Barnsley: 'Schopp wasn’t the right man to take us forward.'

Barnsley are looking for a new manager having sacked head coach Markus Schopp after a run of one win in 15 league games and seven straight defeats left them 23rd in the Championship.

Appointed in June of this year on a three-year contract, the Tykes have struggled under the 47-year-old’s stewardship.

They have scored just 10 goals in the league this season, the second-fewest of any club in the second tier.

His final game in charge of Barnsley was a 2-1 defeat by Bristol City last Saturday – who were without a win at Ashton Gate in 17 games – as the Tykes suffered their seventh successive loss.

“It was always going to happen at some point and as fans, we feel a great sense of relief,” Breathe Barnsley tells FansBet.

“He wasn’t the right man to take us forward and we trust the board in finding a solid replacement to steer us away from a relegation battle.

“It was most definitely inevitable, and questions must be asked of why it wasn’t done sooner.

“The board should’ve acted quicker as the warning signs have been clear to see for a long time. If he was kept at the helm I think we would’ve more than likely finished in the bottom three.”

Schopp replaced Valerien Ismael, who joined West Bromwich Albion, having taken Barnsley to last season’s Championship play-offs.

The former Sturm Graz midfielder joined the south Yorkshire club having previously led Hartberg to the Europa League qualifying round in 2020.

The Austrian left the side sitting second from bottom in the Championship with only eight points, but a midweek 2-1 victory versus bottom-placed Derby has since seen them move up to 22nd.

“Fans have been calling for him to lose his job for a number of weeks, with Oakwell seeming a very toxic place,” explains Breathe Barnsley.

“We never want to see a manager fail but Markus just wasn’t the right man for the job.

“He will definitely go down as one of the worst. The fans didn’t take to him like they have to previous managers and the decision to sack him was the correct one.

“His tactics were all wrong. He played players in the wrong positions, made strange substitutions and most importantly didn’t have a good connection with the fans and the players.”

Barnsley are just two points ahead of Hull City with the pair set to meet at Oakwell on Saturday afternoon in what’s shaping up to be a relegation six-pointer, even at this early stage of the season.

Joseph Laumann, who took charge of the side for the win over Derby at Pride Park, is expected to take charge again, although there has been no confirmation about who will be in the hot seat against the Tigers.

Ex-Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has been made the early favourite to take over, with Alex Neil and Mick McCarthy – who was sacked by Cardiff City last month – also linked to the vacancy.

Also in the reckoning is Sheffield Wednesday manager Darren Moore with the 47-year-old having enjoyed a successful two-year stint at Oakwell towards the back end of his playing career.

“Our squad is more than capable of finishing comfortably mid-table,” says Breathe Barnsley.

“We’ve got pretty much the same squad as last season, bar a few key players.

“We’re in a false position and should really be no where near the relegation zone.

“I hope the board decide to sack off the spreadsheet and stay domestic for the next appointment.

“Someone like Alex Neil would be perfect to get us out of this horrible situation we found ourselves in.”