Following our 2-0 defeat at Derby County on Saturday afternoon, Poya Asbaghi admitted that Barnsley didn’t hit the same heights in terms performances in recent weeks.
Goals in either half from Ravel Morrison – the first of which carried a more than a suspicion of offside – were enough for the Rams to seal all three points in a crucial relegation battle.
“It’s a huge disappointment, of course; we knew the importance of this game,” began Asbaghi. “Coming here, we definitely wanted more than we got.
“I think, in the end, the performance was not on the same level as it has been recently. There are periods where we did good, but for 90 minutes we have to keep up a higher level than what we showed.
“We have been good at moving the ball fast and finding the free spaces. I think the decision making and quality was not as good as it has been and, in the end, it punished us – especially for the second goal that they scored.
“This is something that we definitely have to improve for the next game.”
Our preparation for the clash was disrupted by the news that Jordan Williams will miss the remainder of the season with a knee injury sustained in our 3-2 victory over Middlesbrough last weekend.
It’s bitterly disappointing for the 22-year-old, who has gone from strength to strength in the past few weeks, excelling on the right of a back three, and while Asbaghi accepts it’s a blow for the team, he insists there are players who can come in and perform in Williams’ absence.
“Unfortunately, it’s a tough injury for Jordan,” continued our Head Coach. “He will undergo surgery and will be out for the rest of the season. It comes at a bad time for us and for Jordan – he was playing really well.
“But when one door closes on one player, it opens for another, and I’m confident that we have players who can come in and play in a good way.”
Barnsley’s next assignment is the visit of Stoke City on Tuesday night – the first of three consecutive home fixtures as we aim to build momentum heading into the final stretch.
Asbaghi is hoping for a reaction and is confident his players can deliver at Oakwell.
“We won our last two home games,” he asserted. “We’re really disappointed not to win this game, but it’s not 12 points we lost – it’s three points. We have to bounce back.
“It’s three days until the next game and we have bounced back before, and I’m confident we can do it in a good way in front of our home fans against Stoke on Tuesday.”
You can watch Poya's post-match reaction on iFollow Barnsley.
