Who is Dominik Thalhammer? Everything we know about new favourite for Barnsley job

Collins was relieved of his duties on Monday (April 25), having overseen an alarming decline in form. Prior to his exit, the Reds had claimed victory in just one of their last seven league games.

Automatic promotion to the Championship was once the ambition but it is now mathematically possible the club may not even compete in the play-offs. However, a win over Northampton Town this weekend would book a place in the end-of-season showcase.

When the bookies markets first opened, there were familiar names among the frontrunners. Martin Devaney, the current caretaker, was up at the top alongside his former colleague Michael Duff.

However, a new name has rocketed to the top of the BetVictor favourites list. Thalhammer may not be a well-known name in English football but he is currently the clear favourite to replace Collins at 1/4.

Below is everything we know about the new favourite.

Managerial career

With no background as a professional player, it was in the dugout that Thalhammer first made his name. Starting off as a youth coach at Admira in his native Austria, he became the youngest head coach in the history of the Austrian Bundesliga when he took charge of the club’s first team aged 33.

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After spells in charge of the likes of Wiener Sport-Club and Floridsdorfer AC, he moved into the women’s game in 2011. He spent nine years as manager of the Austria women’s national team, transforming their fortunes. In 2017, he was among the nominees for Women’s World Coach of the Year.

He made a return to the men’s game in 2020, landing the head coach role at LASK Linz. In his maiden campaign, he led the club to a fourth-placed finish in the Austrian Bundesliga and took them to the Austrian Cup final. His second term, however, started poorly and he was axed in September 2021.

Belgian outfit Cercle Brugge then came calling and his tenure there followed a similar pattern. He made an impressive start but form declined in the early stages of his second season, leading to his dismissal.

Thalhammer was then snapped up by KV Oostende but could not save the club from relegation to the second tier of Belgian football amid financial issues.

Style

Thalhammer was credited with improving Cercle Brugge’s pressing, as well as introducing a more compact defensive structure. He also brought in a man-to-man marking system in midfield, preventing opponents from playing through the centre and forcing more direct progressions.

During his reign as manager of the Austria women’s national team, his side was known for their discipline and counter-attacking style.