Barnsley v AFC Wimbledon: Pressure is on us to score five, jokes Andreas Winkler
Early pacesetters at the top of League One alongside neighbours Doncaster Rovers and several others, the Reds are seeking to replicate the early-season feats of their feted promotion class of 1996-97 by winning a third successive league game at the beginning of a campaign for the first time in 22 years today.
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Hide AdThe Reds’ outstanding 4-0 opening-day destruction of Oxford has certainly whetted the appetite of the Oakwell faithful who will assemble today, but with that comes expectation – with Barnsley, alongside Sunderland, likely to be seen as a prized League One scalp this season.
On that particular topic, assistant head-coach Winkler said: “Maybe. That is the situation if you are top of the league.
“We talk about that, for sure, and speak about trying to find a solution.”
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Hide AdThe German quipped: “The expectation will be to score five (at home) now! But every match is a hard one and every week the opponent will be better prepared.
“We have to get the winning mentality and try to stick to our plan for 90 minutes.”
The early-season statistics of opponents AFC Wimbledon indeed suggest that Barnsley may be in for a less straightforward afternoon than the one they enjoyed in dominant early-season wins over Oxford and Bradford City.
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Hide AdThe Dons have made an impressive start to their season with a four-point haul, with their obduracy in conceding no league goals being particularly striking.
The club’s time-honoured traits of taking great delight in being cast as party-poopers and making fools of those who write them off has also already come to the fore in their first two away assignments of 2018-19.
The Londoners – tipped by many pundits as relegation favourites before a ball was kicked – have already spoiled Joey Barton’s first match in charge at Fleetwood and also knocked Portsmouth out of the Carabao Cup at Fratton Park in midweek.
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Hide AdWinkler observed: “They have not conceded a goal and it will be very important to penetrate their defence and wear them down with good ball possession.
“They have a very good defence and it will be a tough match.”
Captain Adam Davies, Liam Lindsay, Alex Mowatt, Brad Potts and Kieffer Moore are likely to be restored to the starting line-up.