SPEAK to Barnsley’s players and they all say that Poga Asbaghi has made a very positive impression on the training ground in terms of his technical and tactical work.

But in the heat of Championship battle, how can you coach players into making smart decisions when many are still inexperienced at this level?

The degree of difficulty is increased by the fact that Barnsley are playing a style of football which has veered away from the success of the Valerien Ismael era – at the club’s behest, it must be said.

Ismael’s direct approach – which bypassed the centre of the pitch – brought results, but did not bring offers for leading players despite a top-six finish.

Blackburn Rovers' Reda Khadra (left) and Barnsley's Mads Andersen (right) battle for the ball during the Sky Bet Championship match at Ewood Park on Wednesday (Picture: PA)

That was seemingly the bottom line for the club’s hierarchy, so the style has changed – and results have nosedived.

Barnsley look a team who are crying out for some experience playing their current style, particularly in midfield. Their loss at Blackburn on Wednesday resulted from two mistakes in the centre of the pitch when the visitors had the ball.

Just as Schopp has found out, coaching ‘game management’ is tough when you have not got a leader in the middle of the field.

On teaching smartness, Asbaghi – yet to sample victory in six games in charge – said: “It is about positioning and decision-making.

Matchwinner for Blackburn against Barnsley (Picture: PA)

“The other part is that if you get too afraid as we are losing balls and then we don’t do it (right positioning) how are we going to learn. It is a thin margin to balance as a coach as we have to win football games. If we go into the next game and are afraid, are we going to win? No.

“We have to make small adjustments in decision-making and positioning. But we have to learn by doing and hopefully it will not be too late until we learn this to turn things around.”

Developing players takes time, but Barnsley do not have the time if they are to save their season.

That is the conundrum for Asbaghi after arriving midway through a troubled campaign. To get results, Barnsley need more experience. He added: “Of course, we need to develop players, they are young players, but what happens with young players is that they can maybe learn faster than an older player. They learn from their mistakes and I am confident they will.”

Are Barnsley FC’s young players afraid to make mistakes?