Football Season Guide

If ever there was an example of a club treading water it’s Barnsley. The Tykes see themselves as a Championship and playing League One football is something of an underachievement. Worse still, not competing for promotion is a failure, and the latest fall-guy is Conor Hourihane. There was plenty of optimism last season that the rookie boss could mould a squad with a good mix of experience and youthful enthusiasm into a team that would challenge for the play-offs. They came nowhere near and it was announced that Hourihane would be walking away before the end of the season. He released he was on to a hiding to nothing and has instead taken on the role of Russell Martin’s assistant at Leicester City. Having your best players sold from underneath you is a recipe for failure and in January, striker and leading goalscorer Davis Keillor-Dunn went to Wrexham for big money. That cash wasn’t splashed, leaving a group of players struggling to find their form. The most notable was midfielder Luca Connell, subject of interest from clubs last summer, yet he was a shadow of his former self by the conclusion of the campaign. 38-year-old striker David McGoldrick was by far the shining light, his exceptional skill ensuring there would be no flirtation with relegation. He had only signed a one-year deal, and has moved on this summer, with Mansfield Town the lucky beneficiaries of his talent. Majority owner Neerav Parekh is one of the richest men in the world, yet the club appears to be run on a shoestring, much to the growing frustration of supporters. He turned to former head coach Daniel Stendel in the hope he might turn water into wine. He inherits a squad that needs a huge injection of confidence, and bringing in some better would go a long way in helping with that. The signing of centre-half Sam Gale from Gillingham is certainly an encouraging start, and there are more talented youngsters on the cusp of a breakthrough, but we’ve seen this movie before.