Championship news: New Barnsley boss ready for relegation dogfight as Leeds man targets Premier League

New Barnsley boss Gerhard Struber is confident he can keep the club in the Championship this season despite a difficult start to the campaign.
Joe Nicholson
By Joe Nicholson
Published 20th Nov 2019, 16:44 BST
Updated 20th Nov 2019, 17:11 BST
New Barnsley boss Gerhard Struber has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at Oakwell.New Barnsley boss Gerhard Struber has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at Oakwell.
New Barnsley boss Gerhard Struber has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract at Oakwell.

The Tykes haven’t won since the opening day of the season and sit bottom of the table with just nine points from 15 games.

Despite the club’s promotion to the second tier last season, popular coach Daniel Stendel was sacked in October, meaning caretaker boss Adam Murray has taken charge of Barnsley’s last five fixtures.

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Struber guided Austrian side Wolfsberger AC to a third-place finish last season and is now looking forward to a different challenge in South Yorkshire.

“I am extremely happy and proud that everything has worked out and I would like to thank the board for giving me this opportunity,” said Struber.

“The last couple of days have been extremely exciting and I am ready for the challenge to do everything we can, to keep this club in the Sky Bet Championship.”

Barnsley’s chief executive Dane Murphy added: "Gerhard made it quite clear that he believes in our project and has confidence that the club can remain in the Sky Bet Championship under his stewardship, which is the club’s main objective for this season."

Leeds man targeting Premier League

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At the other end of the Championship, Leeds playmaker Pablo Hernandez has been talking about his new deal at Elland Road.

"It’s a happy day for me and my family,” said the Spaniard, 34, after signing a two-year contract extension which will run until the summer of 2022.

“I’ve waited for this moment for the last month. I’m staying because I want to and the club wants me. It’s perfect for me to sign this new contract here with this club.

"It’s an honour for me and now I try to continue to work and push to help the club back to the Premier League.”

O'Neill confident plan will work

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Finally, new Stoke boss Michael O'Neill insists he’s still the best man to take charge of Northern Ireland’s Euro 2020 qualifier next year.

An agreement between Stoke and the Irish FA means O'Neill can undertake both roles until the Green and White Army’s play-off fixtures in March.

Related topics:BarnsleyPablo HernandezPremier LeagueAdam MurrayLeedsDaniel Stendel