Talking points from Leeds U21 game

Poor first half 

It was a tough watch for the first half of this game, as Barnsley's lacklustre press was passed through easily by the Leeds youngsters. The Reds conceded three and were lucky to have not conceded more, with debutant Jubril Okedina clearing a goal-bound effort off the line. It was hard to pick out any positives, as the players desire to play in this competition in front of a sparse home crowd was definitely questioned. 

Subs improve performance significantly 

It was not surprising to see Daniel Stendel make a quadruple substitution at half time, with Yoganathan, Town, Brownlie and Richards replacing Saunders, Alker, Farrell and Toure. The new additions made an immediate improvement adding more energy to the side, with Yoganathan getting into some promising positions and hitting the woodwork. Richards was a real handful down the right for the Leeds defence, scoring a goal and beating his man almost every time he took him on. Ryan Brownlie was announced as a permanent signing for the Barnsley academy today, and he impressed with a brilliant slide tackle that led to Richards' goal. After going 4-0 down, the Reds scored three but could not quite send the game to penalties. However, it was a much improved second half compared to a dismal first 45. 

14 days until next fixture 

Barnsley now have a two-week wait for their next fixture when they travel to Fleetwood in the EFL Trophy. The Reds then visit Stockport in the league the following Saturday, with their next outing at Oakwell coming on 17 October against Cambridge. It is a run of five games in all competitions without a win now for Barnsley, who will need to collect some points in the league when they return from the international break.