Bouncing back from relegation can be a daunting task for any club at any level for a multitude of reasons. In the past, we have seen so many clubs fail to recover from going down, and they found themselves either sat in their new division with little to offer in the way of progress or worse – they continued on a downward spiral, with some even suffering another relegation soon after.
Some clubs, however, show a great deal of grit and knowledge of the game by starting life in the lower division well. South Yorkshire club Barnsley match that description as the Tykes almost achieved an immediate return to the Championship last season, only to lose in the play-off final against Sheffield Wednesday. Still, finishing fourth in League One immediately after coming down from Englands second tier is an impressive feat, and it looks like theyve brought that momentum into this campaign despite a change in manager.
Michael Duff, now manager of Championship club Swansea City, guided Barnsley to that play-off finish last season, and although he was only at Oakwell for one year, his success there laid down a foundation for the next manager to build upon. Of course, that next manager was the Tykes current boss, Neill Collins.
This tactical analysis will dive into why Barnsley are a strong promotion contender in League One as we look at Collins tactics and discuss the similarities and differences to Duffs approach. The tactical analysis will also discuss the clubs transfer activity over the past year or so, as their recruitment has played a considerable role in Barnsley not slumping down to mid-table or below.
Transfer activity since the summer of 2022
As you may expect, a squad rebuild was afoot after the relegation of a big club like Barnsley. Over the course of the 22/23 season, 14 players were either sold or released, including the departure of striker Carlton Morris, who raised a reported £1.75m who went on to play an essential role in Luton Towns promotion to the Premier League. Alongside the 14, six of the seven loanees, Barnsley brought in returned to their respective parent clubs. The remaining loanee, Max Watters, made his move permanent in time for this season. 10 permanent signings were made by the club through the course of last season, with, as mentioned, seven loanees – a busy summer for the club.
In preparation for the 23/24 season, the rebuild continued under the new management of Collins. A high player turnover is no rarity in the EFL, but Barnsley deserve credit for two significant factors – buying well and selling well. 11 signings, including four loan players, have arrived at Oakwell over the summer, with 10 players permanently leaving the club; of those 10, three brought the club just over £7.5m – a vast sum for a League One club. The summer capped off an excellent financial period for the club regarding transfers, as they only spent £550k of that on new signings.
The table of players above is a visual representation of every player Barnsley have signed since the summer of 2022 who are still at the club today. As we mentioned, a high player turnover in League One can be common for clubs, especially when you throw a new manager into the mix, but the foundations laid by Michael Duff enabled Collins to retain seven of last seasons signings as well as adding a healthy amount of his own selected players.
The recruitment looks well structured, too, with the club targeting key positions to improve. This summer, they have drafted in five defenders and two goalkeepers, which tells you how much Collins wanted to bolster his defensive options. Three forwards also joined the club, and three good ones at that – Watters, who impressed enough during his loan spell to make the club chase a permanent deal; Sam Cosgrove, who has struggled in front of goal so far this season but brings a physical presence which is vital to Barnsleys tactics; and finally, John McAtee, who joins on loan from Luton Town after playing two very strong campaigns for Grimsby Town. League One football is a step up for McAtee, but he is finding his feet more and more as the season goes on.
Collins also continued the trend of maintaining yo
