Barnsley FC will surprise a few people, believes Gerhard Struber

The rock-bottom Reds resume their campaign with a trip to QPR tomorrow, mindful that they are seven points adrift of safety with just nine league games remaining.

Despite Barnsley having a mountain to climb, a run of three successive wins in February – including a sensational 3-0 victory at Fulham – has provided Struber with an element of hope that all is not lost.

Struber said: “I think the gap is not easy and I understand people from the outside think: ‘there is no chance for Barnsley’. But I feel the energy and know what can happen in football.

“So many situations are not clear in terms of the form from other teams and I feel we have nine games, which is a good chance for us to grow up with our performances and bring the right results.

“I hope we can surprise many people outside who do not believe in us.

“We have a chance, this is football and we have to believe and our spirit means that for any opponent in the league, we are not easy to play.”

Meanwhile, Struber has confirmed that he is hopeful that the club can find a solution with Yorkshire rivals Hull City on the future of loan winger Mallik Wilks, whose loan spell at the KCOM Stadium ends on June 30.

That date is also when an option for Hull to purchase the former Leeds United player permanently expires.

While Hull have an element of time in that regard, Tigers head coach Grant McCann has revealed that Barnsley must inform the club today if they are willing to extend Wilks’s loan.

He has stressed that the player will be ‘disappointed’ if he does not remain in East Yorkshire for the rest of the season.

Struber said: “The situation is that he has a contract (at Hull) until the end of June and after that, we need a completely new contract and deal.

“I am hopeful we will find a solution. He is a player from Barnsley and when Hull are interested, we (can) make a new loan deal. “We know he’s a player with special skills and special skills have a price on the market. This is the situation right now.”

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