Form
Barnsley finished last season smack bang in mid-table, sitting 12th in the League, five places behind Reading. This season marks their fourth straight year in the third tier, having been relegated from the Championship in 2022, after finishing bottom of the league.
They have had a relatively strong start to the current season, sitting sixth in the league, following four wins, one draw and one loss in their first six games, and are currently unbeaten at home.
They come into this weekend’s game off the
back of a 3-1 home win against Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town.
The two sides played out a 2-2 draw at Oakwell last November before the Tykes beat the Royals 2-4 at the Select Car Leasing Stadium on the final day.
The boss
Conor Hourihane: Hourihane was appointed Barnsley head coach on a permanent basis back in April, taking over from Darrell Clarke, who was sacked after nine months in charge of the Tykes.
The Irishman had a 15-year career as a player, plying his trade as a central midfielder who represented the likes of Plymouth Argyle, Barnsley, Aston Villa and Derby County.
Having played for the Tykes between 2014 and 2017, Hourihane returned to Barnsley as a player/coach in June 2024. He retired as a player later that year and became Darrell Clarke’s assistant.
He had a six-game spell as caretaker manager following Clarke’s dismissal in March, before being offered the job on a permanent basis.
The former Republic of Ireland international was a leader on the pitch during his playing career and likes his side to play high-energy, pressing football. The 34-year-old has won eight of his 18 games in charge of Barnsley so far, giving him a win percentage of 44%.
Squad
Barnsley signed eight players during the summer transfer window, with four joining permanently and another four arriving on loan.
Permanent signings included former Reading right-back Tennai Watson, who signed on a free following his release from Charlton Athletic; midfielder Patrick Kelly, who joined from West Ham United; forward Reyes Cleary, who signed from West Bromwich Albion; and veteran striker David McGoldrick, who signed on a free following the end of his contract at Notts County.
The Tykes secured season-long loan deals for goalkeeper Murphy Cooper (Queens Park Rangers), defenders Nathanael Ogbeta (Plymouth) and Jake Rooney (Derby) and former Royal forward Caylan Vickers (Brighton & Hove Albion).
Barnsley will be without defender Marc Roberts this weekend as he continues to miss out through injury.
Predicted lineup
Cooper, Watson, Shepherd, Earl, Ogbeta, Bland, Connell, Vickers, Phillips, McGoldrick, Keillor-Dunn
Key player
48. Luca Connell: Midfielder Connell joined Barnsley in June 2022, signing on a free transfer following the end of his contract with Celtic.
He started his career at Bolton Wanderers, graduating from their youth team, before making 12 appearances for the club. He joined Celtic on a permanent deal in 2019, however he never made a first-team appearance for the club.
While at Celtic he had two separate loan spells at Queens Park, representing the club 42 times and scoring 10 goals.
Since joining Barnsley, Connell has made 130 appearances for the club and has six goals and 17 assists to his name. He has also represented the Republic of Ireland at under-17, under-18, under-19 and under-21 level.
Connell is a defensive midfielder who is a strong passer of the ball, while also being an effective set-piece taker. The 24-year-old was confirmed as club captain earlier this summer, staying at the club despite strong interest from Wycombe Wanderers.
One to watch
7. Caylan Vickers: Forward Vickers joined Barnsley on a season-long loan deal from Brighton during the summer transfer window.
A graduate of the Reading academy, Vickers made his Royals debut in August 2023, coming off the bench in the league opener against Peterborough United. He went on to make 22 appearances for Reading, scoring three goals, before Brighton signed him on a permanent deal on transfer deadline day in February 2024.
Although he is yet to make a first-team appearance for Brighton, Vickers has impressed for their under-21 side, scoring seven goals. He gained more first-team experience last season, in a loan spell at League One side Mansfield.
The 20-year-old has played a part in all of Barnsley’s games so far this season, with two Tykes goals to his name, while also picking up their August player of the month award.
Vickers can play anywhere across the front three and in the number 10 role, and is a strong dribbler with the ball at his feet.
