Barnsley FC v QPR: Poya Asbaghi still up for the fight despite unwanted club Championship record

He made unwanted club history earlier this week by becoming the first Barnsley head coach or manager to remain winless after his first 11 league matches in charge.

Since arriving, he has also been stymied by injuries, Covid and some unconvincing trransfer manoeuvres by his bosses, not to mention taking over a confidence-sapped and failing squad who had won just two of their opening 18 league matches in a torrid 2021-22.

Despite everything, Asbaghi is not bemoaning his lot and still wants to be here.

He said: “It is like everything in life. The bigger the challenge, the bigger the reward.

“In the end, it is also about your personality and what you want to do in life. When things are doing well, it is an easy job.

“But when you are in a situation like we are in right now, you can either lie down on the floor, give up or work really hard.

“If you get up and are not too affected as a coach or player, no matter the outcome, you can say you handled that situation.

“And in other things you are dealt in life, they will not feel so tough any more.”

The motivation of savouring a first league victory with his young players is something which is also driving him on. He wants it not necessarily for himself, but for his squad and the Reds supporters.

Asbaghi added: “There are no words that can help them ease the pain of what they are going through from me. No matter what I say, people will still be disappointed or angry.

“The only thing you can try to give back with what they are feeling is work 100 per cent and try to win a game and that is what we are trying to do.

“We have the youngest team in the league. If you put the old players in our team into Birmingham’s team, they would feel like teenagers. Of course, when you don’t win, it affects you even more.

“We have not had experience of playing 100 or 200 Championship games. We don’t have a reference, but if we do win a game, we will gain much more than a 32-year-old.”