'Not going to be fooled' - Oxford United boss Aaron Ramsey makes Barnsley FC claim ahead of Oakwell trip
Oxford United boss Aaron Ramsey has previewed his side’s trip to Barnsley
Oxford United head coach Aaron Ramsey has insisted his side will not be “fooled” by Barnsley’s position in the League One table.
The pressure is on at Oakwell with the Reds languishing in 23rd. As it stands, only Wigan Athletic sit below Daniel Stendel’s misfiring Reds.
Oxford, on the other hand, are hot on the heels of the top two sides in third place.
Aaron Ramsey on Barnsley
Former Arsenal and Juventus midfielder Ramsey said: “We’re off the back of three home games, had some real positive performances in those games. Now, it’s about going away.
“We’re not going to be fooled by the position of them. They’re a good team, we’ve watched a lot of them, over the last few days in particular.
“They have some threats in their team so we’re going to have to be fully at it to go there and produce a performance and come away with something. We’re under no illusion, it’s going to be difficult. We’re going to have to be fully prepared for that.”
Ramsey has even suggested Barnsley should be higher than they are at this stage of the season - and is expecting a challenge in South Yorkshire.
He said: “They’re a team who have some individuals and some habits, perhaps they should have been higher than they currently are at the moment.
“It’s going to be a challenging game but we’ll approach it in the right manner and make sure that we give the best account of ourselves.”
Barnsley’s dismal form
Barnsley’s last league victory came on September 2, but Stendel remains confident he will be afforded time to steer the Reds back in the right direction.
He said: “He (chairman Neerav Parekh) would also like that we have better results, but he gives me the feeling that he is behind us and gives us the time.”