Barnsley FC boss on 'clear-the-air' meeting, January transfer window, fans' frustration and update on Luca Connell and Adam Phillips
The Reds’ home travails reached a nadir with a grim 4-0 home reverse to the O’s, with Clarke bringing his players in on Sunday for a ‘clear the air’ meeting to address matters.
Clarke, whose side visit Bolton on Boxing Day, said: "Listen, it was a disastrous weekend, I have not had much sleep this weekend and it has been very stressful. I was disappointed about Saturday.
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Hide Ad"I got the boys in yesterday and I am here to support them. They are young men and players and we know we have to do a hell of a lot better. But I am here to support them and he buck stops with me.


"We needed to come in yesterday to clear it up to get ourselves going again. Don’t think the boys in there don't care, I know they do.
"But I also wanted to give them a life lesson of what this club means to our supporters and Saturday’s performance was not acceptable. It starts with me helping my players and I look at myself.
"I have had experience of going through different emotions as a head coach and different scenarios in coming back from adversity. Sometimes, players have to come through those adverse moments to get themselves out on the other side of it and we need them to do that quickly and put Saturday behind us.
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Hide Ad“I don’t live in the mind of a victim mentality and the only way to put that right is a game against Bolton on Boxing Day.
"Our supporters have been absolutely amazing. If we have home form like we have in 2024 and there’s such a game at Christmas (last Saturday) and fans are paying hard-earned money to watch that rubbish, I can’t paper over that. It’s not acceptable.
"It’s not just that particular game, it’s about the course of the whole year at home and why (has form been so bad). We have got to be better, it’s not on the fans, but us.
"I get the frustration. It hurts me and I hope it hurts my players and everybody as we are custodians of this football club and the supporters will be here long after I have gone, that’s the nature of he beast.
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Hide Ad"What I do pride myself on is caring and I care massively and I want to be successful and I think I will at this football club.”
Saturday’s events heightened the need for reinforcements in certain areas of the pitch in the January window for the Reds, with their problems exacerbated by the absence of senior players Luca Connell, Adam Phillips, Marc Roberts and Josh Earl.
Clarke added: "We are always working on January and I have made m position clear with the board where I think we need to strengthen. I can’t thank the board enough for their support.
"Mladen (Sormaz) is a top guy and top sporting director and it’s a good board. We are in regular contact and I give them (suggestions) where I think are the areas of the pitch where we need to strengthen and then try and get those key players to come in and improve the squad.
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Hide Ad"But there has to be a mentality aspect for me. I try to be honest with supporters, you can’t have home form like we have (in 2024) and it has to be a mental aspect within the mindset of the players. There’s only us who can do things about that.”
Meanwhile, Clarke is ‘very hopeful’ that key midfield duo Connell and Phillips will be available for the Roses trip to Bolton.
Ex-Wanderers player Connell missed out at the weekend dye to illness, while Phillips was absent after undergoing emergency dental treatment last week.
Clarke added: “I am very hopeful. Both will be back in full training today (Monday).
"We’ll see. Hopefully, they will be back in contention.”
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