away from home. Their fans chorussed 'what a load of rubbish,' on Saturday.
What do you think? Add your comments below.
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Weather for Sheffield
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
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Wind direction: South east
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Sunny spells
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