Ethan Pinnock and Liam Lindsay are linchpins of a backline that has Barnsley on course for a return to the ChampionshipThere is something about Barnsley and the art of defending. In the Yorkshire town where John Stones and Alfie Mawson honed their craft, a new era of centre-backs is quietly going about its business. At the heart of a near-watertight defence that boasts the best record in the Football League, Ethan Pinnock and Liam Lindsay are providing a steely platform for Daniel Stendel’s side to shine. With six games to play, the team are second in League One and well placed to return to the Championship at the first attempt.Portsmouth and Sunderland may yet have something to say about that...
The club’s sudden and unexpected upturn is a serious threat to American League powerhouses, and confirmation of one man’s skillsBilly Beane, the executive VP of baseball operations and resident mad scientist of the Oakland Athletics, is back disrupting American League powerhouses, safely ensconced beneath 50 feet of crap. After four losing seasons the ballyhooed Beane, made famous around the globe thanks to his portrayal in Moneyball, has his A’s on the brink of bringing Hollywood storylines back to the Bay Area. And only now, after nearly two months of piling up victories, is the baseball world finally taking notice. Related: 'It was intentional': Braves and Marlins brawl after Urena hits Acuna with 97mph fastball Chaptain America has a PSA for...
Heckingbottom can focus on coaching in a way that became impossible at Barnsley but inherits a mishmash of a squad which looks meek beside most of Leeds’ promotion rivalsThis season was supposed to be different for Leeds United. But an embarrassing FA Cup exit at Newport County last month proved the beginning of the end for Thomas Christiansen, paving the way for the club’s 10th manager since February 2012. In hiring Paul Heckingbottom, Leeds have landed a coach with a burgeoning reputation, renowned for accelerating the development of younger players, plucking and polishing rough diamonds, and crafting a vibrant and expressive Barnsley team on limited resources.In between the release of that cringeworthy club crest last month, an alarming dip in...
From Ipswich’s play-off hoodoo to a youthful Nottingham Forest, half a dozen teams who have been on the fringes of the Premier League partyMillwall have only ever had two seasons in the top flight of English football. Founded in 1885, it took them more than 100 years to reach the elite and they were understandably determined to make a strong first impression after going up as champions in 1988. They looked like First Division naturals at first, finishing 10th under John Docherty, thriving thanks to the goals of Tony Cascarino and Teddy Sheringham. They were top after five games of the 1989-90 campaign, but second-season syndrome bit real bad and they straggled home in last place. Related: The Joy of...
Manager has had to battle player departures as well as off-field disruptions but his no-excuses philosophy is reaping remarkable rewardIt has been quite some 12 months for Paul Heckingbottom since taking control of Barnsley, initially as a caretaker manager, for the second time. Heckingbottom cancelled his beach holiday last year, booked while fighting relegation to League Two, to make an unlikely engagement: the League One play-off final. Since winning promotion, Heckingbottom has been at the centre of another mission impossible.Barnsley, with one of the smallest budgets in the division, are looking good for a top-10 finish and the Championship play-offs remain in view after a goalless draw at Reading on Saturday. Related: Football League your thoughts: Darren Bent leads dramatic...