How can Barnsley FC reignite their season?

Barnsley currently sit 17th in League One with 29 points from 21 matches with 8 wins, 5 draws and 8 defeats. The Reds have at least one game in hand on every other side in the division and have up to four games in hand on some sides. It will be quite the extraordinary second half of the season for Conor Hourihane’s side as games will come thick and fast with the possibility to build momentum as Barnsley play every few days or allow The Reds to fall deeper into a rut and slip down the table. 

Barnsley have fallen quite far since their early season exploits saw them look like real promotion contenders in early September, and just three wins in nine games in the league has seen The Reds acquire a place in the bottom half of the League One table, and sit just 2 points above the relegation zone, albeit with games in hand. 

There are a few interesting talking points around how Barnsley can improve, and an upturn in from could see Conor Hourihane’s side climb up a very congested League One table that sees Barnsley just 10 points off 4th placed Huddersfield Town. 

1) Improve defensively 

An obvious but very important point is that Barnsley must improve at the back. The Reds have the lowest number of clean sheets in the league with two, and that is two below Doncaster who are the next lowest with 4. An inability to keep clean sheets means Barnsley essentially have to outscore opponents each game, an unsustainable way of winning football matches and a style that is very unlikely to get you promoted. Since Barnsley were relegated to League One in 2022, the lowest number of clean sheets that a team has had that has finished inside the playoffs is Barnsley themselves in 2023/24 with 10 and Barnsley are on course to keep around three more clean sheets this season, after keeping two in 21, meaning they would end on five. At times this season the defence has been unlucky, but they are far from solid most games and Barnsley average 1.6 goals conceded per match this season and every team in the league will fancy their chances of scoring against Barnsley when they play them. A combination of tactical changes and new signings could improve The Reds defensively, but also the team must collectively improve at seeing out games, with late goals conceded being an issue like it was last season with the Wycombe game especially coming to mind where Barnsley where 2-0 up and drew 2-2 conceding two late goals, alongside the late Blackpool goal in the 97th minute.

2) Perform well for the full 90 more often 

As David McGoldrick alluded to after his post-match interview at Wigan, not every team will win and perform well every single game in a season, that is just impossible. However, teams that get promoted often perform well most games and tend to get a few wins in the games they aren’t at the races. Barnsley have been painfully inconsistent this season and truthfully haven’t offered enough good performances a promoted side would. If you were to categorise Barnsley games and pick out the games where they were good for the full 90, you may pick out the Huddersfield game and the Luton game, and I personally struggle to pick out any others. Obviously, no side will perform well for every minute of every game, however it feels like Barnsley go Jekyll and Hyde most matches, with very good bits such as the opening 20 minutes against Mansfield and the second half against Wigan, but also very bad such as the following 70 minutes against Mansfield, or the first half against Wigan. I also question the motivation of the Barnsley squad at times, as the players can seem to get pumped up when Huddersfield and a sold-out away end rock up to Tarn, yet seem lacking when they face so-called smaller sides in games with less bite and atmosphere. The ability to be motivated must come within but is also must come from the coaching staff and Conor Hourihane did mention how he had to shout at his side at half-time at Wigan to get a reaction. Whatever the issues may be, The Reds need to be more consistent if they want to climb the League One table. 

3) New additions needed 

Barnsley need signings. This is less of a talking point and more a fact, as Barnsley currently have a thread-bare squad not ready to weather the oncoming Saturday, Tuesday and Saturday storm in the second half of the season. The squad has declined in quality for several seasons now, corresponding with The Reds finishing in lower league positions year on year. The board’s insistence on cost-cutting has not helped with the squad lacking in investment. This summer Hourihane and the recruitment team did well I feel, removing some deadwood and finding some real exciting young talent in Patrick Kelly and Reyes Cleary. However, the Reds missed outo n an extra striker, and it seems Barnsley can never have a window where they address absolutely every issue and get a player in  exactly every position they need. Also, transfer windows before the summer have been extremely poor, with the infamous winter window of 2025 still at the forefront of Barnsley fans minds, as Darrell Clarke was essentially sent to battle with a toy sword in the second half of the 2024/25 season. There is no trust in the board that they will deliver a good window which is the frustrating thing, as past windows suggest they will chase frees and loans, miss out on targets and be left with players who simply aren’t good enough for League One level. Listen, no-one in the Barnsley fanbase is asking for a transfer window like Birmingham’s where multi-million-pound fees are thrown about as the board put the club in financial jeopardy whilst promotion to the Championship is chased. Money needs to be spent safely of course; however, the board seems to spend hardly anything for what it recoups in transfer fees and wages after players are sold or released, and in the modern-day League One where spending is more prominent than ever, it becomes almost impossible to cost-cut each year whilst expecting consistent top 6 finishes. Does Barnsley FC lose money each year? Yes, and the board to their credit do cover the losses with their own cash when needed, however it must be asked what the board’s intention is if they are happy to just plug the financial gaps but not invest adequately in the playing squad. It is all well and good having high valuations on players, however, say Reyes Cleary is sold for multi-millions, how much will be reinvested into the playing squad? Going off past windows, probably not a lot. 

In conclusion, there is some hope that Barnsley can revive their season, however it would require a lot to go very right and very little to wrong, which just isn't very Barnsley. After an exciting FA Cup trip to Anfield, The Reds return to league action against Blackpool at Oakwell, and hopefully Barnsley have a few new additions ready to go for that fixture.