Barnsley chief Conor Hourihane on transfer window verdict, Jake Rooney, forward plans and fitness update on trio

The window ended with the club retaining star trio Davis Keillor-Dunn, Adam Phillips and Luca Connell, with another defensive option arriving on deadline day in the shape of Debry County loanee Jake Rooney.

Barnsley failed to top off a positive window with a forward, with a move for Bolton Wanderers’ John McAtee breaking down.

But despite that, Hourihane is happy enough with his lot and has hunted at utilising Neil Farrugia and Jon Russell in advanced positions where he sees fit to help fill the void – with the Reds chief having no plans to enter the free agent market.

On the club’s window work, he said: "I’m really, really pleased. All our best players are here, which is a big, big plus and has to be taken as a big plus.

"At the start of the window, people were worried about: ‘will he go and that person go’ and what not.

"The ones who we are all well aware have been performing really, really well and having them in the building, fit and firing, is a big plus.

"In terms of the window, defensively we’ve got really good numbers now. I think in midfield, we’ve got really good numbers.

"I think there’s no getting away from the fact that we tried to get one more attacker and that wasn't to be. That would have been the perfect scenario and window.

"But how many times do you get a perfect window? I’m not too sure. In terms of how we finished up, I was pretty pleased and probably just one short.

"But we’ll make do and we’ve some good bodies in that area anyway and will have to come up with other ways to try and fill the void.

"I don’t think we will changing system. It will be more fitting bodies into certain area. I think Neil Farrugia is looking really good in games and training and knocking the door down for a start, that’s for sure and another forward player who is looking really good.

"I think Jon Russell being here as well now, I’ll have that conversation with Jon and where I see him fitting in that little bit more as well now.”

Hourihane, whose side welcome Reading in their first game back after the international break on Saturday, is confident that Rooney, who has joined on a season-long loan, will prove a sound acquisition.

He added: "Jake is very easy from the personality point of view. I’ve known Jake and played with him at Derby and he’s a really good lad and personality.

"I knew he’d fit into the group really easily. He’s fit and has had a good amount of training sessions with us now. It’s another good addition to the squad.

"I do see him at centre-half and right-back. I think he’s got the capabilities to do both, particularly with how we play. That will be a plus.

"It’s obviously another body in terms of depth in that area and obviously Robbo (Marc Roberts) is not fit for the next block of games. Having Roons in as another body is really important for the defensive group.”

Posting an update on injured trio Roberts, Fabio Jalo and Georgie Gent, he continued: "If our next international game was to get called off (in mid-October), you may see one after that, maybe.

"You won’t be far away from one or two coming back, but you won’t see the three of Fabio, Georgie or Robbo before that."