Speaking after our 2-1 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday, Valérien Ismaël believes luck was not on the Reds’ side on a frustrating afternoon at Oakwell.
Barnsley had a goal ruled out and a couple of strong penalty claims waved away as we succumbed to a first Sky Bet Championship loss since mid-January.
“We are disappointed to lose the game, especially with it being a derby,” asserted Ismaël. “We know what it means for our fans but my job is to stay fair and have an overview of the situation, and we were not so clinical as usual, there was a lot of tiredness and fatigue, we made two mistakes and put ourselves in a difficult situation to come back in the game.
“After, it’s a fight. You have to score one goal to believe and come back in the game; we made it, but it was not enough. It was not our best game or day, but we have to get two penalties and it was one goal disallowed and I don’t know why, if you see the replay.”
The defeat brought to an end an unbeaten run that stretched 12 games, during which time the Reds accumulated 30 points and climbed into the play-off spots having been firmly in mid-table just a couple of months ago.
Up next is a home clash with sixth place Reading after the international break, and Ismaël insists it is an ideal opportunity to recharge the batteries following an intense schedule.
“We are looking forward and, since the game against Chelsea, it has been an incredible run and performances that have put us in a very good position – fifth position, now, with eight games to play,” continued our Head Coach.
“With the international break, we can breathe, we can see the family, we can recharge and reset and come back with a strong mindset, believe and continue to move forward to win the next game at home against Reading.”
You can watch Valérien’s post-match interview on iFollow Barnsley.
