Barnsley FC v Exeter City: Conor Hourihane warns of changes unless the consistency 'penny drops'
Conor Hourihane has warned his Barnsley players if the penny does not drop soon, he will move them on in the summer.
Saturday’s League One visit of Exeter City will be Barnsley's 14th game of 2026, and still they have not had the same result twice.
Having lost to Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday now would be a bad time to start but a team without consecutive league wins since September – even they were split by an international break – need consistency quickly.
"It's been one of the really frustrating things of the season," admits Hourihane, whose team began with two wins but have not had the feeling again since defeating Huddersfield Town and Reading in August/September.
"I really thought off the back of Leyton Orient (last weekend) – getting a win when people have been pointing at our away of form, then bouncing into a home game with really good form at home – could we take that next step?
"I said to the group again after the game it's hard work to win any game of football. It's even harder work to win week after week.
"Some people know that in the dressing room, some people are unaware of that because they're at a different stage of their careers.
"It's my role to keep pushing that in their faces and hopefully the penny will drop for a couple to realise what it actually takes – real professionalism, standards, dedication. It doesn't happen by chance.
"When the penny drops with three or four or five, that will ultimately benefit the group.
"Some are young, some are that little bit older, some are in the middle and that needs to be joined together and become more consistent whether that's over the next three or four games or in the summer (transfer market)."
Consistent teams keep clean sheets so when they have an off-day, they do not lose. Barnsley have two in the league all season.
"It's not a good thing to see," says defender Mael de Gevigney. "That's something we're working on.
"We need to do better. You have to fight for every ball, be organised.
"It's a desire to defend, to fight. There's a structure defensively. We know what we're doing and how to get clean sheets.
"Every player is now fighting really hard to defend together. In the last three games we're definitely way better."