Steven Schumacher believes Wanderers’ confidence is still intact as they to try and avoid any further slip-ups in the play-off race, writes Pete Oliver.
The Whites missed out on a hat-trick of wins in mid-week when a 1-0 home defeat to Rotherham cost them their place in the top six.
Schumacher’s men failed to score from a glut of chances as they racked up 36 shots and seven on target against the Millers.
But the Whites’ boss is backing them to bounce back at Barnsley on Saturday as they bid to get back on the goal trail and try and hunt down Reading in the final play-off spot.
“I just don't sense that there's a lack of confidence in the players,” said Schumacher. “We try things in the final third - we try things sometimes that are not the easiest thing to try - so occasionally it boils down to decision making and then quite often execution of those big chances.
“I'm not criticising anybody, the players are trying their best and we just have to make sure that we keep performing the way that we are and keep trying to get into dangerous areas. We've scored loads of goals as a team this season and I think we've had the most shots out of anybody in the league, so that shows that we're capable of creating.
“A criticism would be that we've conceded too many goals and we haven't been clinical enough with all the chances that we create, so there's still loads of room for us to improve. But we're running out of time and we need to try and make sure we're ready for the next five games and get the performance right that makes us win.”
Reading – beaten just once in 14 games – went back above Wanderers in the table in mid-week as they continued their fine run of form with a win at bottom club Shrewsbury Town.
But even if results had gone the other way, Schumacher insists the message would be the same.
“I still would have been saying that same thing to the players,” added the head coach. “We can't slip up, it's too important, it's too tight for that final play-off position, especially with teams around you picking up points.
“You can't allow yourself to become complacent. If we were in the top six, we would be going for it. Now we have to chase, so we understand that. We have to pick up points and we don't want to drop anymore, if possible.
“What the overall points’ tally is going to be no-one knows, and I'd be very surprised if it's straightforward. It never is, there's always twists and turns, so we just have to continue moving on as best as we can.”
Wanderers will be without Will Forrester for the trip to Barnsley, who have slipped out of play-off contention on the back of a seven-game winless run, with Schumacher confirming the defender is out for the rest of the season with a hamstring injury.
Everyone involved against Rotherham is fit to go again, though, with Wanderers guaranteed more big backing against the side they have faced in the play-off semi-finals for each of the past two seasons.
“Even on Tuesday night, I think the fans could see that it wasn't a bad performance,” added Schumacher. “It was a performance full of effort, but just lacked a little bit of final product that we wanted.
“But the effort is going to be there, I promise the fans that from the next five games. We’re not going to give up. The way that they support us up and down the country, and here at home, requires us to give 100% effort, so that's what the players will do.
“They need to stick a performance in that, again, the fans are proud of. Whether we win or lose or draw it has to be effort there and to say that's what I can guarantee.”
Watch the full pre-match interview with Wanderers’ head coach on Wanderers TV