Darrell Clarke on when Barnsley FC should be properly assessed in the 2024-25 League One season

In a campaign in which all three Yorkshire representatives in the Reds, Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United are expected by many observers to be batting it out towards the top end of the third tier, Clarke remains circumspect.

This despite the Oakwell outfit enjoying their best week of 2024-25 so far in following up a noteworthy EFL Cup victory over near-neighbours Sheffield United with an excellent 3-0 triumph at Crawley.

Last weekend’s win in West Sussex added to the ‘feel-good factor’ at the club, who secured the services of marquee forward Davis Keillor-Dunn on deadline day - following on from being handed a dream cup draw at Manchester United later this month.

Barnsley supporters could get their first glimpse of Keillor-Dunn - signed for a sizeable six-figure fee from Mansfield - and fellow late-window signing Stephen Humphrys in Saturday’s home league game with Bristol Rovers.

For his part, Clarke, appointed by the club in late May, is remaining steadfastly grounded.

His side are just outside of the top six, as it stands, with Huddersfield being a couple of places above Barnsley in fifth.

Beaten on the opening night of the season by Mansfield on home soil, Barnsley have gone unbeaten at league level since, winning away games at Lincoln and Crawley, but squandering a 2-0 home lead in a draw with Northampton. Their last home league success was on February 24.

With Clarke conscious of the need to assimilate Keillor-Dunn and Humphreys fully into his plans - with another August signing in former Arsenal player Kelechi Nwakali likely to take several weeks to get up to full match sharpness - the Reds head coach feels that now is not the time to gauge where the club’s season is at.

Clarke said: "My honest assessment is that I think you are looking at a quarter of a season. That’s when you have a really good feel for it.

"If you are going to ask me now, we’ve six, seven or eight top League One players and with the rest, I’ve got to try and make them into top League One players - being open and honest with my early assessments.

"But you only start looking at those assessments after the first quarter of the season when people have had minutes. How quickly can you judge players under a new head coach and new coaching regime?

"My early assessment is I’m disappointed we are not on more points, if I’m honest. On paper, the division is a lot tougher than last year. But games aren’t won on paper."

Barnsley are assessing Max Watters, who came off early on in the win at Crawley with a foot issue and fellow striker Sam Cosgrove, who has missed the club’s past two matches, ahead of the home game with Rovers.

While Huddersfield are inactive in the league this coming weekend, Rotherham - buoyed by their first league goals and win of the campaign, against Town, visit Charlton, who rejected the chance to call off the fixture - despite having three players called up for international duty.