Speaking after our 1-0 defeat against Luton Town on Saturday afternoon, Gerhard Struber said the Reds lacked physicality.
Barnsley were undone by James Collins’ second half strike in a game where chances were few and far between for both sides, but the Hatters took their one big opportunity.
“I was expecting a very difficult game, especially from the physical side – the aggression from the opponent was not helpful for us,” admitted Struber. “In the second half, we lost our game style on the ball and this was, in the end, the issue that the opponent had more momentum.
“I expect in every game a performance and bravery, and I think we didn’t have this in every situation; the big heart and bravery that you want to play football in the Championship. From the physical side, we always have a disadvantage – we have to play the ball very quick with good decisions and I could not see throughout the whole game my style, and this is, in the end, not helpful.”
Despite suffering a first loss at Oakwell since March, there have been plenty of encouraging displays from the Reds over the past few months.
There is much more solidity within the squad as Barnsley continue to limit their opponent’s goal scoring chances, and Struber is hopeful that his side can bounce back – starting with the Carabao Cup trip to Middlesbrough on Tuesday evening.
“Many things have gone in a good direction, but we lost this game,” continued our Head Coach. “The performance was not in the direction that I want and what I expect from my boys.
“Now, it’s a disappointing situation with our performance and from the result but we have on Tuesday a chance to change the direction.”
You can watch Gerhard’s post-match interview on iFollow Barnsley.
