Barnsley will be looking to follow up their 1-1 draw at home to bottom club Plymouth Argyle by stunning English football’s top-scoring team tomorrow.
Head coach Daniel Stendel was furious with his side’s display at Oakwell on Tuesday. He kept the Reds in the dressing room longer than usual then accused them of thinking the game was won after scoring early, adding: ‘I hope the players understand what they want this season.’
His assistant Andreas Winkler said yesterday: “We were disappointed with the attitude and the gaffer was really upset at half-tine. He found the right words to say to the squad. We had some more words with them on Thursday and we are expecting the players to be very motivated because they know they didn’t do their best job on Tuesday.”
Winkler added that he hoped the players would not underestimate teams in the future. He said: “You can tell a child something is dangerous but they will still try to do it. Now the players know that they cannot do that again because we were lucky that we got a point. They have that experience now and I hope they will learn from it.”
Second-placed Peterborough United have netted 28 goals in their first 11 matches, more than any other side in the EFL or Premier League. But they have conceded 15 which is more than double the seven which the Reds have let in.
Winkler said: “We need an improvement in defending for sure. Almost everybody made mistakes and they have to step up against Peterborough. We can shut them out and keep a clean sheet because we are good enough, if we work together and we are compact.
“Peterborough will be our biggest test. It’s the club who has the highest ranking that we have played and also we have to play away. It will be a very good challenge for us. It’s very important to stay close to Peterborough in the table and we want to show that we are really one of the top teams in this league. It looks like playing away is better for us at the moment, but I prefer playing at home.”
About 2,000 Barnsley fans are expected at London Road tomorrow. Peterborough won their first five league games of the season then their next six have brought two wins, three draws and their only defeat so far, to Portsmouth who they have been battling for first place in the opening months of the campaign. The Posh are currently three points behind the leaders in second after 2-2 draws with Blackpool and Sunderland this week.
They are five points and four places ahead of Barnsley who have a game in hand. United won their first two home league games of the season but have picked up just two points from their last three fixtures at London Road.
