“Starting to…” – Barnsley fan pundit offers Neill Collins verdict
FLW’s Barnsley fan pundit issues his thought on Neill Collins’ start to life as manager
Barnsley have made a mixed start to the new League One season under their latest managerial appointment Neill Collins.
The 40-year-old took the reins of the first team squad over the summer following the departure of Michael Duff to Swansea City.
Collins has been appointed with the task of bringing the Tykes back to the Championship at the second attempt after the team lost the play-off final in the previous campaign.
Barnsley have 10 points from a possible 18, which has the team sitting ninth in the third division standings.
The Yorkshire outfit have won their last two league games in a row, against Cheltenham Town and Wigan Athletic, to climb the League One table after a poor run of form.
How has Neill Collins fared since replacing Michael Duff as Barnsley manager?
FLW’s Barnsley fan pundit Andy Symcox has highlighted a shift in the team’s style of play under the new manager.
He has praised the changes made by Collins and hopes that recent form is a sign of things to come from this team for the rest of the campaign.
“The style of play that Barnsley have played under Neill Collins is subtly different to that under Michael Duff,” Symcox told Football League World.
“It’s a similar formation, but Neill has tweaked it.
“We don’t press quite as fast and as high as we did last season, but as we showed against Cheltenham, we broke very, very quickly out of defence and finished it with four against one.
“So, from that respect, it’s good to see that we can break so quickly.
“I think he’s gradually tweaking it into his own style and for that, I’m quite pleased with the way it’s going.
“We won the first match [of the season] quite comfortably, second couple of matches not [so much].
“And we looked a bit ragged, particularly in defence, but we are gradually, it seems, starting to get it right.
“So well done to Neill Collins.”
Barnsley earned an emphatic 7-0 win over Port Vale on the opening day of the campaign but did not win in the league again until their 2-0 victory over the Latics four games later.
The Tykes will be aiming for a top six finish in what is set to be a very competitive League One season.
Next up for Collins’ side is a clash at home against Burton Albion on 16 September.
Can Neill Collins lead Barnsley to League One promotion?
A change in style of play will take a while to implement, so players are still adjusting to their new manager.
The 7-0 win over Port Vale shows the potential of this team, with an excellent performance starting the new term.
Wins over Wigan and Cheltenham in the last two games give some reason for optimism again after three games without victory.
But Barnsley will face stiff competition for a promotion place this year, so Collins will be hoping the last two games are a sign of what to expect from this team for the rest of the season.
