Gerhard Struber says Barnsley will not panic following Tuesday evening’s 3-0 loss at home to Preston North End.
The Reds travel to Portsmouth this weekend in the Emirates FA Cup fourth round, and the Austrian Head Coach insists that he and his team will remain calm and stick to their game plan.
“I trust my boys and it’s a situation where we grow up a young team; we stay in the process but took one step back,” said Struber. “This was the situation in our last game and, hopefully, on Saturday we take two steps forward.
“We are not happy with the last game but we stay cool, work strong and clear in our plan for the next time and I’m very hopeful that we can create the same performances like the games before.”
Barnsley are aiming to reach the fifth round for the first time since 2013, when they were eliminated at the quarter-final stage by eventual runners-up Manchester City.
One of 43 teams to have won this famous competition, another cup run could be the perfect tonic for the Reds who formed part of the last four in 2008 – the year that Saturday’s opponents, Portsmouth, hoisted the trophy aloft at Wembley.
“Barnsley, the club, has a big history in the FA Cup and we are looking forward to the game on Saturday,”continued Struber. “We hope we can create a very good performance and, in the end, our clear aim is that we get in the next round. We know we need a top performance and every single player on his limit, then it’s very difficult to Portsmouth.
“They have a very good atmosphere in their stadium at home, when they’re on the ball they have a good transition in the offense. They’re a very good team in League One and we’re a good team in the Championship, and we’re the favourites and we must show that we’re the favourites.”
You can watch Gerhard’s press conference on iFollow Barnsley.
