Blues boss Mick McCarthy is now some bookmakers' odds-on favourite for the vacant job at Barnsley, his hometown club where he started his playing career.

Having been very much an outsider in the early betting following Paul Heckingbottom’s departure for Leeds on Tuesday, McCarthy’s odds came in significantly this morning and, at the time of writing, stand at 8/11 with SkyBet and Bet Victor.

With Sky Bet Lincoln City boss Danny Cowley is second favourite at 6/4, current Tykes caretaker-manager Paul Harsley is third at 10/1 with former Leeds, Huddersfield, Preston and Sunderland manager Simon Grayson fourth at 14/1.

McCarthy, who celebrated his 59th birthday yesterday, was born in Barnsley and came through the ranks at Oakwell.

He made his senior debut in 1977 and went on to make 314 appearances, scoring 10 goals, before leaving for Manchester City in 1983, having been part of a side which had climbed from the Fourth to the Second Division.

It’s not the first time McCarthy has been the bookies' favourite for another job during his five-and-a-half-year spell with Town, the Blues boss, who is widely expected to move on when his contract is up in the summer, having been linked with a return to the Republic of Ireland role which he previously occupied between 1996 and 2002 on a couple of occasions.

Photo: TWTD

Chicago_Blue added 12:26 - Feb 8 I still wish we had gone for Gary Rowett when Birmingham wrongly sacked him. Opportunity missed, that.
4

1RWR added 12:27 - Feb 8 "By mutual consent" would free him/Evans of any ties. Paul Hartley to take charge till end of season then MM announced as new manager makes sense. He would naturally take TC with him [one assumes]. The above suits me, mark me down I don't give a flying fig, fed up with MM, fed up with naff tactics, fed up with negative play. Do you know what.........I'm fed up! Don't ask me the old chestnut "who are we going to get", that ain't my job, just get someone in who can play attractive football & who's not so negative or belligerent! Simples....!

20

dugoutdave added 12:28 - Feb 8 Currie10 - didn't he take our manager-ship when we were just above relegation! Still, its all speculation but we can but hope
1

tractorboybig added 12:33 - Feb 8 a non starter, He is London based and will stay southish. Anyway he has signed a new contract with us. Will be released in due course. he will in the circumstances be linked to numerous vacancies and to be honest why should he make a comment on any of them anyway.
5

GCB added 12:37 - Feb 8 I find it laughable that people cannot see that MM has done a great job at Ipswich with limited budget. The issue here is the owner and the board, they sacked a potentially good manager in Jim Magilton who wasn't doing a bad job at all. Hiring an untalented egotistical ‘big name' in Roy Keane who in my opinion only needed to add a couple of players to a decent squad but totally wrecked it. Never been a fan of assistant managers who have worked for a while with a manager taking over at a club, it's often like similar tactics with a different face in the managers seat. Until the chairman and board go or change their philosophies, we will never achieve anything. Got to be a young manager if MM goes, plenty out there.

10

vanmunt added 12:38 - Feb 8 Perfect fit for him to be honest, come breezing like the second coming, keep them up playing boring football then promise it will change once safe. Sound familiar?
10

massivemole added 12:44 - Feb 8 We wouldn't be this lucky would we. I have a vision of Dino in his flintstone style of car, hot footing it up to Yorkshire as we speak.
4

TR11BLU added 12:47 - Feb 8 P -L -E -A -S- E
9

Nazemariner added 12:48 - Feb 8 Fingers crossed! This could work out nicely for everyone.
4

blackcat added 12:54 - Feb 8 I'm going to bet against it, then it will happen.. Smart! Be gone Mm 🙏
2

lightingblue added 12:57 - Feb 8 I'm sure Kieffer Moore will organise a welcoming party if he does go
2

midastouch added 12:58 - Feb 8 I bet Kieffer Moore won't be too chuffed if this happens!
3

midastouch added 12:59 - Feb 8 @ lightingblue, you just beat me to it! Great minds think alike, or something like that lol! ;-)
0

liam88 added 12:59 - Feb 8 He did a good job to begin with then because he's "pragmatic" won't change the style... "If it ain't broke don't fix it" which is why we are where we are (midtable mediocrity) where he'd stabled us to and have "stagnated" ever since. Time for a change.
12

rollercoastertown added 13:03 - Feb 8 Don't want to get anyone's hopes up (or down), but, usually this sort of movement at this stage by bookies is a very good indicator, especially as other candidates are being moved out to longer odds. That's why bookies are so rich. Interesting that the Crowley brothers have not ruled our departing Lincoln, but not till the end of this season, Barnsley need something now. It is also convenient for Evans in Mick goes now and takes his staff by their own choice, no contracts to pay off. No extra year option to contend with. Gut feeling is this works for everyone so is very very possible.

11

maplelad added 13:14 - Feb 8 One man for the job. Nigel Pearson.
-11

cat added 13:19 - Feb 8 McCarthy has done a good job for us, anyone with a rational bone in their body can see that. Unfortunately, it's come at a price, as the style of football generally has been poor and with that style the entertainment has been lacking. There have been improvements this season, whether that's down to Mick proving a point (unlikely) or the fact we have better players remains to be seen. Like I've said from day 1 of posting on here, I do like Mick the man, but not Mick the manager.

3

wayway added 13:32 - Feb 8 Will be take Swn to dig his garden and wash his car
0

inghamspur added 13:35 - Feb 8 Careful what you wish for
-5

BobbyBell added 13:45 - Feb 8 I believe that MM is on a huge salary here and ME is happy with him because he works exactly as ME wants him to. Putting a squad together with no money and not getting relegated. I don't believe that Barnsley will offer him enough and ME will probably trigger the contract extension here. I HOPE I'm wrong and he goes but I definitely don't expect him to go.
2

LWNR2013 added 13:46 - Feb 8 Kieffer s chuffed then?
2

Palestine added 13:47 - Feb 8 Warburton!!
2

nineteenseventyeight added 13:48 - Feb 8 Everyone would love to manage their home club, you cant blame him if he goes
1

SuperBlue67 added 14:02 - Feb 8 I actually believe Mick has done a fantastic job for town. Had he not come in and saved us from relegation I honestly believe we would still be in League 1. Sadly though I think he has take us as far as he can, and I do believe that is mainly down to funds but also to the relationship with a small part of the fans. If he moves on now or in the summer I will be grateful and thankful for all he has done and wish him the best, and hope whoever is appointed can take us on from there.

7

Tractamatt added 14:04 - Feb 8 Danny Cowley to replace him please
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