Barnsley boss hails Brady as one of the 'managers of the season' in League One

Cobblers head to Oakwell for their second away trip of the season this weekend and although the two sides have very different expectations this season, Clarke is preparing for a difficult afternoon.

“It is going to be a tough game,” said the former Cheltenham, Port Vale and Bristol Rovers boss. “Jon Brady for me was one of the managers of last season in League One, and he’s done a fantastic job there. But we have to focus on ourselves, what we do, and how we win the game. We want to get on the front foot, please fans with a good performance, get them off their seats, and try to get three points.”

Clarke was critical of his side’s performance against Lincoln last weekend despite winning 2-1, describing it as ‘nowhere near good enough’, but he’s been happy with how his players have trained this week.

He added: “It might not have necessarily been the performance I was after, but you have to put things into context. We were up against a side who had a tremendous run at the end of last season, we defended superbly well against a lot of diagonal balls and runners, especially in the closing minutes.

"I drive the highest standards to my team, and we have to be hitting those, but the response has been fantastic throughout the week, and hopefully, we can deliver three points on Saturday.”

Barnsley forward Max Watters is a slight doubt for Saturday’s game with a tight hamstring but Clarke hopes he will be able to play. Josh Benson played 45 minutes in the trophy in midweek but will be on the bench at most. Portugal Under-19s striker Fabio Jalo is out with a shoulder problem.