Former Wrexham defender Eoghan O’Connell reveals the Reds overachieved on the defensive front in a promotion-winning League One campaign last season.
The winter transfer window 2026 concluded with plenty of Wrexham stars ending up in League One. While that included multiple direct exits from Wrexham, one of the former Reds stars, Eoghan O’Connell, followed a different script altogether.
After leaving Wrexham last summer, O’Connell fared out the first half of the 2025/26 season as a free agent. It wasn’t until Barnsley came calling in January that the Irishman resumed his EFL career in League One.
So far, Eoghan O’Connell’s defensive abilities have seen him emerge as a regular starter for Barnsley. While the 30-year-old must be convinced of his decent displays after spending months as a free agent, O’Connell has hardly been satisfied with the unit’s overall defensive output.
As per O’Connell, fate has been a bit harsh not to reward Barnsley’s defensive efforts lately. This follows after the side has conceded 19 goals in 9 games since O’Connell joined and has failed to manage a clean sheet.
Recently, Eoghan O’Connell made a surprising reveal on how they are putting in more extensive work as a unit at Barnsley than he did at Wrexham. Still, the output has been scarcely visible as the club has one of the worst goals conceded per game this season.
Speaking to the Barnsley Chronicle, O’Connell revealed his heartfelt emotion, saying: “I played in a team last season who, I think, had 25 clean sheets and we work a lot harder on defending here than we did there. It’s football, sometimes you can be trying too hard.”
O’Connell’s Wrexham claim catches fans off guard
While Wrexham fans will sympathise with the recent struggles of their consecutive‑promotion winner at Barnsley, this claim is sure to catch them off guard.
Statistically, Wrexham managed an impressive tally of 24 clean sheets in League One last season. With just 34 goals conceded in 46 league matchdays, the Reds emerged as the second-best defence in the third tier.
For a side putting up such impressive figures, it’s natural to expect rigorous work being put behind the scenes. That’s why Eoghan O’Connell’s claim will surprise Wrexham faithful as the former defender throws light on how Parky’s backline achieved extraordinary results with just sufficient work.
What changed for O’Connell at Barnsley compared to Wrexham?
At Wrexham, Eoghan O’Connell was part of an overperforming Wrexham side that won consecutive promotions. While the ex-defender’s recent claim comes as a surprise, the Reds were able to do so because of the intensity they put in every shift on the field.
Having a backline consisting of Max Cleworth, Thomas O’Connor & O’Connell himself, Wrexham didn’t have the most experienced defenders. Still, the defence exceeded expectations for their brilliant work rate and ability to track back with speed whenever needed.
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Compare this to Eoghan O’Connell’s Barnsley unit, and the difference feels imminent. While Conor Hourihane’s side has played an exciting brand of football upfront, their defensive vulnerabilities can’t be ignored.
Despite Barnsley boasting a deep squad, early injuries to veteran stars like Marc Roberts led to defensive inconsistencies from the start of the season. Additionally, a lack of speed among the available options has haunted their backline very often.
Combine these issues with occasional errors in the recent Huddersfield defeat, and the club’s problems get uncovered.
Barnsley’s slip-up Vs Huddersfield explains O’Connell’s claim
While Eoghan O’Connell and teammates are putting in the effort required, Barnsley have been troubled by slip-ups regularly. The club’s loss to Huddersfield portrays the grave issue behind their struggles.
Though up against a playoff contender in Huddersfield, Barnsley started the game terrifically. After threatening the hosts multiple times, Barnsley found the go-ahead goal when McGoldrick scored a sensational curler from the edge of the box at the tip of the first half.
However, Conor Hourihane’s men gave it all away in the second half by undoing the brilliant effort of the first 45 minutes.
Firstly, Barnsley’s backline was caught up in bad positioning as they failed to mark Ryan Ledson in the box. This was followed by a subpar effort from keeper Owen Goodman as Ledson equalised with a free header from close range.
Not much later, Wrexham loanee Ryan Hardie knocked down Barnsley’s hopes of getting anything out of the game. The forward finished past a bunch of Barnsley defenders and gave Huddersfield an invincible 2-1 lead.
This defeat has seen Barnsley slip to 15th place. Unless Hourihane’s men improve their defensive cohesion and keep things simple, their promotion dream will feel further away with each passing game.
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