Poya Asbaghi says Barnsley FC were relegated for many reasons - and they must work them out now

The Swede took some comfort from the fact they made a fight of the mission that already looked impossible when he took it on - but not much.

Asbaghi took over in mid-November with the Reds already looking doomed to relegation.

Asked how a team which reached last season's play-offs had been relegated this, he replied: "I think it's a combination of a lot of things. Barnsley as a football club has been historically fighting between League One and the Championship. If you look at the bigger picture with Barnsley, it's pretty normal.

"Last year was a pretty big exception. After that year with the expectations it creates and you lose a lot of experienced players, the backbone in the central line, the expectations come instead on other players who are much younger and don't have the same experience and when you get the start you get in the Championship, not winning any football games the pressure on you is too tough to handle.

"I would not say the reason Barnsley have been relegated is because of one or two things. It's for sure because of a combination of a lot of things and it's important to be good at identifying what those things are."

Asbaghi's contract has a break clause which can now be triggered but he does not want anyone jumping to hasty decisions.

"It's time for reflection for the whole club - me and everybody else," he said. "Now we can accept the fact in a calm way.

"We still have two weeks (of the season left) and we're still fighting for our pride. The players still have to keep up their professionalism.

"A lot of people would gladly swap places to play our next game, even if there's nothing on it."