Daniel Stendel has called on every member of his Barnsley squad to stand up and be counted defensively, as the League One club's leaky backline continues to draw uncomfortable attention at Oakwell.

A record that demands answers

Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, the Barnsley head coach was characteristically direct about the situation. "Everybody needs to take responsibility," Stendel said, making clear he is not pinning the problem on the back four alone. It is the kind of language supporters will recognise: an appeal to collective effort rather than individual blame, though the phrasing does carry the implicit admission that something has gone wrong.

The timing is significant. Barnsley have already shipped five goals in a single home outing this season, the 5-1 defeat to Stevenage that shook the club earlier in the campaign. A subsequent 3-0 loss at Plymouth added to the discomfort, and a 3-3 draw that required a penalty shootout to separate the sides from Peterborough underlines a defensive frailty that is difficult to paper over.

In third-tier football, goals conceded are rarely the sole fault of defenders. Press intensity, midfield shape, set-piece organisation and simple individual concentration all feed into the number that appears on the wrong side of the ledger at full time. Stendel, who built his reputation on energetic, high-tempo football, appears to be wrestling with the gap between what his side produces going forward and what it gives away at the other end.

More than a goalkeeping or defensive matter

The phrase "everybody" is doing real work in Stendel's public comments. It suggests that the coaching staff are not satisfied with how the whole team defends from the front, a standard expectation at modern League One clubs that press aggressively. When the press breaks down, it tends to expose defenders who are not in position, and midfielders who have gambled on a turnover that never came.

Barnsley signed defender Ade Okedina on a one-year deal earlier in the window, which signals that the recruitment team identified the backline as an area needing reinforcement. Whether that addition has had time to settle into Stendel's system is a separate question. New defenders need matches, not just training sessions, to build the understanding that stops goals.

The squad's mood, at least publicly, has been monitored closely. Stendel spoke of "the energy being back" at the club not long ago, and midfielder Cameron Bland described training as "immense" following the Stevenage thrashing. There is clearly an attempt from within the camp to project resilience. Whether that resilience translates into a tighter defensive structure on matchdays is what the League One table will ultimately judge.

What comes next for Barnsley

Barnsley remain a club with the resources and the fanbase to compete at the upper end of the third tier. Oakwell holds a crowd that expects a promotion challenge, not a scrap to stay in the division. Stendel's personal record suggests he knows how to build teams that go forward, but a promotion-worthy side in League One cannot simply outscore its problems over 46 games.

The manager's public call for collective defensive responsibility is, in one reading, a standard piece of man-management. In another, it is an acknowledgement that the current numbers are not good enough and that he needs a response from the group as a whole, not just the players who line up at the back. At this level, where margins are tight and the table can shift sharply over a run of midweek fixtures, how quickly Barnsley find that response will define whether this season becomes a genuine promotion push or a long exercise in damage limitation.

Supporters will be watching the next set of fixtures closely. They always are. But right now they are watching the goals-against column a little more anxiously than usual.

Frequently asked

Why has Daniel Stendel called for collective responsibility at Barnsley?
Stendel has pointed to Barnsley's recent defensive record as a concern, urging every member of the squad to share accountability for goals conceded rather than placing blame on the back four alone.
How many goals have Barnsley conceded recently?
Barnsley have suffered some heavy defeats this season, including a 5-1 home loss to Stevenage and a 3-0 defeat at Plymouth, as well as conceding three goals against Peterborough in a draw.
Who is Barnsley's manager in League One?
Daniel Stendel is the Barnsley head coach, managing the club in League One, the third tier of English football.