Barnsley: The secret Stendel is looking to learn from Dale Tonge

Head coach Daniel Stendel is hoping to tap into a unique piece of Dale Tonge's Barnsley knowledge.
Dale Tonge celebrates promotion with Barnsley in 2006Dale Tonge celebrates promotion with Barnsley in 2006
Dale Tonge celebrates promotion with Barnsley in 2006

Tonge, who comes from Thurnscoe, has stepped up from his coaching role in the academy to help out with the first team following Andreas Winkler's defection to Huddersfield.

Assistant head coach Winkler opted to join his friend Jan Siewart at the John Smith's Stadium as the Terriers fight relegation from the Premier League.

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Tonge will assist Stendel for the next three games, beginning with the clash against Rochdale on Saturday, before a more permanent decision is made.

Stendel has already pumped Tonge for information on something that he is hoping to achieve this season – promotion to the Championship.

The 33-year-old was part of the Reds team that won promotion from League One in 2006.

Stendel said: “I told him he can tell me his secret to get promoted to the Championship!

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“The big point is that he is a good coach and also a good person and both together is good.

“It was not our plan that Andreas left the staff but this is the football way, but with Dale we have a good guy for our coaching staff.

“On Wednesday Andreas and a Dale spoke together to discuss the tasks Andreas had. We know immediately he cannot work the same.

“We have started then we see, we have spoken about the next three games and then we will see.”

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Regardless of whether Tonge stays in the role, Stendel is likely to want to appoint a German coach to help break the language barrier.

He has a potential target in mind but is not going to rush the process with a flurry of games on the horizon.

Asked whether he had someone lined up from his homeland: “Yes, not really 100 per cent.

“Maybe nothing comes from it and we play the season with this staff until the end and we see in the summer.

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“It is not a hundred per cent decided, we don't have much time we play three games in a week.”

The first of those is against Rochdale, led by former boss Keith Hill.

Cauley Woodrow is expected to play after coming off against AFC Wimbledon last week while Mike Bahre is a doubt having only returned to training on Friday.