Mike Bähre says Barnsley are eager to progress to the third round of the Emirates FA Cup when they travel to Southend Untied on Saturday.
The Reds overcame Sky Bet League Two Notts County in the first round – a 4-0 win at Oakwell – while Chris Powell’s side needed a replay to beat Crawley Town.
Kieffer Moore was the only goal scorer when we met the Shrimpers earlier this month, and our German midfield maestro is adamant that the lure of a potential glamour tie will help drive the team forward to victory.
“Our goal is to get to the next round because the Premier League teams join, so it will be a big experience for all of us to play against a big team or at a big stadium – or maybe here at Oakwell against a big team,” insisted Bähre.
“There’s only one goal for Saturday and that’s to get to the next round. I think if we played at Oakwell we’d have a better opportunity to win against a big team, but it would be a great experience to play at a big stadium.”
Bähre has settled well to life in South Yorkshire since arriving from Hannover 96 in the summer transfer window, producing a number of accomplished performances in his short Barnsley career.
The 23-year-old has featured 15 times already this season and could have an increased involvement over the coming weeks as the fixtures start to pile up during the festive period – something the Reds’ midfielder hasn’t experienced in Germany due to the winter break.
“It wasn’t easy when I first came here because I wasn’t used to playing so many games, but now I’m in the team and used to playing here with the power and speed of English football,” continued Bähre. “But I think I’ve shown what I can do and hopefully I’ll get more minutes in the next games.
“It’s a big point here to have so many games; it’s different to Germany. You get your fitness in the matches – no training can replace that. Everyone is fit and happy to play and I think that’s why the games are more important than training.”
You can watch Mike’s full press conference on iFollow Barnsley.
