[BFC SITE] "There are definitely a few frustrated bodies in the changing room" - Conor...

Fixtures

• Charlton Athletic Vs. Barnsley - Tue, Mar 04 2025, 19:45

Conor McCarthy shared his thoughts on the Reds' 1-0 defeat to Charlton Athletic on Tuesday evening in Sky Bet League One.


“Yeah, to be honest, a very frustrating one,” admitted McCarthy. “I think on the balance of play, we probably deserved something. Did we do enough to take all three points? Probably not, if we're honest with ourselves. But like you said, a draw was a fair result, and there are definitely a few frustrated bodies in the changing room, especially with the run of form that we've been on—three wins in a row. It’s a tough one to take.

“A couple of lads picked up a few niggles, so now it’s about getting back on the training pitch on Thursday and focusing on the process.”

Despite the setback, McCarthy reiterated the team’s self-belief.

“There was a lot of positivity in the changing room coming into this game. Not for one second did we doubt our ability or think we couldn’t get something from the game. We know that on our day, we're a good football team. We've got some excellent players, so we can beat anyone.

“It’s very frustrating because we know how good we can be, and that’s why this one is tough to take.”

With League One proving to be as competitive as ever, McCarthy acknowledged the small details that often decide matches.

“I think that’s English football in a nutshell. In League One, games are decided on fine margins. Charlton hadn’t conceded in nine hours of football, so we knew they’d be tough to break down. But we can’t dwell on it too much. It’s just a game of football. We lost, but there’s still a lot of football to be played.

“There are eleven or twelve games left, off the top of my head. That’s plenty of opportunity to put things right, and we’ll certainly look to do that.”

On a personal note, McCarthy reflected on his time at Barnsley and his desire to make an impact.

“I just said to the local press that ever since I made my debut—Plymouth away under Michael Duff—I’ve absolutely loved playing for this football club. I know exactly what it means to the fans, and I’ve loved every minute when called upon.

“Has it been frustrating at times? Yes, absolutely. But I pride myself on my mentality and professionalism. Every footballer wants to be out on the pitch, and I’m no different. It’s been great to get a run of games and show the fans what I can do because I feel like it’s been a bit overdue. Hopefully, I get a couple more games between now and the end of the season. If I do, great. If I don’t, I’ll just keep my head down and work even harder.”

With the games coming thick and fast, McCarthy emphasised the need to move forward quickly.

“There’s certainly no time to dwell on it. This league moves fast, and it wasn’t too long ago—just a couple of hours ago—that we were three games unbeaten. That’s football.

“Are we frustrated? Of course, but we have to pick ourselves up, get a few bodies recovered, and face Blackpool head-on.”

Fixtures

• Barnsley Vs. Blackpool - Sat, Mar 08 2025, 15:00

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I've not seen a lot of him, but I thought he did well last night. Brought the ball out more sensibly, though our midfield doesn't tend to show well to take it off our defenders.

There seems a good amount of past tense in that interview. Based on his performance last night, I'd certainly be wanting to offload Pines, Earl and DeGevigney before McCarthy.

 

Spot on lacked bottle in the middle of the park nobody wanted the ball after our bright six minutes.

 

There were definitely a few frustrated people watching also. Not sure where the passion and fight has gone from this team, we are lacklustre all over the pitch at the moment