Barnsley v Sheffield Wednesday: Tykes boss Michael Duff praises Owls counterpart Darren Moore

Barnsley boss Michael Duff has praised the work of Sheffield Wednesday counterpart Darren Moore before Monday’s League One play-off final.

“Darren deserves loads of credit,” Duff told BBC Radio Sheffield.

“He is a good manager full stop. Was he terrible when they got beat 4-0? No. And he’s become a better manager because of the belief he gave them.”

Duff added: “I saw the video of him in the dressing room and the things he showed them, it’s good management.

“There’s one thing he has done the whole season and that is keep his counsel. He is a good fella.

“I don’t know what he is like as a manager day-to-day but you take people as you find them. We’ve beaten them twice and both times he has been humble.”

The Reds beat Wednesday in both league meetings in the regular season, including ending their club-record 23-match unbeaten run at Oakwell in March.

Moore was equally complimentary about the work Duff has done since taking over last summer.

“He is thorough and meticulous in his work, he’s a worker and he’s very astute with his approach to the game in terms of how he sets his team up,” he told BBC Radio Sheffield.

“He has got wonderful leadership qualities, he’s clear and methodical with his approach and his views. He’s done a magnificent job to go in there and steady the ship and give the whole place belief. Credit to him.”

The Barnsley manager was in attendance for the Owls’ miraculous victory over the Posh before leading his team to success of Bolton the following day.

He said the atmosphere at Hillsborough was better than Manchester City’s Champions League semi-final win over Real Madrid.

“It helps when you’ve got 32,000 fans and you score early,” he said.

“The atmosphere was incredible. I was at the Manchester City v Real Madrid game the night before and even though there was probably almost twice as many people there it was louder and more raucous at Hillsborough.

“That gives you an idea of the scale and it energises the players.”

Wednesday focusing on ‘positive elements’

Wednesday’s preparations for Monday’s promotion decider have been carefully managed by Moore, who stripped back their itinerary and gave players time to rest before Saturday’s journey to London.

Teams are invited to do a Wembley walkaround, to orientate themselves with the surroundings, but the Owls squad will make their first journey to the national stadium when it is game-time.

It is all part of normalising an occasion that can get to players, given the significance of the rewards at stake.

“There’s enough of the squad that have played there before or been in the arena for different events that we don’t feel the need to see it,” Moore continued. “We’re just focusing on getting ready for Monday.

“From the first and second leg it is clear the players know what it is about. There is a do and there is a don’t and I think it clear for all to see. I suppose there isn’t much for me to say on that.

“We have to remember that the players’ intentions are always to do well but we understand what football can bring at times. We always focus on the positive elements of the game and visualise yourself in that positive state.”

Team news

Barnsley could go with the same XI that started both legs of the semi-final win over Bolton.

Sheffield Wednesday boss Moore has suggested midfielder George Byers could be back in contention after missing the final two months of the season with injury.

Striker Lee Gregory will be able to play in his custom-built face mask after a fan returned it to the club having found it during last Thursday’s pitch invasion.

They will likely make changes from the attack-heavy team that started the second leg of the semi-final with Peterborough.

MATCH FACTS

• This will be Barnsley’s fourth Football League play-off final. They lost 4-2 to Ipswich in 2000 (second tier), beat Swansea on penalties in 2006 (League One) and beat Millwall 3-1 in 2016 (League One).
• This is Sheffield Wednesday’s third EFL play-off final – they won their first 4-2 in extra-time in 2004-05 against Hartlepool United in League One, but lost their most recent final 1-0 against Hull City in the Championship in 2015-16.
• Barnsley won both of their meetings with Sheffield Wednesday in the regular League One season, winning 2-0 away and 4-2 at home. They last won three in a row against the Owls in all competitions between 1931 and 1946 (5).
• Sheffield Wednesday haven’t lost three meetings against a specific opponent in a single season since 2003-04, when they lost four times against Blackpool.
• Sheffield Wednesday became the first team in the history of the EFL play-offs to reach the final after losing the first leg of the semi-final by a four-goal margin, losing 4-0 in the first leg against Peterborough United before winning 5-1 in the second leg and progressing 5-3 on penalties.
• Barnsley come into this match having won just one of their past five games (D2 L2), though it was a 1-0 victory against Bolton in the second leg of their play-off semi-final. Barnsley have lost three of their five matches at Wembley Stadium.
• The exceptions were two victories in 2016, beating Oxford in the EFL Trophy final in April, and Millwall in the League One play-off final in May. Their most recent visit was a 1-0 loss to Spurs in the EFL Cup third round in September 2017.
• Sheffield Wednesday won three of their first four games at Wembley (1935 FA Cup vs West Brom, 1991 League Cup final vs Man Utd, 1993 FA Cup semi-final vs Sheffield United) but are winless in their past four visits to the national stadium (D1 L3), with their most recent visit a 1-0 defeat to Hull in the 2016 Championship play-off final.
• Sheffield Wednesday have scored 104 goals in all competitions this season, their most in a single campaign since scoring 106 in the 1992-93 season, when they were a top-flight side.
• Including the play-offs, Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan has created the most chances in League One (133), played the most passes into the opposition box (512) and completed the most crosses (118) of any player. In all competitions this season, only Michael Smith (29) and Josh Windass (22) have more goals and assists for the Owls than Bannan (20 – seven goals, 13 assists).