BARNSLEY’S work on the training ground during the international break will be centred on ‘transition moments’ in attack and defence.
The Reds have struggled to create chances, with an average of ten shots per game, and are the league’s joint-lowest scorers with just seven goals.
Their expected goals per game is around 0.9 based on chances created, while they have taken 15 shots for every goal.
Head coach Markus Schopp has attempted to implement a more possession-based style than predecessor Valerien Ismael but has had limited success, with just one win coming against Coventry City on August 14.
Players have made costly individual errors that have led to them conceding, most notably against Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth, and Schopp said he and his coaching team are working on ways to limit the impact of such incidents.
“The plan to work over the international break is first of all after so many games, a certain recovery,” said the Austrian.
“After the recovery, we know exactly where we need to develop.
“And even getting certain players back closer to the team is one part, but the other part is to improve in certain moments of the game.
“To be prepared in the counter press, and know how we have to keep the ball high up the pitch.
“You have to create exercises, you will find solutions where you have the transition moment, where the guys in the transition moment have an overload.
“On Wednesday (against Nottingham Forest), we could’ve had three versus two, and we are losing so easily the ball.
“Losing the ball is one thing but then you have to be better prepared for this.
“This is something that definitely has to get better – the distances between our attacking players and our defensive players. Because when you saw all the situations, particularly in the second half, they beat our last line where probably they were one-versus-one with Brad (Collins), it was always losing the ball in situations where you don’t have to lose the ball.
“These decisions have to be better, especially in the centre, and for those decisions, first of all, the players are responsible – but we also have to bring the players in better positions.”
Schopp is new to the league but said he was aware of the challenge before he arrived at Oakwell, and doesn’t consider his inexperience as an issue.
“The thing where I still learn every day is about my players. It’s all about knowing them, how they’ve been training in the training sessions.
“All the rest, no. In each league it’s the same, you have to compete, you have to get results. After an unbelievable season last year, I know what it means and I knew it already when I signed.
“It’s only for me to keep a certain identification and I think everybody realises the identification is more or less the same as in the last season.
“I will add something because this is important for the players who are available now. This is the way how I want to handle this, and I’m pretty sure in a couple of weeks we will talk about the situation in a different way.”
