Barnsley FC stay positive as they target great escape act
With the Reds being written off by most, Conor Chaplin is under no illusions about the task that faces the Oakwell outfit, who are seven points adrift of safety with nine games remaining.
The fact that five of Barnsley’s remaining fixtures are away from home, including trips to leaders Leeds United and fourth-placed Brentford adds to the degree of difficulty.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdBut most expect their fate to be decided during three successive games inside a week against relegation rivals in early July at Stoke and Luton and at home to Wigan. They also provide one inkling of hope.
Even accounting for that, few will be publicly heralding Barnsley’s prospects of survival, with Chaplin admitting that he and his team-mates are adopting a bit of a siege mentality.
He said: “A lot of the lads have bought into that and that is the mentality you need. We are bottom of the table and there’s no denying it.
“There has got to be a shift in momentum in these last nine games to make sure there’s three teams beneath us at the end of the season.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“There are teams who come back who won’t have anything to play for. You see it year after year, not just in the Championship, but in all the leagues.
“Teams who are up there can (also) have a bit of a wobble and teams who are above the relegation zone can start looking over their shoulder.
“Football is a crazy game and we are confident and looking forward to those nine games and giving everything we can.”
Barnsley’s status as the youngest squad in the Championship will preclude any notions of not just fear, but also fatigue, according to Chaplin.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe former Portsmouth striker says that he and his team-mates all continued to train rigorously during lockdown and that ethic has enabled them to cope seamlessly with intensive work during full training
He added: “I don’t think it’s been too hard as the lads have come back really fit anyway.
“The club did give us a week off, but in lockdown, that is the only thing you can do and a lot of the lads were carrying on with their running.
“It was an optional break to rest the body, but the lads wanted to keep up their fitness. Exercise helps your mood and everything.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdEditor’s note: First and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.
Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.
And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.
Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdIf you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.
Sincerely. Thank you. James Mitchinson, Editor
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.