Private player meetings show that Barnsley players care '“ Jose Morais

These are increasingly parlous times for the relegation-threatened Reds, who have won just once in seven matches during the reign of the Portuguese, with national reports of unease among players regarding the club’s current tactics and direction under Morais compounding an already fraught situation.

As build-ups go, it is arguably the worst possible development ahead of an Easter programme which starts with a Good Friday home fixture against play-off aspirants Bristol City, managed by ex-Reds head coach Lee Johnson.

Barnsley will set a new club record of 12 league games without a home win if they fail to triumph at Oakwell, although in mitigation, the majority of those matches took place under the command of Morais’ predecessor Paul Heckingbottom.

But the bottom line is that the Reds’ campaign is teetering on the precipice, although Morais views the players’ collective airing of passion as a good thing in showing they care about rectifying the club’s current plight – with it also serving as a starting point to any successful fightback.

Critically, he also feels that solutions can be found in-house after what he believes to be the equivalent of a family dispute – and that strength can be drawn from adversity.

“It is true that the players had meetings,” said Morais, who was appointed back on February 16.

“But I am very happy that they are having meetings because it means they care about each other and they want something.

“This is a very good beginning about what I want.

“We want to change things and we are going out of our comfort zone.

“If you want to keep the family (together), a disagreement is not something to worry about, but care about.

“You do not agree with everything in this world in your everyday life. There are disagreements. But the quality people find a way to come along, in disagreements, and do better things together.

“With what you have to give in life to others, you solve the situation.

“You do things to turn things positive.”