Analysis of Barnsley's 2-1 loss at York City in their second friendly.

FRIENDLY SHOWS HOW MUCH WORK YET TO DO

THIS friendly laid out everything we already knew about Barnsley at the moment.

The most positive element of the day was that there were still four weeks until the start of the season so plenty of time to make improvements both in training and the transfer market with several new signings likely to arrive in the coming days.

They also got more minutes in the legs of their squad in challenging conditions.

But it was a tough watch for the 872 Barnsley fans, in sweltering heat, who spent most of the second half singing England songs ahead of the World Cup quarter-final that night.

The Reds were deservedly beaten by a League Two side who could have won more handsomely.

They had no focal point in attack - not a shock considering they have no senior strikers - and were incredibly open in defence.

It was a disjointed display overall with few signs of ‘Stendel ball’.

At one point, Daniel Stendel pulled Jono Bland over to talk to him in the dugout while the game was ongoing then the midfielder was out of position when York played through the middle and scored a goal that was ruled offside. The head coach was also unhappy at the award of the match-winning penalty.

This looked like a team at the very start of a long journey to becoming the team they want to be.

REDS VERY VULNERABLE TO COUNTERS

Barnsley were extremely vulnerable to counter-attacks throughout the game.

They were poor on transition, opened up when they lost the ball and the hosts were able to pass through the large gaps vacated.

They were also playing a high defensive line but with two centre-backs, in Josh Earl and Kacper Lopata, who do not have the mobility to protect the huge spaces around them.

York’s goal saw Greg Olley charge a long way unchallenged with the ball before finding the bottom right corner from 20 yards. There were other moments like that without the finish.

The Reds had two centre-backs with a bit more pace, Jack Shepherd and Isaac Smith, out injured and must be looking to sign at least one more. But the disconnect between how Stendel wants his team to defend and what his players can actually do was stark.

It was perhaps telling that Lopata - who has not played for the first team in nearly two years - was chosen ahead of Mael de Gevigney to play the first hour.

The centre-back who looked to have the most recovery pace to play the high line was 19-year-old sub Calum Hudson.

CAPTAIN MCGEEHAN GETS GOAL

Cameron McGeehan was captain for the day and scored the equaliser.

It was a typical goal for him, making a late run deep into the box to finish from close range after Corey O’Keeffe crossed from the right following a short corner.

He was probably the stand-out player as he looked energetic, physical and full of running.

McGeehan had the armband in the absence of Luca Connell who was not at the game after starting pre-season late as agreed with the club.

The other player to stand out was Reyes Cleary who was dangerous on the wing, as you would expect against a League Two side. He brilliantly nutmegged a defender in the box and crossed low to McGeehan who could not turn it in from close range for 2-1.

Rogan Ravenhill made a big one-on-one save.

NOTHING FROM OPEN PLAY WITHOUT STRIKERS

It is not unusual for Barnsley – or other clubs - to be low on strikers a few weeks before the start of a season. In 2022, Devante Cole and Jack Aitchison were the Reds’ only front men throughout most of pre-season while, two years later, it was Sam Cosgrove and Max Watters before the late signings of Davis Keillor-Dunn and Stephen Humphrys.

But this year they are particularly lacking in that area. In York, with young striker Leo Farrell starting on the bench, winger Clayton Taylor played up front with midfielder Vimal Yoganathan just behind him.

Barnsley pressed well, especially early on when they won the ball several times deep in the York half, and threatened from crosses, but their forwards never really linked up effectively in open play.

Patrick Kelly spent much of the game stuck out on the right wing, struggling to get involved in the action. He looked unsure as to whether to stay wide, run past the strikers into the box or drift into central midfield. It seemed disorganised and to play him there is a waste of one of the best ball-carriers from central positions in the third division.

It must be said that the lack of strikers means players are being used in different positions and the team is all over the place – hopefully not representative of the early competitive games.

YOUNGSTERS GET FINAL HALF HOUR

Barnsley made a change early in the second half when Yoganathan hurt his knee and was replaced by Farrell then there were nine more substitutions a few minutes later. The team for the final half an hour was basically an under 21s side with the oldest being de Gevigney and Kelechi Nwakali who hit some nice passes as usual.

They played good football at times but were up against a much more experienced opponent as, although York also made wholesale changes, their replacements were generally members of their larger first team squad.

The Reds conceded a penalty when striker Ollie Pearce looked certain to tap in on the line from a right wing cross but was pushed by Arley Kay. Pearce converted the penalty.