Oakwell awaits in the FA Cup third round for Boro this afternoon and I suppose it’s a bit of a derby match.
Barnsley is only just down the road and it’s a good tie for supporters to go to after the New Year.
Boro will be expected to turn up and beat the League One side and continue their decent run of form over the Christmas period.
But that brings its own dangers.
Aitor Karanka’s side are expected to win but if preparation hasn’t been 100% then it’s the kind of game that very quickly can become a real banana skin.
Every Premier League and Championship club and down the country will fear they will be the team to lose to a lower league team in the third round.
There’s always a couple of results that come unexpectedly, and Boro need to make sure they aren’t the team that tastes that.
I expect it will be a tough afternoon for Boro.
The third round is always an opportunity for a manager to make a few changes and give some of the fringe players a chance to impress.
It’s the time of year that games are thick and fast and managers do like to tinker with their selection.
We’ll have to see if Karanka is tempted to do that this afternoon.
But that could be a dangerous game. You can very easily go to these kind of places and find that they are really fired up.
Boro are near the top of the Championship and Barnsley will see them as a major scalp.
Beating Boro could also kick-start their league campaign, so they’ll be all out for the win.
Make no mistake - if Boro aren’t up for the game this afternoon then it could become a very long afternoon.
It’s about how the players cope with that added pressure and that expectation on their shoulders to pick up the win and get into the next round.
The FA Cup is a fantastic competition and there is a real buzz on third round day.
There are a few non-league clubs still in the competition and preparing to play the big boys.
It’s always been a special competition for me, as a player and coach.
When I was a young boy I remember third round day and hoping for a good cup run.
It’s something aside from the league campaign and is very special.
As Boro were drawn against Barnsley (or Chester, depending on how the subsequent replay went) for the third round, I heard a few fans saying they wished they had drawn one of the big Premier League sides.
My personal view is that the most important thing is that Boro get another win - regardless of the opposition.
So for that reason a draw against a League One side isn’t a bad draw.
Wins breed confidence and a good Boro victory this afternoon will ensure they are bouncing into next weekend’s Championship match at Reading.
If you get to the fourth round then there’s always the possibility of drawing the likes of Manchester United or Chelsea, but for now it’s all about winning the next game.
Some people may also think that being knocked out of the cup early would be better for Boro’s Championship campaign, meaning there is no distractions from the promotion push.
But I think clubs always want to stay in the cup competitions for as long as they can.
You only need to look at some of the teams who have got to semi-finals and finals in recent years to suggest you can go far with a little bit of luck.
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