Barnsley FC still hoping to appoint Markus Schopp's replacement before trip to Fulham

Barnsley's search for a head coach is taking longer than they hoped, but they are still aiming to have a new man in place for Saturday's trip to Fulham.
By Stuart Rayner
Published 15th Nov 2021, 14:39 BST

When Markus Schopp was sacked a week before the international break and Joseph Laumann put in caretaker control for the next two matches, it seemed obvious the Reds would look to get someone in during the fortnight the Championship was on hold for.

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Plan A was to have somebody in situ by the weekend but instead Laumann was taking training without the support of an assistant after Tonda Eckert - who missed the games against Derby County and Hull City with Covid-19 - having left the club.Laumann leant on the club's analysts and goalkeeping coach Thomas Fawdry, recently arrived at Oakwell for the last two matches - one impressively won, the other alarmingly lost.

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CARETAKER: Coach Joseph Laumann oversaw the win over Derby County and the defeat to Hull CityCARETAKER: Coach Joseph Laumann oversaw the win over Derby County and the defeat to Hull City
CARETAKER: Coach Joseph Laumann oversaw the win over Derby County and the defeat to Hull City

As previously reported in The Yorkshire Post, Swedish Under-21 coach Poya Asbaghi is on what is thought to be an all-foreign shortlist of candidates, but no deal is thought to be imminent.

It could be that even if a new man is appointed this week, it comes late and Laumann is still in charge at Craven Cottage, with his successor watching on.

Asbaghi was interviewed for the job in 2019 and Barnsley have been unafraid to return to candidates they have looked at in the past, as they did when appointing Schopp to replace Valerien Ismael in the summer.

The Austrian won just one of 16 matches in charge, and by the end seemed to have little support in the dressing room. Although there were mitigating factors, it reached the point where the excuses no longer washed in the boardroom.

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Hull moved above Barnsley with their surprise victory at Oakwell and are on the verge of a takeover by Turkish businessman Acun Ilicali which could bring fresh investment in the squad in January and, such is the nature of these things, the removal of unpopular head coach Grant McCann.

Cardiff City also have a new manager, with Steve Morison given the job permanently during the international break after the sacking of Barnsley-born former defender Mick McCarthy.

The Reds are four points adrift of safety.

Related topics:Grant McCannMick McCarthyOakwell