Barnsley FC opinion: Fans hoping for play-off push under Conor Hourihane

On March 12 of this year, it was officially announced that Head Coach Darrell Clarke would be leaving Barnsley.

It was to be expected because Barnsley have not been in the best of form under Clarke’s management, and have been struggling throughout the season.

Here, Sports News Blitz’s Jonathon House takes a look at how the club have faired this season under Clarke, and whether he’s got what it takes.

Summer 2024 and the seasons prior

When Clarke was first signed in the summer of 2024, a lot of fans thought that the former Cheltenham Town boss would get the club at least sitting comfortably in the play-offs.

When Clarke was appointed manager, many Barnsley fans had a small glimmer of hope.

This is because Clarke had prior experience in the EFL, having worked at the likes of Cheltenham Town and Bristol Rovers. 

Many fans were happy to see a manager with experience in the Football League, as Head Coach Neil Collins before had only managed in the American league.

Barnsley have been in League One for three seasons after being relegated in the 2021/2022 campaign.

In both the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons, Barnsley were close to getting back to the Championship, where they had been for years.

In 2022/23, Barnsley finished fourth, where they lost in the play-off final to South Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday. 

In the 2023/24 season, Barnsley got to the semi-finals of the play-offs, losing to Bolton in the second leg. 

Under Clarke, many fans still thought that Barnsley would be in the play-offs. However, Barnsley were sitting 10th, 11th and 12th in the table.

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This season

This season, Barnsley have been very inconsistent with their performances - one game playing really well, and then one or two games after not playing so well. 

This inconsistent form has Barnsley 12th in League One with 58 points, 17 points below Leyton Orient, who are in sixth place in the league. 

This leaves many fans disappointed, as for the past two years Barnsley have been so close to getting back to the Championship, where many believe they belong.

Is Conor Hourihane the right man?

On March 12, 2025, it was official: Darrell Clarke had left Oakwell and former player/coach Conor Hourihane was announced as caretaker Head Coach for the rest of the season.

With lots of uncertainty and disappointment surrounding the board, many fans were left wondering who would take on the roles permanently.

On April 18, it was officially announced that Hourihane would be the permanent coach.

Many were surprised, but still, many expected it. Some fans were excited that someone who actually knew the club would be taking over - someone who played at the club for years. 

Other fans wanted a manager with more experience in coaching. 

In my opinion, if Hourihane is backed with the right players, then I believe Barnsley could push on to the play-offs in the 2025/26 season. However, there is a lot of improvement needed.

So far, Barnsley have not had the best start under Hourihane, losing five out of their first 10 games under him, including a 6-2 loss to Birmingham. 

And with the end of the season approaching, Barnsley are settling for a mid-table finish. 

However, next season, if the club backs Hourihane with the right players, maybe Barnsley can push for the playoffs again.

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