Barnsley in '˜false position' insists loanee Joe Williams

Barnsley's Joe Williams: Learning from Reds chief.

A youthful and new-look Reds side, hit by a costly late concession for the second game running in Tuesday night’s 1-1 home draw with QPR, find themselves at the bottom end of the table, with their lack of second-tier know-how having been apparent at times.

But Williams believes that the overall picture is rosy and, despite a difficult start to the campaign, he feels that progress is being made and that positive results will come, despite cruel late blows in their past two games.

The Everton loanee, one of the leading lights and most consistent figures for the Reds this term, said: “The lads were down in the dressing room (on Tuesday) and we were not at our best. I still think we defended well enough to get three points.

INFLUENTIAL Barnsley boss, Paul Heckingbottom. Picture: Bruce Rollinson

“But we are all young lads and it is a new experience for us. We were only going to learn from it and I am sure it will not happen again many times this season.

“I think the position we are in is a bit false, to be honest, and we are all confident that we will get back up there.

“I admit that after the first game against Bristol City, it was worrying how they just rolled us over. In the last few weeks, I think we have been outplaying teams, especially Wolves and we did well against Spurs and Villa, even though it was a 3-0 defeat.

“As disappointed as it is, I am not overly worried about things. I am sure we will be fine this year.

“The results could be very different, but they are not, but we just need to keep going and working.”

Williams’s glass is very much half-full, too, regarding his own performances and development following his arrival and admits that he feels a debt of thanks to Paul Heckingbottom.

The 20-year-old is effusive in his praise of the Reds head coach and is also confident that he will head back to Everton as a much more well-rounded player.

On his move to the Reds, the Toffees midfielder, on loan at Oakwell for the 2017-18 season, added: “I know Mason (Holgate) and Gethin (Jones) and I watched Barnsley on Sky last year and the way they played and the manager appealed to me the most.

“I have never learned this much under a manager. He has been unbelievable with me, to be fair. Especially defensively, credit to him.

“How I have played is credit to him. He is telling me everything.”