Auf Wiedersehen Dan

Last updated : 08 October 2019 By Rob Miles

Barnsley are looking for their eighth permanent manager in eight years following the sudden (yet not unexpected) departure of popular German Daniel Stendel.

Unrest is believed to have been brewing behind the scenes due to the club's insistence of not signing anybody over the age of 25 and things came to a head at the weekend with the Reds suffering their heaviest defeat since February 2015 to extend their winless run to 11 matches in all competitions.

It is thought that following this Stendel spoke to the board to ask for some experienced free agents to complement his woefully exposed team but this was rebuffed and today Stendel has departed. It is still unclear whether he resigned or was sacked but the club's pitiful 21 word statement shows there is certainly no loved lost with no thanks for his achievements last season, just merely stating "Barnsley Football Club confirms that it has separated from Daniel Stendel with immediate effect. Adam Murray has been appointed caretaker manager."

Those said achievements included leading the club back to the Championship after one season with a club record points total, their most league wins in 64 years, and fewest league defeats in 80 years.

They also went unbeaten at Oakwell for an entire season for the first time in 52 years.

Stendel departs having won 31 of 66 games in charge, giving him a 47% win ratio - the second highest for any permanent Barnsley manager (when merging spells from managers who managed the club more than once), behind only Percy Lewis 59% between April 1914 and April 1919

This is not the first time a Barnsley manager has departed in the season after guiding the club to promotion, back in November 2006 Andy Ritchie was fired just six months after winning the League One Play-Off Final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, whilst it is the earliest in a season that a Barnsley manager has departed since Simon Davey left on the 31st August 2009 (Incidentally due to Stendel's departure, Davey remains the last Reds boss to complete two full seasons in charge)