What is the most appropriate word to describe Valerien Ismael’s Barnsley? Unrelenting? Tireless? High-octane?
Either way, it is hard to imagine Gary Cahill, Christian Benteke, Joel Ward and co adapting to the kind of all-action, non-stop gegenpressing that the Championship’s dark horses have perfected since Ismael arrived as Gerhard Struber’s replacement in late-2020.
If Jurgen Klopp’s teams play heavy metal football, Barnsley are the beautiful game’s answer to raging deathcore.
So, with the Telegraph reporting that Crystal Palace have identified Ismael as a potential successor for the out-of-contract Roy Hodgson at Selhurst Park, there are understandable concerns hanging over the 45-year-old Frenchman.
Ismael might have proven himself to be one of the shrewdest tactical minds in the Championship – dragging an understated Barnsley side into the play-off picture – but that does not mean the one-time Crystal Palace defender is capable of making a similar impact at his old stomping ground.
After all, Palace have one of the oldest squads in the Premier League at their disposal.
Theirs is not a team renowned for its energy, preferring instead to sit back, soak up the pressure and use the vision of Ebere Eze and the speed of Wilfried Zaha on the counter-attack.
If Ismael is handed the keys to the machine, Crystal Palace would surely need a substantial overhaul to make a successful transition from Hodgson’s pragmatic two-banks-of-four approach.
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