Andreas Winkler is relishing the prospect of facing Burnley in the Emirates FA Cup third round this weekend.
Barnsley travel to Turf Moor unbeaten in their last five games and boasting the best defensive record in Sky Bet League Two.
And while the Reds don’t want to be distracted from their promotion ambitions this season, progression to the next round of the FA Cup – at the expense of top-flight opposition – would help to generate more forward momentum.
“The league is the priority but, if you’re in the third round, you want to go to the next round,” insisted Winkler. “We’re looking forward to playing against a Premier League team; they have a strong side but you never know. There are no penalty shootouts in the first game, so maybe we could go for a draw – or maybe more.
“They have really good centre forwards and quality on the wings with their full-backs and wide midfielders. They’re a physical team and did well at Huddersfield (on Wednesday), and deserved to win. They will also want to go through to the next round.”
Three clean sheets in the last four outings has been the foundation for Barnsley’s fine run of form over the festive period.
The Reds have also been imperious in front of goal in this competition, scoring eight goals en route to reaching this stage – firing four past both Notts County and Southend United.
However, Winkler asserts that there is no pressure on Barnsley when the match gets underway against the Clarets on Saturday afternoon.
“We will have enough confidence,” continued the Reds’ Assistant. “Not to be arrogant, but we will have a lot of confidence – that is the basic to be successful and I’m sure we won’t be nervous. It’s not Liverpool and it’s not Manchester United, but we have lots of respect for a Premier League team like Burnley and they’re organised and every player has lots of quality.
“It’s not different to Germany – you always have a chance, but we’ve got to show a very good performance. You also have to be a little bit lucky. You call it a giant killing here, but we don’t have to fantasize about that. We’re not only thinking about the result; we want to show a really good performance and see what happens after 90 minutes.
“The pressure is on Burnley, not on us; we are focussed on League One and the pressure is on them, especially playing at home. We have a young squad with lots of energy and I think we will be good competition for them.”
You can watch Andreas’ full press conference on iFollow Barnsley.
