Next Barnsley Manager Odds: Five candidates to replace Michael Duff
Barnsley were dealt a huge setback in losing their excellent manager, Michael Duff, to Swansea, but the Reds will have to lick their wounds quickly.
Time is of the essence, a return to pre-season training awaits and the club must soon identify the right person to continue Duff’s fantastic work, and lead them into the Championship.
Here are five contenders to become the next Barnsley manager…
Martin Devaney
There’s something to be said for an internal appointment, after a successful period: someone who’s seen the previous operation first hand, knows the squad including the youngsters, and already has a relationship with everyone at the club.
Plymouth Argyle had huge success, when Ryan Lowe left for Preston North End in November 2021, by replacing the Liverpudlian with Steven Schumacher, who led them onto an 80-point haul that season, then delivered the title the year after as the Devonians continued to improve.
In Martin Devaney’s case, he’s been first-team coach, and had a spell the year before in charge of the Under-23s, so he’s worked with the whole squad at close quarters, and has a UEFA A Coaching Licence.
What he doesn’t have on his side, though, is experience, having never managed permanently previously, and would be going toe-to-toe with the likes of Paul Warne and Ian Evatt, who have delivered at this level before.
Danny Cowley
After five months out of work, the Cowley brothers are keen to get back on the saddle this summer, and re-establish their reputation as one of the most exciting management teams in the EFL.
Ambitious, meticulous, pragmatic and quick-learners with outstanding people skills, the Cowleys have plenty of qualities that could make them a success at Oakwell.
It may be fair to say that their public stock isn’t as high as it was three years ago, when they kept Huddersfield up, but they did lead Portsmouth to 73 points in League One in their only full season at Fratton Park, enough for a Play-Off spot in three of the previous four seasons.
On top of that, the brothers had Pompey in contention the following year, when they were 2nd in September, but an injury crisis that saw four central midfielders, and two right-backs, absent at different points, led to a run of one league win in 14 for which they ultimately lost their jobs.
There could be sense in picking up the Cowleys while they’re attainable, and Barnsley likely wouldn’t be able to get a management team of their ability when their stock is high again.
However, the Tarn achieved their results last season with a clearly defined style of play, and may seek another 3-5-2 disciple to ensure Duff’s template stays in situ.
Chris Wilder
Chris Wilder is a manager with a proven track record of success in English football, having achieved success at every professional level.
And yet, perhaps the biggest reason to appoint him would be that he is a strong advocate of 3-5-2, the formation with which he won two promotions in three seasons with Sheffield United, before guiding them to a ninth-placed Premier League finish.
As such, Wilder will change very little of the work Duff did, and simply build on the combinations and partnerships across the park, which could give Barnsley the tactical consistency they need to go one better.
Plus, it’s easier, politically, for a Sheffield United legend to build bridges at Barnsley than it would be for a Sheffield Wednesday legend, because the rivalry with the former is far more mellow.
On top of that, Wilder would be entrusted by Paul Heckingbottom at Bramall Lane with United’s top young players on loan, like physical striker Daniel Jebbison, for instance: the Reds need another forward!
Darren Moore
After guiding Sheffield Wednesday to Play-Off Final victory over Barnsley at Wembley last month, Darren Moore parted company with the club over a disagreement with owner Dejphon Chansiri.
Perhaps the conflict was over ambitions for life in the Championship next season, perhaps it was over what was required this summer, but either way a promotion-winning manager from last season is on the market.
On top of that, Moore achieved his results at Hillsborough last season with a 3-5-2, and while it hasn’t always been his formation of choice in the same way it has been for Duff, his appointment would likely mean continuity.
Plus, there are insiders at Wednesday who have said that Moore’s preparation for the heroic Play-Off Semi-Final second-leg victory over Peterborough, in which they overcame a four-goal first-leg deficit, was of the highest standard they’ve ever seen in the game.
Moore began by getting his team practicing penalties, perhaps with the psychological intention of establishing the belief that they would indeed get to penalties from that situation.
On day one, all the players were sceptical, but by the final day of training before that game, everyone had bought in.
Despite being a great motivator, though, who can plan superbly for certain games, Moore has also relied on individual quality to get some of the results he has in his career.
Of course, that’s true to some extent for every manager, but while Barnsley played brilliant football that was superbly coached, Wednesday based their game more around giving the ball to the big-hitters and seeing what they could do with it.
Barnsley don’t have the same individual quality to be able to get away with that, which is where some of Moore’s flaws as a manager could be exposed.
Richie Wellens
After achieving the second League Two title of his managerial career, Richie Wellens is out to prove himself in League One, where he should have the tools to prove himself this time around, having previously managed chaotically run clubs at that level in Oldham, Swindon, and Doncaster.
Orient should have enough to survive in the third tier, under Wellens, but if the former midfielder wants a bigger opportunity to challenge for promotion, he may have interest in the Barnsley vacancy.
What may be another contributing factor is that the Mancunian still has family roots in his home city, and even while at Orient has spent some free time going back to the north-west, so a move to Yorkshire might help him logistically.
Plus, Wellens likes attacking, high-intensity, front-foot football, and while his sides aren’t shy to play longer passes when they’re on, they tend to play out from the back, which is a similar method to Duff.
Wellens has previously been a fan of 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3, which were the systems he used at Orient last year, but he did briefly toy with 3-4-2-1 while at Salford and may be open-minded about going to a back-three at Oakwell.
Barnsley aren’t blessed with a plethora of strikers at present, so a 3-4-2-1 with a box midfield might actually suit their current squad, giving them room to bring Luke Thomas or Josh Benson into the mix, where both struggled to break into the 3-5-2 due to the form of Adam Phillips, Luca Connell, and Herbie Kane.
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