Interim Head Coach, Martin Devaney feels the Reds players are well-set to attack the end-of-season play-offs, starting tomorrow night against Bolton Wanderers.
Stepping up to the plate just over a week ago, the former Reds winger led the first team in their final game of the regular season - a 1-1 draw against Northampton Town - and believes there's been a release of pressure following that fixture, with the squad now in 'a good place' heading into two huge clashes with the Trotters over the next five days.
"Last weekend there was a lot of pressure surrounding the game," he told us. "But ultimately we did what was needed and we are into the play-offs, so that was that objective reached.
"And this week I feel there's been a really positive vibe with the players.
"I feel that pressure has lifted a little bit, and on the training pitch the lads have been positive and there's been a real feelgood factor."
As was the case 12 months ago, Barnsley meet Bolton at the semi-final stage of the Sky Bet League One play-offs. And after a pair of closely-contested draws already played out this season, Devaney is expecting another close battle as the two clubs again prepare to go head-to-head.
"It's two cup games isn't it? And that's exactly how we are approaching it. It's two big games, two games - ultimately - away from Wembley. So it's about all of us as a collective coming together and earning two positive results.
"We've had two tight games with them already, we know what each other is about.
"We know their strengths and weaknesses, we'll be organised, we've planned everything really well this week and it's about implementing that now on Friday."
