When new Raith Rovers boss Neill Collins was sacked by Barnsley back in April it came as a surprise.
There was only one game remaining in the regular season and the League One side sat in a play-off spot in fifth in the table.
The shock and sympathy was similar to that expressed by many when Ian Murray was axed by Raith last month after just one match of the new Championship campaign.
Courier Sport has taken a look at the reasons behind Collins’ departure from Barnsley that opened the door for Rovers to appoint him as their new manager last week.
“I think the owners made a bit of a rash decision at the end. They do run this club slightly differently.”
These are the words of Adie Moses, who made almost 200 appearances in nearly eight years with Barnsley and who now covers the club regularly as a pundit for BBC Sheffield.
Collins was appointed manager of Barnsley in July last year following five years in charge of Tampa Bay Rowdies in the United States.
He began life with the Tykes with a record 7-0 hammering of Port Vale and his team did not drop out of the top six once from early October onwards.
They also set new records – the longest unbeaten away league run in one season (11 games), most away points (42) and most away victories (12).
Yet, after an admittedly poor run of just two wins from 11 outings, the South Yorkshire side sacked the former Sunderland, Wolves and Sheffield United defender with their promotion hopes on the line.
Strange timing
“The timing of it was all very strange,” commented Moses. “But, regardless of the timing, I thought he was harshly treated and I said that on the radio at the time.
“He had the team in the play-offs all year and he equalled a club record with the most away wins in a season.
“The home form wasn’t as good. But, to be fair to Neill, I think a lot of the fans had it in for him from the start, and the owners listened to that a little bit towards the end.
“Whether the supporters didn’t think it was an exciting appointment or the fact he had connections with Sheffield United, I don’t know.”
After coming within a whisker of promotion to the Championship when they lost the play-off final to Sheffield Wednesday in May 2023, Barnsley saw manager Michael Duff snatched away by Swansea City.
He was followed out the door by a string of key players, including keeper Brad Collins, defender Liam Kitching and captain Mads Andersen, who was sold to Luton Town.
“At the start of the season, we had lost the goalkeeper, the captain and half the back four,” added Moses. “So Neill inherited this squad, which was unlucky to start with.
“And then you had the fans who were moaning that Duff had gone.
“Because we had a successful season our most successful players left and also the manager.
On the back foot from the start
“So, Neill was a bit on the back foot from the start. Then there were fans on his back because they weren’t that overwhelmed with the appointment.
“If you factor all of that in, that’s why I think Neill was very unlucky.”
Another of the gripes of the dissenting supporters was the style of football served up by Collins’ side.
There were criticisms of them playing too much ‘football’ – always passing out from the back – and being ‘boring’, despite finishing the season as the third-top scorers in the division.
“He was very much a modern manager, sticking to the philosophy,” explained Moses. “It was a case of, ‘this is how we’re going to play’.
“We had Sam Cosgrove, who used to be at Aberdeen, up front. He’s a big lad, a big target man, but it was very rare that Neill got the centre-halves to go direct and just launch it long.
“That’s not what he did, and I think a lot of the fans wondered where the plan B was.”
In the end, Collins spent a little over four months out of work following Barnsley’s decision to sack him less than one season into a two-year deal.
‘What more could he have done?’
“If you had said when he was appointed,” continues Moses, “that they were going to be in the play-offs for most of the season, be one of the top scorers, enjoy the most away wins in the club’s history. What more could he have done?
“That’s why I went on air and stuck up for Neill and said I thought he had been really unlucky.
“I could tell from speaking to him how passionate he was. He wears his heart on his sleeve a little bit and I would have liked to have seen him get the chance to take Barnsley into the play-offs.
“I really hope he does well up at Raith because I think he deserves it.”
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