Barnsley v Brentford – Serious approach is enabling Reds’ confidence to bloom, says Valerien Ismael

For teams like Bayern, whose trophy cabinet has been bursting at the seams since the likes of the likes of Paul Brietner and Uli Hoeness first came to prominence under the management of Udo Lattek in the first half of the Seventies, being second is nowhere.

Barnsley head coach Valerian Ismael learned that from his spell at the Bavarian giants in the mid-noughties – a time when he played alongside future World Cup winners and other famous names in world football.

Oliver Kahn, Philipp Lahm, Michael Ballack, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Roy Makaay and Bixente Lizarazu were some of Ismael’s select band of team-mates who were part of the Bayern squad of 2005-06 who won the domestic double of the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal under Felix Magath. It is what Bayern do.

Ismael’s current club may not be abundant with serial winners like Bayern, but as far as Ismael is concerned, that does not mean that daily standards should be compromised – on or off the pitch.

The Frenchman’s start to his coaching career in England, which has yielded four victories in five matches so far suggests that his young players are quickly taking his messages on board.

Wins, of course, inspire further belief and adherence.

Ismael said: “I played for big teams like Bayern and know you cannot reach these kind of goals every year to win the titles and play in the Champions League as far as you can without seriousness.

“Because all opponents want to beat you and I try and transfer this to my players. These are young players who have to learn what you must do to get success.

“When you have success, you should not have a hectic feeling, but stay focused to give you confidence to show your quality.

“The most important thing is to stay that way and it is only finished after the last game and last second.

“At Bayern, everyone was 100 per cent focused and took every game seriously as you can. Whether you play against a bottom league team or Barcelona.

“Between the games is the most important thing. You can win the game before the game.

“When you get the results, it is easier to believe in these principles, but the players are very focused and the most important thing is that the players know that to play like this, you have to be professional, focused and show seriousness in everything what you do on the pitch and outside of the pitch.”

Amid a busy schedule which sees Barnsley fit in 11 games before the end of 2020, that professionalism is reliant on doing the right things away from the pitch as well as on it with preparation and recovery being fundamentally important, more especially given Ismael’s high-energy, high pressing style of play.

It is something acknowledged by his players, seeking to continue their renaissance against a Brentford side who they meet amid less tense and dramatic circumstances than on the final day of last season – when the stakes could not have been higher at both ends of the Championship.

Wing-back Callum Brittain observed: “There are a lot of games coming in and we have got to be focused.

“You have got to do all the ‘one per-centers’. Get your sleep in, eat right, doing your recovery and getting your massages in and ice baths.

“I think the manager is very keen on all that sort of stuff and drilling that into us.”

Yet to sample defeat on the pitch in six outings since arriving from MK Dons, Brittain is turning into a lucky charm for Barnsley, aiming to secure their fourth successive home win tonight.

Barnsley were one place above the relegation zone when Brittain joined from MK Dons in early October and now they are in mid-table, with Brittain also able to reflect on a seamless transition to Championship life so far.

The 22-year-old, impressive in Saturday’s win over Nottingham Forest, added: “Confidence going into games is what you need to perform and if you are playing well, you are confident.

“That helps when you start your career at a club.

“There are young players here and dreams and people want to achieve things.

“We are all good mates here and that is one thing I have definitely seen. There is a very tight togetherness and everyone will work for each other.

“The manager is giving us that confidence and reassurance of what he wants you to do on the pitch.

“When you have that main focus on what the manager wants, you see straight lines and just go and do it.”

Last six games: Barnsley DWWLWW; Brentford LDWDDD.

Referee: D Bond (Lancashire).

Last time: Barnsley 1 Brentford 3, September 29, 2019; Championship.

Support The Yorkshire Post and become a subscriber today. Your subscription will help us to continue to bring quality news to the people of Yorkshire. In return, you’ll see fewer ads on site, get free access to our app and receive exclusive members-only offers. Click HERE to subscribe.