Football Season Guide

Alarm bells have been ringing all over this part of South Yorkshire since the dawning of 2025. An expected play-off push dissipated and with it saw the departure of head coach Darrell Clark. It wasn’t much of a surprise, which wasn’t the case when he was appointed. He never seemed to fit in the role, was soon under pressure and his players didn’t help his cause either with several underwhelming performances. Midfielder Conor Hourihane was appointed as his successor on a permanent basis shortly before the conclusion of the last campaign. Majority owner Neerav Parekh is one of the richest men in the world however the Tykes appear to be struggling financially with Hourihane’s appointment seen by some as a cheap option. These concerns have been exacerbated with all of their best players being linked with moves away this summer. Midfielders Adam Phillips, Jon Russell and Luca Connell and striker Davis Keillor-Dunn are integral to the team and losing any of them would be a real blow. Losing more than one and the sound of those alarm bells will only get louder. Wing-backs Barry Cotter and Corey O’Keeffe have already been allowed to leave this summer, albeit seemingly as part of Hourihane’s intention to switch from a back three to a four. Three strikers have also been allowed to leave, which places an even-greater reliance on Keillor-Dunn. There is some good news however with experienced striker David McGoldrick signing from Notts County. He might be in the twilight of his career but brings some real quality with him and it’ll be interested to see how much of an impact he makes this season. Another positive is the integration of some talented young players into the group. The stand out of those is midfielder Vimal Yoganthan, who impressed whilst on loan with York City last season and looks like a precocious talent.