Speaking after our 1-0 defeat at home to Brentford on Tuesday, Valérien Ismaël believes his side struggled to make the most of their opportunities with the ball.
Barnsley rarely threatened to break down a stubborn Bees defence on a difficult evening at Oakwell, with visiting goalkeeper, David Raya, not particularly tested throughout the encounter.
“It was another tough game for us,” admitted our Head Coach. “We played against a very strong opponent; it was a completely different approach from the game because it was difficult to press this opponent – they played from behind with their goalkeeper to the centre-backs and it was like a chess game.
“We tried to find solutions with our possibilities and, out of possession, we did it very well. In possession, it was not good enough to hurt this opponent; we didn’t create a lot of chances and, in this situation, you have to deal with it.”
Ivan Toney’s glancing header midway through the second half was enough to condemn Ismaël to his first home defeat since arriving at the end of October.
However, despite not carving out many clear-cut opportunities, Ismaël believes that the Reds were denied a blatant penalty in the closing stages when Victor Adeboyejo’s cross struck the outstretched arm of Vitaly Janelt in the box.
“Set-pieces made the difference but I’m very frustrated about the penalty situation – it was a clear penalty and maybe you can score a goal and get one point,” insisted the Frenchman.
“But the feeling is good; the guys worked very hard and we are on the right way. We have to rest now for the game on Saturday and I’m confident that we can find the right words and be ready for the next fight.”
You can watch Valérien’s post-match interview on iFollow Barnsley.
