We take a look at the top six favourites to become the next Barnsley manager following the departure of Gerhard Struber earlier this week.
The Austrian head coach has agreed a three-year deal with MLS franchise New York Red Bulls, who have met a buy-out clause inserted into his Reds’ contract.
It was only a few weeks ago that it was announced he had turned down several offers, having guided the club on their great escape to beat the drop on the final day of the 2019/20 season – although they would have been relegated if not for Wigan’s 12-point deduction for entering administration.
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Adam Murray
Adam Murray is the current caretaker manager at the Tykes, his second spell in charge of the club having done so in 2019.
He’s also been an assistant at Guiseley, as well as first team manager at Mansfield Town and Boston United.
The 39 year old has played for many clubs between 1998 and 2018. His first club was Derby County, before going on to Mansfield, Kidderminster, Notts County, Burton, Carlisle, Torquay, Macclesfield, Oxford Utd, Luton and Sutton Coldfield.
Murray is known as a manager with an eye for detail and getting the most from the resources available to him by working on ‘marginal gains’ to get the extra one percent advantage to improve his players and teams performances.
At Mansfield, Murray developed a passing game adopted from the Dutch total football model but tailored to football league players.
Murray is known to be an advocate of sports science, sports analysis, strength and conditioning, and sports psychology within football in order to achieve maximum gains on the field.
He has often spoken about the importance of building the right infrastructure for his teams including the importance of a strong academy system for young players to develop into the first team environment,[30] his trust of developing young talent include such players as Peterborough United’s 2016/17 player of the season Ryan Tafazolli who cites Murray as the biggest influence on his career as a young player and ‘developing him from a boy to a man’
Current odds according to Sky Bet: 12/1
Adam Murray on Forest challenge (Barnsley FC) https://t.co/FLgjDPfoqh
— Nottm Forest news (@NottmForestNews) July 18, 2020
Markus Schopp
Are Bansley in for another foreign manager? Schoop currently manages Austrian Bundesliga outfit TSV Hartberg. In the 2019/20 season, his side finished fifth to qualify to the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League qualifying phase, losing 3-2 to Polish side Piast Gliwice.
He’s also been an assistant/analyst at St. Pölten, had two spells as manager for Sturm Graz II and been a caretaker at Sturm Graz.
He’s also been a footballer, starting his career 1991 with SK Sturm Graz before going on to play for Hamburger SV, Brescia Calcio, FC Red Bull Salzburg and then ended it in 2007 with New York Red Bulls.
He also made 56 appearances for Austria, scoring six times between 1995 and 2005.
Current odds according to Sky Bet: 10/1
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Danny Cowley
Cowley was most recently was sacked by Huddersfield Town, despite beating second place West Brom in his last game in charge, which all-but confirmed the club’s survival.
It’s understood that owner Phil Hodgkinson wanted total control over transfers — but his manager was not willing to work that way.
Danny first grabbed the attention of the country when he and his brother took Lincoln City all the way to the FA Cup Quarter Finals in 2017, causing shocks against Ipswich, Brighton and Burnley along the way.
The Imps finished the 2016/17 season crowned champions of the National League and then in the 2017/18 season finished 7th, claiming a playoff place in their first season back in the Football League and also won the EFL Trophy at Wembley.
In the 2018/19 season Danny and Nicky Cowley’s side finished top of the League Two table and won promotion to League One.
Danny Cowley left League One high flyers Lincoln to join the the Championship strugglers in September, who at the time were 23rd in the table having failed to win any of their first six matches.
Current odds according to Sky Bet: 10/1
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Eddie Howe
Eddie Howe is bound to be linked with clubs for the manager’s position for however long he stays unemployed.
The 42-year-old guided the Cherries to more than 450 games across two spells spanning more than a decade, but stepped down this summer following the club’s relegation to the Championship.
Their five-year stay in the top flight ended despite a 3-1 win at Everton on the final day of the season.
Howe also made more than 300 appearances as a player in the famous red and black stripes.
Howe was initially appointed AFC Bournemouth caretaker manager in December 2008, with the club sitting on -17 points at the bottom of the Football League.
Against all the odds he secured their safety and followed it with promotion from League Two the following season.
After a brief spell in charge of Burnley, a masterstroke from owner Maxim Demin bought Howe back to Dorset and he then proceeded to achieve two further promotions in three seasons, leading the Cherries to the Premier League, where they remained for five years.
Current odds according to Sky Bet: 8/1
Hannes Wolf
Hannes Wolf has managed Borussia Dortmund II, Stuttgart, Hamburg and Genk, and across the 118 games he’s been in charge, Wolf has won 53, drew 24 and lost 41, with a 44.92 win %.
His record has been noted with some EFL clubs, with his name appearing on the list of favourites for the Barnsley, Bradford City and Huddersfield Town jobs within the last year.
Current odds according to Sky Bet: 3/1
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Darren Moore
Moore is currently managing League One side Doncaster Rovers, where he has been in charge since July 2019. Last season, they finished 9th in League One, six points outside of the playoffs.
Donny are currently fifth in the table, with the boss nominated for September’s third-tier Manager of the Month award, taking seven points from his first three league matches.
He is also a former Tykes defender who made 73 appearances for the club over the course of two years between 2008 and 2010.
He was shockingly sacked by West Brom in March 2019 after taking them to the Championship playoffs – sitting 4th in the table.
When he was first-team coach at the Baggies, Moore was previously linked with Barnsley after Paul Heckingbottom left for Leeds in February 2018.
Current odds according to Sky Bet: 1/2
UPDATE: Journalist Doug O’Kane has said “Barnsley have been interviewing candidates for the head coach’s position all week. Unknown yet if someone will be in place for Bristol City
“I understand Darren Moore has not been interviewed and also that Hannes Wolf is not among the leading candidates.”
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Who else is rumoured?
Martin Devaney – 14/1
Lee Johnson – 16/1
Paul Cook – 16/1
Poya Asbaghi – 16/1
Valerian Ismael – 16/1
Mick McCarthy – 18/1
Adi Hütter – 20/1
Bobby Hassell – 20/1
Daniel Stendel – 20/1
David Wagner – 20/1
Nigel Clough – 20/1
Richie Barker – 20/1
Simon Grayson – 20/1
Steve Cotterill – 20/1
Kenny Jackett – 22/1
Nigel Pearson – 22/1
Gergely Geri – 25/1
Jan Siewert – 25/1
Michael Duff – 25/1
Paul Heckingbottom – 25/1
Ryan Lowe – 25/1
Tony Pulis – 25/1
Michael Flynn – 28/1
Mike Newell – 33/1
Neil Redfearn – 33/1
Nigel Adkins – 33/1
Now you have seen the top six favourites to become next Barnsley manager, who do you think it will be?
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