'I've never been on a run like this before': Michael Duff trying to find answers to Barnsley FC's goalscoring problems

After an unbeaten September, the Reds have suddenly picked up only one point from their last 12 available without finding the net in the process.

While accepting that it is part of the ups and downs of football at a club still finding a new way, Duff knows it needs addressing urgently, starting on Saturday against Forest Green Rovers at Oakwell.

"We’re in a horrible run at the minute,” said Duff. “It’s not that we’re not being clinical enough, we’re just not creating enough chances, I’d be foolish if I was to say we’re opening teams up left, right and centre. But we are getting punished by opponents being unbelievably clinical.

"It’s a tough run, it affects confidence, but football constantly gives you different questions.”

Duff will try to find the answers by attempting to coax more attacking ingenuity out of his squad while at the same time maintaining a resoluteness at the back that has seen them concede just four goals in that poor sequence.

“It’s a funny run, I don’t think I’ve been in this situation before. All four goals that have gone in, not once can you blame the goalkeeper,” offered Duff. “Quite often you look at the goalkeeper, but he’s been a sitting duck for all of them.

“So that part of the pitch is not the problem but we’re not stupid either, we know we need to get better at the other end of the pitch.

"Whether we look at tweaking the formation, whether we look to play a different way; they’re all things from watching the (Lincoln) game back, we kept the ball but there wasn’t enough to penetrate.

"We get the ball to 20/30 yards from goal really well, from there it’s detail and what you’re doing in those areas, that’s something we’ll work on.

"It’s the detail now; w hy are crosses not working, are we crossing into the right areas?

“It’s the mentality as well, every ti me we go 1-0 down we see the confidence drain away from them, and that’s with the supporters as well.

“There’s no point feeling sorry for ourselves, we’ll work hard, improve and try and get the next result.”