DEREK Adams is not expecting Barrow to “park the bus” at Valley Parade tomorrow.

Opposite number Mark Cooper has twice claimed City’s scalp previously with Swindon and Forest Green by frustrating the home players and the crowd.

But Adams anticipates a more open contest as his side aim to get back among League Two’s leading pack with their first win in four games.

“I think that Barrow have changed this year,” said the City boss. “They are more open and have gone for it in games early in the campaign.

“I think we’ll see them continue that by coming on to us and trying to push us back. It’s up to us to find the space that they create.

“From an opposition manager’s point of view, you want to come and have a go. I think that Mark has set his team up to do that this season.”

Barrow chairman Paul Hornby annoyed chief executive Ryan Sparks when he claimed in the summer that they had financially “outmuscled” City to sign striker Offrande Zanzala.

But Adams refused to get involved the debate, adding: “Never in my time did I look at him. I don’t know anything about it.”

He also straight-batted the reasoning behind recruitment director Lee Turnbull’s exit this week, other than to suggest that the change in direction mentioned in the club’s statement will become clearer at the start of next month.

Adams insists the mood in the City camp remains positive because of the way they have been playing – even if the last three results have not backed that up.

“We’ve analysed the games and we should be sitting here with probably six points rather than the one. The only poor performance we’ve had is at Leyton Orient.

“The rest have been very good. The only thing that hasn’t been going for us is scoring goals.

“It’s football results. We have created enough opportunities to win the matches and, unfortunately, we haven’t taken them.

“There’s nothing more that we can say. We’ve created loads of chances and good ones at that – even the ones that get blocked don’t go down as chances but we’ve created some really good openings.”

Cooper described Adams’ promotion with Morecambe last season as “one of the really big achievements.”

And he feels all the pressure is on City tomorrow.

The Barrow chief said: “With the way we are at the minute, and the number of players we are missing, I don’t think too many people will be expecting us to get anything.

“But it’s a great stage for the players to go and showcase their ability.

“There are different ways to silence a crowd, like take the ball off them and don’t give them it back.

“What we have to do is start well and make sure we’re not chasing the game too early on.”