Barnsley v Reading: We are all hurting but no one is hiding, says defiant Barnsley chief

Under-pressure David Flitcroft admits he and his Barnsley team have let down the Oakwell supporters.
David Flitcroft.David Flitcroft.
David Flitcroft.

The Reds sit bottom of the Championship after nine games, suffering seven defeats, the latest Oakwell horror show being a 5-1 humbling defeat to Watford.

Fighting to keep his job, rookie manager Flitcroft’s side are in the middle of a daunting week of fixtures. They lost 2-1 at Leicester City on Saturday, welcome promotion hopefuls Reading to Oakwell tonight, then head to unbeaten QPR on Saturday.

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It is a mammoth challenge facing Flitcroft and his team, but one from which neither the manager nor players will shrink.

“We desperately want to do well for the fans and the people who pay a lot of money to come and watch us,” said Flitcroft.

“Even at 5-1, when we got humiliated at times, the fans stuck with us after the Watford game and it was important for me to hear that support.

“We have got to give them something back. We let people down – I let people down – but the great thing in football is that you get the opportunity to bounce back and put things right.

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“If Tuesday night’s the game where the fans can see us make a defiant stance against Reading, then that’s the time we will do it.

“We are all hurting, but no one is hiding. What I do know is the way this town wants their football team to play and the way the board and I do, with a galvanised spirit.

“We are going to find a way of playing and a solution to how we are going to win football matches.

“At the minute, everyone is trying to pull in the right direction to do that.”

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Flitcroft sees the next two games as “crucial” to pick up points before the two-week international break.

“We’ve got to have a defiant stand against Reading and QPR,” said Flitcroft.

“The next two games are crucial for us. We need something out of them, not only in a performance, but points.

“We need something out of those two games to just get the group believing again.

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“This group of players will get better, there’s no doubt about that.

“With the difference we’ve made last week (two new loan signings) and the strides we’ve made (in training), then the new quality we’ve got can really help us out at the minute.

“I saw some quality as well, certainly in the second half against Leicester – David Fox’s calmness, Paddy McCourt’s devilment and explosive pace when he gets on the ball.

“Jason Scotland was effective when he came on as was Tomasz Cywka in the pocket (position).

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“We’ll cause Championship teams problems and I’m looking forward rather than back at the minute.”

Barnsley have drafted in goalkeeper Jack Butland and Fox on loan to help bolster the Championship strugglers, and Flitcroft expects to see some of his squad exit Oakwell in the coming weeks.

“Bringing in players gives you a potential problem with a squad that grows,” he said.

“People want to play football, no doubt about that, and I have a group of players who, if they are not playing, don’t want to sit on their money.

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“We have a group of players who are honest and sincere and will want to get out playing football.

“The squad wants to evolve and, as a board and a team, we want to win football matches and the current group of players and myself aren’t.

“So we have to try and change something and try and affect that change.

“For us to bring the likes of Jack Butland shows what we are trying to do. We are not trying to paper over the cracks, but find solutions to the job in hand, which is trying to keep clean sheets and working from back to front. Reinvigorating and re-energising the squad will hopefully do that.

“We have got to do something different.

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“The league has certainly improved from last season and we haven’t got that momentum from a good start and confidence does suffer. I think there is a bit of that. Some of our players just emotionally need a little bit of time out to re-set themselves.”

Flitcroft is a big admirer of Nigel Adkins, Reading’s manager, who did an impressive job in charge of Scunthorpe United and Southampton.

With former Reds target Billy Sharp having joined Reading on loan from Southampton – being reunited with his former manager – Flitcroft believes Adkins will be a big success in Berkshire.

“Nigel Adkins knows this league better than most managers,” he said. “I think they got him in at the right point to do the surgery to the football club that it needed.

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“You won’t get a more hard-working and sincere guy who knows his way around a football club. He is very successful and knows how to get teams out of the leagues.

“Was it fair on Nigel to be sacked by Southampton? No, it was an absolute travesty.

“We had an English manager there who was flying in his football development. But he will rebuild and not feel sorry for himself and he’s got a great opportunity at Reading.”

Butland and Fox are set to make their Oakwell debuts tonight, but on-loan defender Peter Ramage is a doubt after getting injured in the warm-up at Leicester on Saturday.

Last six matches: Barnsley LWLLLL, Reading LWDWWW.

Last time: Barnsley 0 Reading 4; March 17, 2012; Championship.

Referee: C Sarginson (Staffs).