Gerhard Struber sees everything but the finishing as Leeds United leave Barnsley staring at relegation

The relegation-threatened Reds started the better at Elland Road and while the Whites slowly took control of the first half, inching in front through a Michael Sollbauer own goal, Barnsley were the better team over the 90 minutes.

For all their second-half pressure, however, they could not find the net and remain bottom of the Championship with two games remaining.

“At the moment everyone is sharp like a knife, but not a goal,” he said. “This is our issue.

“The performance was very good and especially in the second half we had the game in our hands. We created many chances but in the last third but finding the killer pass to score goals is our big issue at the moment.

“My players worked so hard together in this game and I am very proud of their performance but in our situation we need points.

“This is the big issue, that we don't pick up points for our performances. It was the same situation against Wigan and Luton.

“The second-half performance was of the highest level from many players but we couldn't get the benefit. It's very frustrating.

“We created chances but the biggest issue is we can't score goals at the moment and if you don't score goals you can't win games. It's very disappointing for me and my boys. Their attitude and their togetherness was of the highest level, as was our match. We had such a good plan against the ball but we have no points for it.

“I think we've done so many things at the moment to move in the right direction. Our fitness levels, our gameplan. In the last third we created good chances and we had a big focus on defence and counter-pressing.

“In so many areas of the field we've had a big development in the last few months but in the end we need points.”

Struber accepts that his team need to win their last two games, at home to Nottingham Forest and away to Brentford to prevent an immediate return to League One.

Lifting his players after such a draining game and a demoralising defeat will be difficult.

“That's my job, to get them into the right mindset and have the right plan for my players,”he shrugged.

“It's a young group and most of the players never give up and we work until the last game. I hope we have the breath until the last game because we have a chance to stay in the league but we have to pick up points. This is the biggest responsibility for everyone, to fight until the last game.”

Editor’s note: first and foremost - and rarely have I written down these words with more sincerity - I hope this finds you well.

Almost certainly you are here because you value the quality and the integrity of the journalism produced by The Yorkshire Post’s journalists - almost all of which live alongside you in Yorkshire, spending the wages they earn with Yorkshire businesses - who last year took this title to the industry watchdog’s Most Trusted Newspaper in Britain accolade.

And that is why I must make an urgent request of you: as advertising revenue declines, your support becomes evermore crucial to the maintenance of the journalistic standards expected of The Yorkshire Post. If you can, safely, please buy a paper or take up a subscription. We want to continue to make you proud of Yorkshire’s National Newspaper but we are going to need your help.

Postal subscription copies can be ordered by calling 0330 4030066 or by emailing [email protected]. Vouchers, to be exchanged at retail sales outlets - our newsagents need you, too - can be subscribed to by contacting subscriptions on 0330 1235950 or by visiting www.localsubsplus.co.uk where you should select The Yorkshire Post from the list of titles available.

If you want to help right now, download our tablet app from the App / Play Stores. Every contribution you make helps to provide this county with the best regional journalism in the country.

Sincerely. Thank you.

James Mitchinson

Editor