Wigan Athletic boss Gary Caldwell expecting ‘even more aggressive’ Barnsley FC
Gary Caldwell has previewed his Wigan Athletic side’s League One meeting with Barnsley
Wigan Athletic boss Gary Caldwell is expecting Barnsley to be even more aggressive than they were when the sides last met in August.
Before a ball had been kicked in League One, the sides played out a 1-1 draw at Oakwell in the Carabao Cup. Barnsley emerged victorious on penalties, with the since-departed Josh Earl steering home the winning spot-kick.
The cup tie gave Wigan an insight into Barnsley’s high-octane approach and Caldwell is anticipating even more intensity when the sides meet in the league tomorrow (November 14).
Gary Caldwell on Barnsley
He told Wigan’s YouTube channel: “I don’t think it’s an easy game by any stretch. I think they’re a really aggressive team. They make it very difficult for you when you’re in possession, we’ve seen in the first game this season, when we played against them in the cup.
“They’re a difficult team to beat, even though I felt we beat them on that day with the two perfectly good goals that we scored. It was still a really difficult game and it will be again on Saturday.
“If anything I think they’re even more aggressive. I think they’re better at doing what they do. They want to press, they want to press with a real intensity and numbers and make it difficult, in a man-to-man type game. I think they’re even better at that than when we first played them. We know it’s a really tough game, but it’s a game at home.”
Wigan Athletic turning a corner
Wigan and Barnsley sit 21st and 23rd respectively in the League One table but both have shown signs of life in recent weeks.
The Latics defeated Crewe Alexandra in the EFL Trophy earlier in the week, while the Reds swept Oldham Athletic aside in the same competition.
Caldwell said: “We’re in probably as good a place as we’ve been all season. A lot of things are starting to come together. The biggest thing I said after Tuesday night, winning football matches is a habit, a very good habit to get into. Having gone behind again, which is disappointing, to come back again, another good habit to have.
“So many things in the team are starting to come together. Now we need consistency of behaviours, consistency of performance, which will lead to consistency of results to keep building on what we’ve been doing in recent games.
“I think it’s a positive we’re at home. I think we’ve been very good at home this season and recently that has shown in the results.”