How Barnsley can improve their fortunes in the 2022/23 League One season in just 3 steps

Barnsley had a season to forget in the Championship this year, with the Tykes struggling near the bottom of the division for most of the campaign and ultimately ending up relegated to League One.

Despite the club soaring into the play-off spots under Valerien Ismael just a year earlier, the departure of the boss and some of the side’s key players led to them sinking down the division. They never really got going and even after a slight upturn in fortune after the January window, the side couldn’t quite pull out of the drop zone.

Barnsley then need to prepare for at least one campaign back in the third tier of English football – and there is plenty that needs to be sorted if they want to think about getting back into the Championship.

Here then, are three steps they’ll need to take this offseason in order to get a promotion straight back up.

1. Appoint a manager with League One or Championship experience

The Tykes took a risk with Valerien Ismael and it paid off. That though might have been a flash in the pan – their next two managers, Markus Schopp and Poya Asbaghi, didn’t work.

They can’t always keep searching afar for untested managers to give a chance to. Right now, they could do with changing tack entirely and finding someone who is either up and coming in the EFL with Football League experience or bring in a boss who has sealed either a third tier promotion in the past or has done well in the Championship.

The current favourite for the job is Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and that might not be a bad move. The current Burton boss took the Brewers into the third tier in the first place and has continued to make some progress with the side on a limited budget. Given a slightly bigger club, he could certainly have plenty of