BARNSLEY v CHARLTON

League One: 3pm

BY IAN WINROW

MICHAEL DUFF insists his Barnsley team are learning fast – but knows they are far from the finished article.

The Tykes head into today’s clash with Charlton in sixth spot in League One and on the back of a four-game unbeaten run.

But Duff (right) said: “Do we think we’ve arrived? No. I think it’s a four-game unbeaten run, that’s it. That’s nothing to write home about.

“It’s signs of progress which is the main thing that we’ve been looking for.

“Hopefully – it doesn’t always work like this – but hopefully we’ll only get better with the more work on the training ground.

“The group is the group now as well. We’ve had a lot of uncertainty whilst the window was open for two months of the season, which probably didn’t help anybody. There’s a togetherness, a spirit that has definitely been shown and a willingness to learn. They’d be the takeaways so far.”

Former Cheltenham boss Duff, who joined Barnsley back in June, added: “We’ve had to change in the short period of time I’ve been in. We’ve gone from a front two to a front three.

“They’ve shown a willingness to learn, a willingness to ask questions. That’s what we’re trying to create.”

Charlton head north with only two league wins to their name and without victory in their last five League One outings.

But boss Ben Garner is convinced his side is close to turning things around.

He said: “It has been fine margins. I think we could be six points better off in the table easily and the world’s a very different place.

“But we have to keep the positives, maintain the belief, look at what we have to improve and turn those draws into wins.

“We are not a million miles away, we are proving we are hard to beat and are creating clearcut chances away from home.”