Flitcroft’s relaxed attitude seeps its way into Reds’ thinking

After witnessing his side successfully negotiate numerous high-pressure games since taking over, Flitcroft has every confidence Barnsley will not be found wanting tomorrow in their biggest date of all – and insists statistics bare this out.

So far in 2013, the Reds have beaten a number of high-ranking sides desperately scrambling for promotion points, including Watford, Brighton, Leicester City and Hull City, whose hopes of clinching automatic promotion last weekend were dashed by Flitcroft’s troops.

Barnsley have also refused to buckle in front of expectant hosts in Cardiff City, Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest in the past month, while showing their mettle to win a big survival ‘six-pointer’ with Wolves in February

Flitcroft said: “We have had this (pressure) for the last 20 games and it is just another situation for us.

“Over the last half of the season, we are played top clubs who have had to beat us on the day and haven’t, with so much riding on those games.

“A lot was made about Hull coming and having a party here last week and they could not do as we were too good for them.

“A lot was also made about Leicester coming to beat us to help secure the play-offs, while Watford were looking for second spot and we beat them both.

“Crystal Palace needed to beat us down there, while Cardiff needed to win to go up as champions against us and we got draws. We also got a point where Nottingham Forest had to beat us to get into the play-offs.

“The players have been comfortable going into some massive pressure games and there have been some huge ones we have played in. Six games ago, we had the toughest run-in, no doubt about that, and we have coped and managed with that. The lads have held their nerve.”

Despite the fact that Barnsley’s campaign is on the line ahead of 90 season-defining ‘do-or-die’ minutes at the John Smith’s Stadium tomorrow – and mindful that defeat would seal relegation for the Reds after six seasons in the Championship – Flitcroft is remaining calm.

The 39-year-old insists that his side, bottom of the table with just five wins in 25 matches and 21 points when he took over after Keith Hill’s exit at the turn of the year, are just glad to still be in with a fighting chance of survival after many wrote them off at the start of the New Year.

Flitcroft added: “I have been relaxed all the way. I think if I am not relaxed or confident, then that will feed through to the players and fans.

“I have always been positive about the job here. Yes, I did not think it would take 54 points to get to this point; I was expecting possibly a target of 48.

“But we have just overachieved and overachieved and got to this point now ahead of the last game and I am delighted the lads have given themselves a shot of trying to beat Huddersfield and that we are still in the mix.”

Town may only need a point to confirm their own Championship status tomorrow, but Flitcroft is sure that former Oakwell chief Mark Robins will not be hedging his bets and will be going all out for victory over his erstwhile club tomorrow.

He said: “Because Mark spent time here and it is his own club, I think he will be desperate to beat us, I really do, and feel he will send his team out to do that.

“We are expecting Huddersfield trying to take us and beat us.

“I don’t think they will enter things cagily.”

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