Striker Thiam sets his sights on taking Reds straight back up
BARNSLEY forward Mamadou Thiam believes that the Reds’ attacking armoury will prove the trump card in their League One promotion quest.
Daniel Stendel’s side boast impressive statistics at both ends of the pitch with their defensive record being the joint best in the division with Blackpool, while only Peterborough have found the net more times this season.
Despite being without topscorer Kieffer Moore and headline summer striking recruit Cauley Woodrow for Saturday’s encounter with Luton Town, the Reds still managed to find the net three times. Ten different players have scored in the league so far this term.
Thiam’s magnificent late goal proved the decisive one in the 3-2 success and the Frenchman is targeting a 10-goal haul between now and May.
He said: “We have a very good team with great quality. This season we have scored a lot of goals and last season it was a problem.
“I have scored four goals and, hopefully, I will get to 10. After that if I do more it is good. But 10 is good.”
On his head-turning weekend strike, he added: “It was a great goal. I saw the goalkeeper and thought that if I shot like I did he could not do anything.
“I have received lots of messages and they have been telling me that they have seen the goal.”
Language difficulties ensured that the former Dijon player found it difficult to settle following his arrival in the summer of 2017, but he admits he is now fully content with life at Barnsley.
Thiam said: “It was very difficult at first as I did not speak English. But I was still happy as I love football and the football here is great.
“I think it is the best football in the world and it is why I came here.”