MARKUS Schopp is not reading anything into Bristol City’s terrible home form and focusing on ending his side’s own poor run when they arrive at Ashton Gate tomorrow.
The Robins are the only EFL side yet to win at home this season, while their last victory on home soil was 17 matches and 276 days ago on January 26.
They collected just a point from the final ten home games of last season then have drawn four and lost three this campaign, including defeats in their last two at Ashton Gate. Their most recent home game saw them lead 1-0 against Nottingham Forest who scored twice in injury-time to win.
No EFL side have fewer points at home this season than City’s four, one fewer than Barnsley’s total. They are also the joint lowest scorers in the EFL at home with four goals in seven matches.
But they have won four of seven away games, the fourth best record on the road in the Championship this season.
They lost 3-0 at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday and are 17th with 16 points from 14 games.
Barnsley have lost their last three away games while their only goal in their last five matches on the road was Cauley Woodrow’s stunning free-kick at Stoke City on September 15.
No side has fewer away points than Barnsley’s three while only Preston North End have also failed to win on their travels this season.
Schopp said: “Bristol have had a difficult situation but they could say: ‘here comes a Barnsley team who haven’t won for so many games’. I don’t want to look too much to the opposition because we played other teams who were struggling in previous games. Everyone knows we are struggling so it is more about us.
“We have a good plan for how we can create problems for them.
“It’s a very flexible team, they play sometimes with three at the back, sometimes four, and switch during the game. We are aware of this and we have to have the right answers. It’s a team with individual quality.”
Matty James, who spent the first half of last season on loan to Barnsley from Leicester City, joined the Robins in the summer and has started every league game so far.
Joe Williams, another central midfielder who had a loan at Barnsley, is also a City player but currently injured.
Manager Nigel Pearson has not won any of his 14 games at Ashton Gate.
The former Leicester City boss took over in February, days after the Reds won 1-0 at the Robins on their way into the play-offs.
It was their first win there in 17 attempts since 1993 and only their fifth in 48 overall with 34 losses, while it also ended a ten-game unbeaten run for City against Barnsley. The Reds have won just three of the last 21 meetings.
This will be the 100th game between the clubs, with Barnsley losing 44 and winning 31.
