With just over a week until we resume our 2019/20 Sky Bet Championship campaign, Gerhard Struber is hopeful that the hard work on the training ground for the past few weeks will pay dividends when Barnsley take to the field.
Up first for the Reds is a trip to Queens Park Rangers on Saturday 20 June and, although our Head Coach would have liked more time to prepare the players for the upcoming period, he remains confident of securing positive results.
“It’s been fun and we are all enjoying our time together,” began the Austrian. “The 10v10 games have been great for us; it’s giving me a good picture of our future.
“The most important thing for me is getting my players ready to play my high-intensity football, get them in the correct mode – clear in our tactical topics – and clear to play without distractions.
“I see a big hunger in my boys and I’m confident of winning.”
Barnsley head to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium looking to complete a league double over Rangers, having edged an eight-goal thriller back in December.
Oakwell was rocking as Conor Chaplin fired home a hat-trick for the Reds, but it will be a completely different scenario next weekend with stadiums up and down the country empty as football resumes behind closed doors.
“It’s a new situation without our supporters,” continued Struber, “but we need our own atmosphere and a good energy in my team to perform our tasks and get the three points.
“I think QPR is a very good team with a good style and high-quality players, so it is a big challenge for us. We need the right energy.
“My focus is on the nine games only. I will be preparing my boys with a smart plan, an optimistic approach and feeling, and then in the end we can look to the future.
“It would be wrong of me to look beyond this.”
