Poya Asbaghi says Barnsley must be willing to ‘suffer’ against visitors Swansea City in his first game as head coach on Wednesday.
Barnsley are second bottom, four points from safety, after their 4-1 loss at Fulham on Saturday which Asbaghi watched from stands before taking over on Monday.
The Reds will hope to get revenge over the Welsh club who beat them in May’s two-legged play-off semi-final, winning 1-0 at Oakwell then drawing 1-1 at the Liberty Stadium.
Swansea manager Steve Cooper left in the summer and was replaced by Russell Martin, from MK Dons, who has them 12th in the table, five points off the play-offs and 13 clear of Barnsley.
They drew 1-1 on Saturday at home to Blackpool who levelled in the 86th minute.
The Swans have collected just eight points from nine away games, conceding the second most goals on the road with 18.
Asbaghi said: “Swansea is always a team you define with high posession. They have the highest possession in the league. They have players who can keep the ball and they solve pressing with dribbling one v one. They are unafraid.
“When we meet teams like that, we have to accept they will make us suffer and they will solve our press. It is important to know what to do in that situation. If we can handle that in a good way, I am pretty sure we can make them suffer too.”
Barnsley have played a back three for the last two and a half years, with Valerien Ismael favouring 3-4–3 as well as Schopp. Laumann changed to 4-2-3-1 on Saturday, with Asbaghi favouring a back four in recent years having played 3-4-3 previously.
Asked what system he will use, Asbaghi said: “You will have to see on Wednesday. Normally it is good if you can have continuity but we have to be a team that is ready to adapt and be flexible, depending on the opponents and what players we have available without mixing it up too much and making confusion.”
Callum Brittain returns from suspension while Claudio Gomes and Liam Kitching are injury doubts.
Brittain played with and under Martin at MK Dons and was part of the Barnsley team that lost to Swansea in May.
“I played with him and under him. He’s a great guy who helped me out a lot when we played together and as a manager. I know what to expect from him, his Swansea team and the style. I would like to beat him tomorrow.
"We owe them one. We didn’t beat them last season and we need to get one back on them. There is a little bit extra motivation. We know they are a good footballing side and it will be a hard game.”
Asbaghi watched the Reds lose 4-1 on Saturday at Fulham under caretaker Jo Laumann.
“The first 25 minutes were good, the team was compact and Fulham didn't have any chances except a set piece and (Romal) Palmer has a good chance. We were organised against one of the best teams. But you have to maintain that no matter what happens, and don't take too many individual decisions."
Asbaghi then held his first training session on Monday. He said: “We introduced ourselves and I explained we would get to know each other. We find a balance between our principles for every game and also looking at Swansea. It's been a lot of theory, maybe more than they are used to but they understood we're new and it's a tight schedule.”
