A Window of Opportunity - Insights from Reds Report's Ian...!

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The new League One season is only two games old and we have already had an insight into where Barnsley are right now.

With so much change happening at Oakwell with a new management team in place, experienced players moving on, new less experienced players coming in and the uncertainty around the Kitching, Styles and Kane it will take time for Neill Collins to get a tune out of this squad.

Last Saturday, everything Barnsley hit went in against Port Vale. Away at Bristol Rovers the same side apart from Barry Cotter replacing injured Corey O`Keeffe were poor and lucky to get away with a point at the Memorial Ground. In reality, had Rovers converted only half of their chances created the score would have been embarrassing for the Reds.

Collins stated in his early press conferences that results and performances will be up and down for the first few months of the season as the Reds squad settle down and get used to how the Scot wants them to play. We saw the same last season under Michael Duff when the Reds didn't become consistent until Autumn.

Collins is hampered in a number of ways. The new players coming in need to bed in. We saw brief flashes of what O`Keeffe, Dallas and Roberts can do. Lopata looks like a beast at the back but needs time to get used to playing at this level.

Then there are the missing players. Luca Connell is a huge miss with illness. Add injuries to O`Keeffe, Cundy, McCarthy, Benson, Matty Wolfe and Phillips suspended with new signing De Gevigney not match fit, you can see why the Reds bench looks bare.

Then there is speculation around Liam Kitching who has been subject of a £2.5m bid from Coventry, rejected by Barnsley. In reality, with the transfer window open until 1st September it is likely that Coventry will come back with an improved offer. The Sky Blues have cash to spend with the sales of Gyokeres and Hamer so it is likely the Reds new skipper may well be plying his trade in the Championship soon enough.

Speculation is rife that ex-Barnsley manager Valerien Ismael will come in for Callum Styles and sign him up at Watford. It is rumoured that the release fee for Styles is £2m which is affordable for the Hornets.

Rumours have circulated around the future of Herbie Kane. How true this is who knows but many players at Oakwell will have seen their teammates move on to the Premier League and Championship so it is easy to see how some players will fancy a move up the football pyramid.

After all Barnsley are a selling club, always have been and always will be. The club has a good reputation for developing players who then get a good move on and no one can see that changing anytime soon.

The likes of Kitching will see how Mads Andersen, Carlton Morris, Cauley Woodrow, Jacob Brown are now playing in the premier league, with Bobby Thomas & Brad Collins at Coventry who are well placed to move into the premier league soon enough. Why wouldn't Kitching want to move on, play at a higher level, earn more money and Barnsley make a huge profit on their investment?

So whilst the season is in its infancy, Reds fans are in for a roller coaster season. Roll on the end of the summer transfer window and allow Neill Collins to work with the squad and mould them into how he wants.

In the meantime, it could be a rollercoaster of a time for fans of Barnsley FC.