This article is part of Football League World’s ‘Fan Perspective’ series, this content strand is where we deliver an opinion-based outlook from the perspective of a certain club's fanbase on the matter at hand...

It's safe to say that it's not been the return to the Championship that many Barnsley fans would have first hoped for this season under Daniel Stendel's guidance.

Their promotion from League One will feel like a distant memory heading into the international break, with the Tykes currently occupying one of the relegation places in the league table.

They were thrashed 5-1 by Preston North End at Deepdale on Saturday, and looked a team that were void of any confidence on all areas of the pitch.

In a post-match interview following that defeat, Stendel admitted (quotes sourced from the Sheffield Star) that his side played like a team that weren't good enough to play regularly in the Championship.

“We are all really down after the game and it is not easy for us to play our game at the moment. The changing room was very quiet.”

“At the moment we are playing like a team that is not good enough to play in the Championship."

So, the international break couldn't have come at a better time for Stendel, who will be keen to see an improvement from his side at the earliest of opportunities.

But these comments from the Barnsley boss will be hugely concerning for the club's supporters, as it's not exactly what you want to hear from the person in charge.

Many of the Oakwell faithful will feel as though Stendel should have been given more funds in the summer transfer window, and it looks as though they were right to make judgement on that.

Barnsley are a relatively young team in the Championship, and that inexperience looks as though it could cost them their future in the second tier of English football.

It's no secret that it's a sizeable step up to this level, and to compete with the best teams in the division, you have to spend some money.

Barnsley haven't done that, and some of the club's supporters will feel as though this could be a slight 'dig' by Stendel, in saying that his current crop of players aren't good enough to be playing in the Championship.

This could give the club's owners a much-needed wake-up call going forward, and it's clear to see that the January transfer window can't come soon enough.

The likes of Cauley Woodrow and Alex Mowatt have been rare bright-sparks so far in this year's campaign, but you can't rely on them in every single game, as each player in the squad needs to step up and perform to a higher standard.

So, investment is needed in January, as the current squad have shown that they aren't up to the standard that Stendel is seemingly trying to get from these players.

Something needs to change and quickly, otherwise Barnsley could be fighting an almost impossible task or retaining their status as a Championship club by the New Year.