This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

FLW’s Barnsley fan Joe Beardsall pundit has claimed that Plymouth Argyle are not an ideal first opponent for the team to start this season.

The Tykes are making their League One return after a disappointing 2021-22 that saw the club relegated to the third tier.

But Michael Duff has taken charge of the first team squad, and will be aiming to bring the team straight back up to the Championship on the first attempt.

However, this fan Barnsley supporter is concerned that the team is not quite ready to face a side of Plymouth’s calibre.

He expects the Pilgrims to compete at the top of the table this season, so is not convinced that this is a game that Barnsley can get all three points from.

The fan pundit believes new additions still need to be signed in order to complete a competitive side for the season ahead.

That has seen him predict a score draw going into Saturday’s clash.

“Plymouth away would certainly not have been my first choice fixture for a return to League One for Barnsley,” Beardsall told Football League World.

“I think they’re a really good team, I fully expect them to be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.

“I reckon that they’ll definitely be in the play-off mix.

“So, for me, it wouldn’t have been my first choice, I would’ve preferred to have an easier fixture.

“Particularly because I think Barnsley are still two or three players off having a team capable of competing in the top six this season.

“So I think we still need a bit more time to gel and also to bring in those extra bodies to make us as competitive as possible.

“I’m going to go for a 1-1 draw because we have been solid in pre-season, looked really good, had a good win against Sheffield United so I’ll go for a 1-1 draw because I think Plymouth are going to be another really strong side in League One this season.”

 

 

Barnsley have lost the likes of Callum Brittain, Cauley Woodrow and Carlton Morris from the team, weakening their squad over the transfer window.

But Duff has been entrusted with the task of bringing the team straight back up to the Championship, so will be looking to get off to a good start with a win over Plymouth.

The Verdict

With the transfer window closing at the end of August, there are actually several league games that take place as teams look to finalise their squads for the campaign.

This could be disadvantageous for Barnsley if their squad is not yet at full strength, having lost some key players over the summer.

But the team will have to get on with it, and Duff will have to put out the strongest starting lineup that he can.

Getting a win on the opening day would be a great start to what could be a very important year for the club.