Barnsley FC feeling positive vibes as Championship survival bid gathers pace

It was bold talk from a player with the division’s bottom team, nine points adrift of safety and with just four wins all season.

But while most outside observers have written off the chances of the Reds avoiding dropping into League One, striker Morris insists belief in the camp remains strong, and if they can reproduce the form shown in winning 2-0 at Hull, it might be more than just wishful thinking.

“Football’s a funny game,” he stressed after scoring one goal and making the other. “It’s easy to forget what you’re capable of in a spell that’s not going your way. You’ve just got to have positive team-mates around you who will lift you up when you’re down and tune you in when you need it.

“If people are writing us off, that’s their prerogative. We’re not writing ourselves off, we have confidence in ourselves.

“I don’t doubt my team-mates, I know what we’re capable of. What’s stopping us winning three, four, five games in a row? Nothing in my opinion.

“We can beat anyone. We can go to the best team in the league away from home and get a result. We’ve done it before, we can do it again. That’s the mentality you have to take into every game. As long as you take it a game at a time the possibilities are endless.”

All season long Barnsley have been better defensively than their position might suggest but the January arrival of Amine Bassi and Domingos Quina have provided extra creativity between midfield and the forward line.

“Those two have done brilliantly, they’ve had an impact in every game they’ve been involved in and they bring us something different,” said Morris. “It’s exciting times, I think we’re capable of anything, I’ve always said that.

“If you’re confident in your backline that always helps you to feel like you can express yourself and our defensive record also speaks to how unfortunate we might have been at times.

“(The formation) is fluid, that’s the way it’s designed. It’s quite intricate and the lads are doing really well to take it in, culminating in Tuesday’s first-half performance.

“I’ve always got lots of options and I don’t feel isolated. Tuesday’s first half was genuinely enjoyable and I hope our fans enjoyed it.”