Barnsley will use a 'siege mentality’ as they look to bounce back from back-to-back defeats when they visit second-placed Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday from 7.45pm.
The Reds are currently sixth in League One, a point clear in the play-off places. But they have lost their last two games, including a 1-0 defeat to Stevenage at home on Saturday.
The Chairboys’ manager Matt Bloomfield left last week for Championship Luton Town. Their caretaker is development coach Matt Grace.
The Buckinghamshire club are second, two points off leaders Birmingham and three clear of third-placed Wrexham.
Wycombe – who are 13 points clear of Barnsley – are by far the top-scorers in the division and only Championship leaders Leeds United and Liverpool have netted more in the top four divisions in England.
Barnsley head coach Darrell Clarke told the Chronicle: “I know if we hit the levels we know we can, we have a great chance of winning the game. We’re respectful of Wycombe who have had a strong season, they’ve lost their manager to Luton and added players in the window and invested heavily in the squad. We know it will be tough.
“But they will be looking at us and thinking: ‘Barnsley are a good team if they get it going.’
“I will pick the players up who were very low on Saturday and they, rightly so, got a lot of stick like myself. We have to build a siege mentality and put on a performance our fans can be proud of once again. The lads have shown they can bounce back and we will look to do that at Wycombe.”
Does Clarke think Barnsley can still catch Wycombe and the others in contention for the top two?
“Anything can happen. We won four games in a row not long ago, we have to put another run together. The target is and always has been to finish in the top six this season.
“A lot of players in this squad were fringe players last season, we added some last summer and we’ll look to add more this window.
“My job is to stay consistent - to try to improve the players physically, mentally and tactically. Mentally is key to be honest.
“We have to understand there is a high level of expectation at Barnsley in League One. We have to handle that and take the rough with the smooth.”
The Reds drew 2-2 at home to Wycombe on October 1, with Stephen Humphrys and Marc Roberts equalising after the visitors took the lead twice. Clarke was scathing about his team afterwards and appeared to question their promotion potential.
But those were the only points Wycombe dropped in a remarkable run of 11 wins out of 12, with the Oakwell game followed by eight successive victories which put them top of the table.
They were unbeaten in 19 games from August until the final game of 2024.
They have won four of the last 11. They drew 0-0 at home to lowly Northampton on Saturday.
They signed Danes Anders Hagelskjær and Magnus Westergaard this window for reported club record fees while 14-goal top-scorer Richard Kone has been linked with Luton.
The clubs have met 13 times, with Barnsley winning seven and losing two.
The Reds have won their last three games at Adams Park, the last time being a 4-2 success in March in which they came from behind twice thanks to goals by Sam Cosgrove, Donovan Pines, Corey O’Keeffe and Conor Grant.
Wycombe midfielder Josh Scowen made 108 appearances for Barnsley between 2015 and 2017.
Jason McCarthy, another ex-Red, retired last week and left for Brighton as a coach.
