Michael Duff hopes Barnsley FC repairing connection with fans as Matty Wolfe suffers serious injury blow

That relationship broke down completely last season, resulting in angry protests at matches, relegation from the Championship and the ousting of Paul Conway and Chien Lee from the board.

But 2022-23 has had a fresh feel, with new manager Duff building a side he believes reflects the principles of those who watch from the terraces.

On Saturday Barnsley invited supporters who travelled in vain to Exeter City on Tuesday, only for the match to be postponed less than three hours before kick-off because of a frozen pitch, to watch a pre-arranged in-house friendly.

It was not a complete success, with midfielder Matty Wolfe injuring his knee, but that would have happened had it been played behind closed doors as usual.

Duff is hoping to feel the benefit of the gesture in difficult away games at Oxford United on Wednesday and Portsmouth on Saturday.

"I think it went down well," said Duff, who organised the game when the scheduled visit of Sheffield Wednesday was postponed because of the latter's FA Cup run.

"It's difficult trying to rebuild this connection. The players appreciate the support and they know how far the supporters travelled to Exeter.

"I think it was a good gesture. It shows we are trying to build that relationship again and give the support some internal access to players. They went over for 10, 15 minutes after the game signing autographs and getting to know them a bit better.

"It didn't affect our plans and the players will have enjoyed it more because it would have been on the training pitch but instead it was at Oakwell.

"It was a nice touch."

How the club behave off the field, with Duff promoting an honest, hard-working approach from his players, is only part of the equation. He has tried to reproduce some of the best elements that have brought success to coaches such as Daniel Stendel, Gerhard Struber and Valerien Ismael in the recent past.

"Winning games will always help build a relationship but I think there's more to it than just results," argues Duff. "We're trying to represent the football club in the right way in terms of the way we play, the energy the supporters want to see.

"Every club has an identity and Barnsley’s is normally young, high-energy, trying to press the ball – so we're trying to replicate that. You've got to show a little bit of spirit and a bit of sweat on the shirt.

"Hopefully the supporters are starting to see that over time.

"We're hopeful word gets out that we're not a bad team, we work hard and even if we get beaten, there's not been many games this season where you can say we just rolled over.

"It's something the club are actively trying to pursue, to make that connection tighter and tighter."

Wolfe injured his knee and Aiden Marsh his hamstring on Saturday.

"We're still waiting on the scan but it does look like he'll be out for the season if it's what we think it is," said Duff of Marsh’s issue.

"(It was) innocuous, it wasn't even a tackle, just a football incident.

"Marshy felt his hamstring during the game.

"Potentially it changes priorities because Wolfey's an important player with Josh Benson being out for a while as well."

Barnsley sold long-serving goalkeeper Jack Walton to Luton Town on Monday evening, with Harry Isted coming the opposite way on loan. Walton made 62 appearances for the club over nine years.

Duff said the Reds had bids in for a number of players ahead of Tuesday's 11pm transfer deadline day but refused to confirm or deny interest in Kilmarnock forward Oli Shaw and Burton Albion right-back/centre-back Tom Hamer.

The challenge is to emerge with a squad capable of withstanding the busiest fixture backlog of any promotion-chasing team.

Sixth-placed Barnsley have four games in hand on fifth-placed Bolton Wanderers, two on Derby County, in fourth, and three on third-placed Ipswich Town.

"It was the frustration of the Exeter game being called off that we've been behind on games all season,” said Duff.

"But it is what it is. We have to find a way.

"Can we buy two internationals for each position? No, but I knew that when I came in. You might have to tweak the shape or play someone out of position like we already have with (Ziyad) Larkeche and Josh Benson playing right wing-back.

"There's loads of ready-made excuses in football – the pitch wasn't very good, the travel wasn't, the food in the hotel was poor... just look in the mirror and get on with it.

"If it catches up with us and we're not good enough at the end of the season it won't be through lack of effort."