Midweek Championship Tips: Tykes to continue superb run at QPR

Jack Critchley
01 March 2021
5:00 min read

Valerien Ismael will be hoping that his side can continue their play-off push

Join

View market

Twitter

Facebook

View the Betslip

Championship expert Jack Critchley believes that in-form Barnsley can make it six consecutive victories this week as they travel to face QPR on Wednesday...

"Barnsley have only drawn twice under Ismael, and 11 of their 15 league wins have been by a single goal. They aren't blowing sides away, however, they have a handy knack of edging out their opponents"

QPR to slip to consecutive Championship defeats

QPR 3.1511/5 v Barnsley 2.77/4; The Draw 3.3512/5
Wednesday, 19:00

At the beginning of the season most Championship fans would have marked Barnsley as potential relegation candidates. Although they flirted with the bottom three throughout September and October, they now find themselves on the brink of the play-offs. They've taken 51 points from 32 games despite failing to win any of their opening seven matches.

Valerien Ismael has been in charge for 28 matches (in all competitions) and the Frenchmen has overseen a miraculous turnaround which has left Tykes fans dreaming of a promotion push. He's lost just seven Championship matches since replacing Gerhard Struber at Oakwell with the majority of those defeats coming against top six opposition. With an average of 1.89 points per game, the former Hannover boss has transformed the club, and his ability to get the maximum out of his players should not be underestimated.

Barnsley have only drawn twice under Ismael, and 11 of their 15 league wins have been by a single goal. They aren't blowing sides away, however, they have a handy knack of edging out their opponents, and the boss' tactical nous has been credited for the club's unbelievable run of form. He is hugely dedicated and works extremely hard to ensure that his players are well-drilled ahead of each match, and his young side play with the kind of energy and enthusiasm that is incredibly difficult for opponents to nullify.

They were defensively superb at the weekend with both Michal Helik and Mads Andersen barely putting a foot wrong throughout the 90 minutes. Cauley Woodrow was back amongst the goals, whilst Daryl Dike, recruited from Orlando City, has been a revelation up front and has perfectly encapsulated the club's hard-working approach.

QPR's fantastic run of form came to a stuttering halt at the weekend as they suffered an unexpected defeat to struggling Birmingham. Mark Warburton blamed the pitch for his side's poor first half performance but many fans suggested that his substitutions could have been better.

Supporters were disappointed to see goalscorer Charlie Austin leave the field with over 30 minutes left to play, even though the striker has to be managed carefully due to a history of knee problems. The likes of Albert Adomah and Ilias Chair could have been deployed a little earlier but, despite dominating the game, the Rs could not prevent Brum from getting back into the contest.

Barnsley have already triumphed in West London this season and, despite their recent form, QPR have still only notched six times in their last five matches. The hosts' are a very decent side, but they could struggle to match the energy of the visitors who look good value 2.77/4 on the Exchange.

Moore's appointment to inspire Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday 2.427/5 v Rotherham 3.39/4; The Draw 3.3512/5
Wednesday, 19:45

Sheffield Wednesday fans woke up on Monday morning to the news that their side has appointed Darren Moore as the club's latest manager. The former defender has enjoyed a successful season in League One with Doncaster, although he has a huge task on his hands at Hillsborough. Moore replaces Neil Thompson who has done a superb job in keeping things ticking along following the departure of Tony Pulis at the end of December.

The Owls currently sit bottom of the Championship table and are 12 points from safety. They've lost five of their last six games and with time starting to run out, Moore must move quickly to arrest the slide. At the weekend, the South Yorkshire club blew a two-goal lead at Kenilworth Road, and looked devoid of ideas in the second half. The removal of both Josh Windass and Callum Paterson was not well received by supporters, with the latter looking extremely lively and industrious prior to his substitution.

After failing to find the net in three consecutive outings, fans will be pleased to see their side get back on the scoresheet, although the manner of the second half collapse is extremely concerning.

There is still a smattering of quality in this Wednesday squad. Moore's first task will be to change the mentality of a side who have become accustomed to losing games. He averaged 1.58 points per game at the Keepmoat and managed to remain unbeaten in each of his first six games in charge. He'll be hoping to hit the ground running here. Under Thompson, the Owls had a decent home record, and have only lost two of their last nine games at this ground.

Rotherham have slipped back into the bottom three following a poor run of form and Paul Warne's men have now failed to score in each of their last four outings. Worringly, Warne is starting to wheel out a myriad of excuses for his side's below-performances and his team look tired and uncharacteristically disjointed. They've managed just five shots on target across their last four games, and despite firing in 17 efforts at the weekend, only one of them troubled the goalkeeper.

It's been a long season for all Championship clubs, however, Rotherham appear to be a spent force. With a little more time on the training ground, Warne will undoubtedly start to turn things around but this game is likely to come a little too soon.

The Millers have really struggled in February, and although they are always fired up for a South Yorkshire derby, their opponents may just edge this. Wednesday demonstrated their capabilities in front of goal at the weekend, and they could be buoyed by the arrival of a new manager. The hosts can be backed 2.427/5 on the Exchange and appear to be the best bet in this contest.

Entertaining 90 minutes in South Wales

Cardiff 2.226/5 v Derby 43/1; The Draw 3.259/4
Tuesday, 19:00

Cardiff's winning streak was ended by a second half equaliser from Paddy McNair at the weekend, and Mick McCarthy will be desperately hoping that his side can bounce back from an underwhelming performance in Teesside. Admittedly, it was a typically Neil Warnock-esque performance from the hosts which saw the Welsh club unable to find their flow throughout the 90 minutes. With just two efforts on goal, the Bluebirds will have been delighted to have left with a point and will already be looking ahead to this mouthwatering midweek clash with Derby.

Cardiff have netted seven times in their last two matches at this ground. McCarthy has seen his side score 19 times during his nine-game tenure and they're yet to draw a blank under his stewardship. Although they have improved defensively, they've kept just three clean sheets during that run, with two of those shutouts arriving on the road.

Although Josh Murphy struggled to get into the game at the weekend, Kieffer Moore was a fantastic target man, and there was plenty of width from both Perry Ng and Joe Bennett.

Derby managed to claw their way back into the East Midlands derby on Friday night with Colin Kazim-Richards rescuing a point for Wayne Rooney's men. The Rams were under pressure throughout the second half and struggled to get a foothold in the game. They still possess a number of matchwinners, though, and it was the former Galatasaray man who produced a moment of magic on this occasion.

Goals have been relatively hard to come by for Derby this season, although they have netted 10 in their last eight Championship matches and have hit the target in three of their last four away games. Both Lee Gregory and Patrick Roberts came off the bench on Friday and they have plenty of options to switch things up in the final third here.

This should be a really entertaining game between two sides who will be hoping to return to winning ways on Tuesday night. Both teams have plenty of individual talent and there should be a few goals here. Both Teams to Score is currently 2.0421/20 on the Exchange and looks the best way of approaching this tie.

You can follow Jack Critchley on Twitter @jcritch7