We’re two weeks into pre-season training and the pieces are gradually falling into place once more at Oakwell as we gear up for the 21/22 Sky Bet Championship campaign.
Fresh from our fifth place finish last time out, confidence is high amongst the players – none more so than Carlton Morris, who was instrumental as the Reds launched that incredible play-off push.
The powerful forward is looking for Barnsley to build on the foundations of the previous term and continue making strides.
“Experience in the play-offs only tend to help you as a player because you just build on it,” asserted Morris. “Going into next season, you still have that confidence and we can be the team that achieves that sort of thing.
“The sky is the limit every season. If you don’t go into the season believing that then you’re wasting your time. We’ll get our heads down, listen to the gaffer, learn the different ways he wants us to play, kick right on and take it game by game like we did last year. Anything is possible.”
Barnsley will embark upon the new season with Markus Schopp at the helm after the Austrian joined from TSV Hartberg at the end of June.
Morris was full of praise for our Head Coach and insists there is a real unity amongst the squad currently as they aim to make more progress this campaign.
“The new boss is brilliant,” he praised. “The club knows what they’re doing; they keep finding these managers and bringing them in and the boys are buying into what he wants and demands from the players.
“Training has been met with intensity every day – which is what you expect in pre-season – and the lads are enjoying it at the moment; it’s a really positive atmosphere and that’s all you can ask for.
“We’re in the pre-season period at the moment and preparing, and we’ll have a clear identity and we’re looking forward to seeing how it plays out.
“Training has been a bit different in terms of the format; we’ve got good players at this football club and I feel we’ve got quite an adaptable squad – we can suit and play different styles of football if we need to and if it comes to it. But all this will become much clearer by the time the season starts.”
Away from Oakwell, all eyes are on the European Championship final as England take on Italy at Wembley on Sunday evening.
More than 60,000 supporters will make for a marvellous atmosphere as the Three Lions look to bring it home and Morris says he has embraced watching football as a fan again, enjoying all the different emotions that come with it.
“It’s interesting from my point of view because it really makes you understand what football means as fans; what football means to everyone,” said the 26-year-old.
“Once you’re in this situation, you sometimes forget the feeling it can give you on the sidelines just watching and it’s absolute torture sometimes – I’m sure everyone can agree – but, for the most part, it’s brought the whole country together and the boys out there are national heroes at the moment doing loads for their country.
“I know it sounds silly because it’s ‘just football’ but it’s more than that on a certain level.”
