Pivotal, Crucial, Definitive.
Those are just three of the words that could describe next weekend's home double-header. There's probably many more you can think of.
But one thing is for certain Barnsley really must take six points from Preston and Blackpool otherwise another relegation battle could loom.
The wedding, reception and honeymoon are now well and truly over after back to back defeats at Hull and Leicester, where worryingly, the pass and move football that destroyed Bristol City, Plymouth and Southampton was simply missing.
Next up presents The Reds with home games against the side lying 18th in the Championship and the side lying 20th.
When Simon Davey brought in his 14 new soldiers in the summer he stated whilst maybe not pushing for promotion or even the top ten, they would at least make the side more competitive in the Championship and ensure no repeat of last season's nail-biting nine months.
If we cannot beat sides ranked 18th and 20th at home, who between them have won just 5 out of 26 games and in Preston a side yet to register an away win then quite frankly we don't deserve to be in this league!!!
It is the fortress we have suddenly made Oakwell that has contributed most to our startlingly good start. Since the opening day mauling by Coventry, The Reds have won 3 and drawn 2 at home. A record which masks the away day blues which have seen just the 1 success- albeit a terrific one at Southampton.
The last few games have brought out the fickleness of football. 2 games ago fans were talking about promotion. Now the talk is of sliding straight back into League One!
Our fate is not so chronic. But these next two games, the latter once again on show to the world via the SKY cameras on Bonfire Night are the crossroads of our season to date.
Sitting in 13th position we can either go up into the top half and begin to dream of new beginnings again, or slide down towards another struggle to avoid the wasteland that League One is to us.
The results against Preston and Blackpool will tell us a lot about how our season will pan out. Buckle in, like most things with Barnsley Football Club, its probably going to be a bumpy ride!
Rob Miles (BarnsleyBoy)