Barnsley FC manager Neill Collins described Reading FC as an ‘exceptional young group’ ahead of their meeting at Oakwell on Saturday.
The Royals go into the contest on the brink of League One safety following their away win at Bristol Rovers on Tuesday.
The Tykes are still fighting to secure their spot in the play-offs after their recent form has made automatic promotion unlikely.
“They (Reading) have probably gone under the radar in terms of some of their better results because of the points deduction,” said Barnsley manager Collins.
“Their manager has done a really good job and they’re an exceptional young group.
“They have a lot of attacking talent, that’s their biggest strength.
“So another tough proposition on Saturday but as you can imagine we’re very focused on ourselves and what we need to do.”
The Barnsley boss wants his side to attack and play with freedom.
He continued: “We’re the third or fourth top goalscorers, we’re one of the league’s leaders in terms of creating chances and I want my team playing with freedom.
“But I want us to be strong at the back, keep the ball out of the net.
“It’s about balance. But I want to build a team that excites the fans, gets them off their feet.
“I accept we might not be doing that right now, but we are working hard to improve all the time and I hope we can show that on Saturday and send the fans home happy.”
