Following the resignation of Mark Robins over the summer, Keith Hill's appointment as Barnsley boss made him the tenth manager in as many years at Oakwell.
Having led Rotherham United to a ninth-place finish in League Two the previous season, Hill spoke of his excitement at taking over a club in a higher league.
Sports Mole takes a look at how Hill has fared in his first five months with the team.
August
A goalless draw at home to Nottingham Forest on the first day of the season got the Tykes off the mark, but they suffered a shock Carling Cup second round defeat in their next game with a 2-0 loss at home to League Two Morecambe.
A 1-0 defeat at Southampton was followed by a 3-1 loss at home to Middlesbrough. Their first win of the campaign was finally secured with a 2-1 triumph at Reading before a home draw against Millwall.
September
A run of four 1-1 draws marked a frustrating September for Barnsley as they were held at home to Leicester City and Watford, while away they were unable to find wins against Birmingham City and Derby County.
October
An inconsistent October saw the month begin with a 2-0 victory at home to Coventry City before a 2-0 defeat at Portsmouth.
A 2-0 win against Burnley at Oakwell was soon followed with an eight-goal thriller at Cardiff City. Unfortunately for Barnsley, the Welsh side ran out 5-3 winners. October ended with a 2-1 defeat at home to struggling Bristol City courtesy of Nicky Maynard's injury-time strike.
November
Things were looking up for Keith Hill's side in November as they picked up nine points from a possible 12 with wins against Hull City, Doncaster Rovers and Leeds United.
The only blot on the team's copybook that month was a 2-0 loss at Brighton & Hove Albion.
December
The end of 2011 saw a typically inconsistent set of results for Barnsley as wins against Peterborough United and Crystal Palace were cancelled out with defeats against Ipswich Town, West Ham United and Blackpool.
Despite such an unpredictable campaign, the Yorkshire club are still only six points off of the playoff places. Like many of the clubs around them, a run of wins could give them an outside chance of making a shock Premier League return.
However, they will want to keep hold of their young captain Jacob Butterfield if they are to stand a chance. The 21-year-old has been linked with a move away from the club, but it is essential that Barnsley keep hold of the midfielder.
Jack Prescott
