August ambitions
AUGUST feels like an important month on and particularly off the pitch for Barnsley’s season as they face a series of tough games while needing to do plenty of good work in the transfer market.
In the 1-0 loss at Plymouth on the opening day, they did not look like a side that could compete for the top six – but it is far too early to know for sure.
During their three-year spell in the Championship which ended in relegation earlier this year, the Reds never started a campaign well.
They won one of their first 16 league matches in both 2019/20 and last season, either side of the 2020/21 campaign when they were winless in their first seven before eventually reaching the play-offs. All three seasons saw a change in manager in the first three months.
Although they have dropped a level, their schedule this time is also tough – with matches in the first six weeks of the season against expected promotion contenders such as
Derby, Wycombe, Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday and Portsmouth.
That should be a good yardstick for how competitive they currently are at this level but, in theory, not an ideal run of games for accumulating precious early points.
If they can win the home games against Cheltenham Town and
Bristol Rovers, while giving a much better account of themselves than in Plymouth in the other matches, they will at least start to get points on the board and build some momentum.
The last time they were in League One, they battered Oxford United 4-0 on the first day and set the tone for a promotion-winning season under Daniel Stendel.
This was always going to be a more difficult challenge given the sales of key players in the summer and lack of money to replace them as well as the record-breaking, confidence-killing catastrophe that was last season.
Their work in the transfer market over the next few weeks will have a big impact.
The Reds clearly need to bring in more goals, both up front and from attacking midfielders, while right wing-back is another light area after Callum Brittain’s sale. The central midfield also looks extremely young and inexperienced so an older head in there might be vital.
The signing of Slobodan Tedic might add the physical presence up front which was badly lacking at Plymouth.
But, so far in his short career, he has not been a proven goal-scorer while Michael Duff has openly admitted he will not be a first choice player.
With Callum Styles and Michal Helik likely to join Cauley Woodrow, Carlton Morris and Brittain in being sold this summer, that should clear most if not all of the £7-8million relegation shortfall in transfer fees and wages.
The Reds would then look to keep the rest of the squad together but you never know what other clubs will do in the final weeks of the window and a large bid for someone like Mads Andersen and Brad Collins could tempt them.
By September 1, we should have a clearer idea of the Reds’ prospects this season.
BARNSLEY (3-5-2)