Mansford And Sums

The Reds succumb to Burnley at Turf Moor, conceding a single goal this afternoon to keep them rooted to the bottom of the Championship, whilst the Clarets climb to the top.

So will an autopsy ensue on Mellon's brief tenure after just two games at the helm? With two games played away against highly rated opposition, did a haul of three points from our travels signal a positive return or not? Whether the Barnsley board opt to stick to their interim strategy or implement an alternative permanent plan is their prerogative, but most supporters might hope that they lower their stance on remaining tight lipped about the situation sooner rather than later.

And just like the recent postponement of the 'Reds on Tour' activities across the borough, there's noise across forums and social networks that it's probably right that any talk of off-the-field commercial initiatives become temporarily silent too until we know what will be done to halt this relentless tailspin we're in on the oblong green stuff!

It's a big challenge for all concerned. Looking at the bookies' top five candidates to be the next Barnsley FC boss, Micky Mellon, Danny Wilson, Neil Redfearn, Michael Appleton and Chris Wilder, how do you assess the personal and technical qualities that will be needed of each potential applicant, giving proper consideration to the circumstances we find ourselves in?

For what it's worth, my view is that a candidate shouldn't be on the short-list for a mid-season managerial vacancy unless they possess a reasonable bank of games at the helm elsewhere. Using that yard-stick, I'm afraid that Redfearn and Appleton have to be eliminated straight away. Maybe if we were planning ahead, with ample time to build systems in pre-season and test these out in friendlies, I might be prepared to accept a different game plan.

Of the remaining three, whilst Chris Wilder boasts a managerial record 619 games in charge and a win ratio of nearly 45%, most of this experience has been gained at non-league level. Even our very own Micky Mellon impresses with 225 games and a win ration of nearly 52%. Which probably suggests I'm meandering up a rather biased garden path that leads to Danny Wilson's 948 games, with nearly 41% of them won as being the gold-standard. I'm not. But its a start.

There's just 27 games remaining and only 14 of those fixtures take place at Oakwell. Whilst nobody can guarantee anything, by my reckoning if 41% of those games could be won anywhere, it would give us a precious 33 points. Also, with somebody of the calibre of Danny Wilson who has drawn 27% of games over his career, if that could be replicated and maintained we would have a further 7 points in the bag too.

So here we sit. Bottom of the Championship on 14 points. Potentially with options (mathematically at least) to shake the dice again and take a gamble - with bit of science thrown in too. It's over to you Mr Mansford, you do the sums.


Thanks for reading. What are your thoughts on the tactics needed now? Whatever the outcome, do you believe as I do that Micky Mellon remains an important asset to the club and if the board decide to seek an external candidate would be a vital resource in any new regime? We would love to hear your comments below, or get in touch with us on Twitter or Facebook.