Barnsley FC midfielder Luca Connell on 'positive' switch to League One play-offs and 'unfinished business' as managerless Reds continue to assess candidates

Form wise, the Reds do not head into the end-of-season lottery in the best of places after failing to win in their final six matches of the regular campaign.

All told, they won just twice in their last 12 games.

Top-two candidates in March, Barnsley hobbled into the play-offs and their place was confirmed in nervy fashion with a draw against Northampton.

But the psychology of this part of the year means that while one season is over, a ‘new’ one now begins and historically, form usually counts for little.

The South Yorkshire outfit could yet have a fresh face in the dug-out ahead of Friday night’s semi-final first leg against Bolton at Oakwell.

After sacking Neill Collins nine days ago, the Reds lined up Austrian head coach Dominik Thalhammer as his permanent replacement.

Work permit issues have reportedly held up the move for the 53-year-old, a former coach at Bruges and Ostende, with the club assessing other contenders.

It is understood that former Doncaster Rovers manager Richie Wellens, now at Leyton Orient, is a potential candidate under consideration while MK Dons head coach Mike Williamson has also been linked.

But as it stands, interim head coach Martin Devaney, at the helm for Saturday’s play-off clinching draw with Cobblers, will be in charge on Friday unless things change quickly.

Offering a players’ perspective, Connell says that moving on from a tough end to the league season and starting afresh in the play-offs can only be a good thing and can revive the Reds, who beat Bolton in the semi-finals in 2022-23.

Former Wanderers player Connell, among a host of Reds stars seeking to make amends after last season’s heart-breaking play-off final loss to Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday at Wembley, said: “That (regular season ending) will be a positive for us.

"Everything in the past few weeks or season is gone. The good or bad things get forgotten about and you have just got to move onto the play-offs.

"All the lads speak it about it (Wembley last year) and the lads who haven’t been there say ‘oh, what was it like it?’.

"We have all spoken about it and have unfinished business at Wembley and want to get there again and put it right this time.

"We know what the occasion is like and have played in front of good crowds in the semi-finals and final before.”

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From a personal standpoint, few players will be as mentally refreshed ahead of the definitive end period in Barnsley’s campaign than Connell.

At the start of the season, the Liverpudlian was laid low with a mystery illness was subsequently diagnosed as post-viral fatigue.

Throughout late summer and early autumn, Connell watched games from his settee at home - and thoughts of getting back to playing seemed far off.

Connell’s condition thankfully started to improve and after a rehabilitation period, he made his return.He has featured 27 times so far in 2023-24, which is some feat in the circumstances, as he strives to finish a difficult year in the best possible fashion.

He added: “If, at the start of the season, people had been saying you will play so many games and stuff like that - as I didn’t know when my next game was going to be when I was not feeling well - I’d have taken it.

"I’m just looking forward to it (play-offs) really. That’s what we want, the season to go on for another few weeks and hopefully get through into the final.”