“Strange” – Pundit weighs in on Barnsley saga as unique play-off scenario looms v Bolton

Barnsley’s League One play-off campaign will begin without a permanent manager, following a turbulent few days.

Despite being in the play-off places, the Tykes fired manager Neill Collins in April, with the intention that a new permanent manager would be in charge by the start of the play-offs.

Despite signing a contract, Austrian manager Dominik Thalhammer was unable to take over at Oakwell due to a lack of a work permit, leaving the club without a permanent manager.

Caretaker boss Martin Devaney will instead lead the club for their two play-off games, a far from ideal situation at the most important point of the club’s season.

Carlton Palmer on Barnsley’s managerial situation

Former England star and current pundit Carlton Palmer does not understand why Barnsley fired Neill Collins so close to the conclusion of the season, and believes he should have been given the opportunity to lead the club during the play-offs before a decision was taken at the end of the season.

Palmer told Football League World that Barnsley’s signing of Dominik Thalhammer was completed last week. They assumed he satisfied the conditions for a work visa, but he did not, therefore he was unable to obtain one.

“I’m astonished that Neill Collins was fired. I know they had four defeats and two draws in his last six games, and they dipped slightly, but they were still in the play-offs, as they were last season.

“The hierarchy may have believed that they should have carried on from last season with their young players and won automatic promotion, but they were in the play-offs.

“Okay, they fired him before the final game, when they could still have missed the play-offs, but why would you fire a manager who has led you to the play-offs? You give it till the conclusion of the circumstance, and then you look again because you still have a chance of getting promoted.”

Palmer understands why the club would have parted ways with Collins if the goal was to earn automatic promotion this season.

“Unless they brought Collins in and informed him the requirements for automatic promotion, it’s a different story. However, they fired him in the penultimate game of the season, when they were concerned about missing out on the play-offs, and hired another manager, indicating that they had been considering it for some time.

“I’m not sure what else has happened behind the scenes, but it seems strange to me to fire the manager and have to go with the assistant manager in the playoffs.

“In reality, Martin Devaney will lead them into the play-offs after taking command of their most recent game, which was a defeat, and they may come to regret their decision, because they’ll never know if Neill would have been able to turn things around in the playoffs.

“You never know, and it seems a very, very strange decision to make.”

Barnsley should have kept Neill Collins until the end of the season

Barnsley obviously had no idea that Thalhammer’s move would fall through, and while it would have been a fine appointment if it had worked out, in retrospect the Tykes would have been better served keeping Collins until the conclusion of the season and then reassessing the situation.

Collins might have guided the club to promotion given the lottery of the play-offs, or if they were unsuccessful, the club could have fired him at the end of the season. This would have been a better moment to split up than when they did, and they’re now in a terrible position.