DARRELL Clarke is looking forward to a ‘really massive game’ at home to fellow Yorkshire club Huddersfield Town tomorrow from 3pm and has told his Barnsley squad: ‘show me you’re top six players or move on.’
The Reds head coach still believes his side can finish in the play-off places despite taking only a point from their last five games.
Barnsley – who lost 2-1 at Stockport County on Saturday – are tenth, four places and six points off the play-off positions with 16 matches remaining.
Clarke told the Chronicle: “We will need two points a game which will take a big change in form.
“It will take a really good run but I expect us to deliver that. The expectation is always high and rightly so.
“I understand the fans’ frustrations and I get it. It will always be the case when the club previously has mainly played in the Championship.
“There will always be pressure which is on me, and I don’t like to take that responsibility away from me.
“The message is clear in the changing room: show me you’re top six players or move on.
“I am quite ruthless.
“Everyone understands it’s maybe a bit of a transitional period for ourselves.
“It’s not like a lot of players are leaving this football club and kicking on.
“But I do think we are capable of getting in the top six this season.
“My glass is always half full and it starts on Saturday which is a really massive game for us.”
The Terriers, managed by former Reds boss Michael Duff, are sixth in League One, two points clear in the play-off places and six ahead of tenth-placed Barnsley.
Huddersfield have only taken a point from their last four games, after a 16-game unbeaten run.
Clarke told the Chronicle: “We are six points off Huddersfield so it’s a big game.
“It’s a derby. We didn’t perform at Huddersfield earlier in the season.
“It’s a chance to put a good performance on in front or our fans.
“We will be ready for a full-blooded derby and looking forward to it.”
Clarke added: “We have to get a re-start and kick-start and there is no better game than a derby to do that in.
“Huddersfield are expected to be right up there. Their manager knows this club very well.
“There is a lot more financial capabilities in all the big clubs. Huddersfield are one of those big-hitters.
“I think they spent £3million plus on centre forwards in January.
“There is rumoured to be a player signing for a top six team on £15,000 a week.
“I don’t complain, it’s the nature of the footballing world. But a lot more League One clubs are paying massive wages.
“The average is well over £5million, two years ago it was about £3.2million, and last year it was just over £4million.
“More owners in the game want to get up the pyramid so it is fierce competition but I don’t shirk from trying to get us into the top six.
“I believe players have a ceiling but it is my job to make sure our players reach their ceiling.
“I think we can give anyone a good game but we’ve come off it.
“I think a few of our players are more than capable of playing for a top six team, but a few need to get there very very quickly.”
Duff spent a season at Oakwell, leading them to the play-off final, before moving to Swansea City.
In his pre-match press conference yesterday, Duff said: “We’re both on dicky runs.
“Our concentration is us.
“I had a great year at Barnsley. I had a brilliant rapport with the supporters and enjoyed my time there.
“It’s water under the bridge.
“If I get a bit of stick, I get a bit of stick. If I don’t, I don’t.
“The rebuild we did there was really good.
“It was a mistake leaving but you can’t live in the past.”
Asked if Barnsley were in danger of being out of promotion contention if form did not improve very soon, Clarke said: “Very much so. We can’t kid ourselves and paper over it.
“Not winning the last five has certainly been a frustrating period.
“We’re falling short but we have a third of the season to go and a big derby coming up.”
He also said: “I have been trying to galvanise the place again this week.
“It’s never good when the team is not performing. We try to keep the place positive. The boys feel that.
“But the only real way you pick it up is by winning the next game.
“The boys have been training hard in a tough week.”
Although they sold Michal Helik to Oxford United in January, and Matty Pearson is injured, Huddersfield still have former Barnsley player Herbie Kane, while Reds midfielder Jon Russell signed from the Terriers.
Barnsley lost 2-0 twice in Huddersfield in October, with two poor performances.
They conceded long-range strikes from Ben Wiles and David Kasumu in the final ten minutes of the league meeting then, four days later, went out of the EFL Trophy as they had just one of the game’s 26 shots.
The clubs have met 81 times, with Barnsley winning 29 and losing 36, including the last four which have all been away.
Huddersfield have not won in five attempts at Oakwell since a 1-0 victory in 2012 which is best remembered as Mido’s only appearance for the Reds.
After the Huddersfield match, the Reds play another game against a Yorkshire neighbour when they make the short trip to Rotherham United on February 22.
Three days later, they visit Northampton Town before starting March at home to Lincoln City and then making another long midweek trip to Charlton Athletic.
They then host Blackpool, a week before visiting Clarke’s hometown club Mansfield Town before rounding off March by hosting Cambridge United and going to Wigan Athletic.
