Barnsley FC coach Conor Hourihane still learning to take emotion out of equation

Despite winning their last two cup ties, the Reds go to Doncaster Rovers on Saturday looking for a first win in six League One games – the hosts have not won in seven.

Hourihane, in his first managerial post after initially being given the job as an interim in the spring, admits at times he has taken too much notice of results without looking properly at the performances behind them.

“Being a young coach I need to probably become that little bit better at losing games and realising why we lost them and not take them to heart as much,” said the former Republic of Ireland midfielder.

“I'm one that does a lot of prep on games and sometimes when it doesn't go for you, you get really down and think 'Why?'

“I need to realise we're not going to win every game and a defeat isn't just a defeat – why was it a defeat and what can we get better at?

“I think over the last couple of weeks I've become better at that.

“We’re analysing it in a little bit of a different way.

“The more experience you get as a manger, the more you become accustomed to losing because you are going to lose plenty of games.

“You try and analyse them and make the squad better moving forward.”

Although Hourihane, pictured, still sees Doncaster's Grant McCann as a young manager, the 45-year-old is on course to hit 500 games as a boss in January.

“I've been at a couple of games this season where I've seen him,” said Hourihane. “We've spoken a couple of times on players over the course of the summer as well.

“He's someone that plays the game in an attacking style. He's had real good success at League Two and League One.

“I still see Grant as a young, exciting manager that has achieved so much. I think he plays the game in the right way.

“They're on a bit of a tricky road as well after a fantastic start. Both teams are not in ideal form.

“It's a game that we know we have to be fully ready and prepared for.”

Barnsley will have to assess the damage of illness in the camp this week and will be without Adam Phillips and Mael de Gevigney through injury on Saturday.

“Phillo won't make the weekend, Mael won't make the weekend, it's just a little bit too soon for them,” confirmed Hourihane.

“I've got to be cautious really of the longer-term focus over kind of rushing them back just for this game. The rest of the squad really are all fine.

“Josh (Earl) is pretty much there, he's been on the grass. Robbo (Marc Roberts) and Shep (Jack Shepherd) off the back of the game the other day are all fine, no issues.

“Nathaniel Ogbeta's trained all week and he's definitely feeling better.

“There's been a little bit of an illness this week. There's a few people been off sick, which isn't ideal but we've got to manage the group as best we can. Three or four lads have been off ill.

“We're hoping come Thursday, Friday, we'll be in a decent place.”