Andreas Winkler believes it was essential for Barnsley to return to winning ways against Bristol Rovers last weekend.
The Reds responded to back-to-back defeats through Alex Mowatt’s sensational first half strike and further tightened their grip on a top six spot.
“It was very important to get the three points,” insisted Winkler. “The way that we won was very dirty or ugly, but it doesn’t matter; it’s all about the result and how we fought back as a team.”
One player, in particular, who has stood out in recent games is Cameron McGeehan, as he has stepped in magnificently to fill the void left by Kenny Dougall.
With the Australian midfielder now potentially out until the New Year with an injury suffered at Shrewsbury Town, McGeehan will be looking to cement his place in the starting line-up and his performance against the Pirates will certainly have done him no harm.
“Cameron played brilliantly when Kenny was with Australia [for the Luton Town game], so he was very close to being in the starting line-up,” continued Winkler. “Now he’s in the team and is doing his job very well, and you can see he is much more confident than before.”
Southend United travel to Oakwell on Saturday on the back of a heavy 3-0 defeat against Sunderland at the Stadium of light last week.
The Shrimpers are without a number of key players for this Sky Bet League One clash, most significantly, perhaps, Tom Hopper, who had bagged seven goals this season before damaging his cruciate ligament against Walsall last Tuesday.
Chris Powell is also missing Ben Coker and Harry Lennon after the pair suffered serious injuries against the Black Cats and the Saddlers, respectively, while Sam Barratt and Lewis Gard are also side-lined.
However, Winkler is anticipating a stern test for Barnsley on Saturday and will be taking nothing for granted as his side look to maintain their unbeaten home record this campaign.
“They have a direct style of football, but they also have lots of possession so, in some ways, they remind me of our style,” said the Reds’ Assistant Head Coach. “They’ve either won or lost nearly all of their games this season – I think they’ve only had two draws. I think they’re much better than their position in the table shows and it will be a tough game.”
You can watch Andreas’ full press conference on iFollow Barnsley.