League One side Barnsley have parted company with boss Darrell Clarke following his side’s 3-0 defeat to Steve Bruce’s Blackpool.
The former Cheltenham Town boss lasted less than a year in charge of the Tykes, having only taken over in May 2024. He signed on a two-year contract with an option for a third but lasted only 293 days in charge.
Conor Hourihane will take charge of the club until the end of the season on an interim basis whilst the club continue their search for a new man to take over the first team’s management.
Why was Darrell Clarke Sacked?
Darrell Clarke made a decent start to life as Tykes boss, maintaining a play-off push for much of the season. Despite the 7-0 thrashing to Manchester United in the cup, the hope would have been to continue to hold their position going into the latter half of the season.
However, a run of inconsistent form, made worse by poor January recruitment, some injury issues, and inconsistency at home have caused the Tykes to fall away from serious play-off contention as we enter the final stages of the 2024/25 campaign.
Who is next for Barnsley?
With Conor Hourihane taking charge until the end of the season, Barnsley have given themselves time to thoroughly assess the market and make the right decision before the Summer Transfer Window. There are several names floating around, such as former manager Michael Duff, but no firm links have been made.
This was always going to be a difficult season for Barnsley. They are a club with ambitions of returning to the Championship but have been faced with a monumental increase in spending and competition from their rivals. Not only do they have to compete with the ambitious sides already in the league, but the relegated Championship sides and promoted League Two sides both arrived in League One strong and ready to push for promotion.
Whoever is next will need to be ready to maintain the club’s push for promotion, meaning experience or a safe pair of hands may be the right course of action.