Barnsley FC v Shrewsbury Town: 'I want things done yesterday' - Conor Hourihane on summer change, 'role models' and a recruitment admission

The above sentence sums up Conor Hourihane in a nutshell.

The workaholic footballer dedicated to his craft in a decorated EFL career turned 24/7 ‘hands on’ manager. Similarly professional, driven and relentless.

Testament to that arrived back on a Wednesday lunch-time in mid-March when he first got the call to take over Barnsley on an interim basis following the departure of Darrell Clarke.

Attending a course at St George’s Park, Hourihane quickly headed north from the Midlands, briefly gathering some personal items from his apartment and was ready to rock and roll.

He worked into the wee hours of Thursday morning to lead preparations for that weekend’s fixture with Mansfield and ensure no stone was left unturned. After a few hours' sleep, he performed press duties, first thing, and then got to work with the players. Now his players.

Speaking this week, Reds sporting director Mladen Sormaz said that if he gets a call in the week after 8pm, then it is invariably Hourihane.

Before the May blossom is even out, Barnsley’s young head coach, while attending to the present, is thinking and planning ahead to high summer and beyond.

Pre-season, training schedules, recruitment, potential backroom changes, you name it. Not enough hours in the day. While Hourihane is intense and non-stop, he is also something else. Shrewd.

Back in the day, the late, great Brian Clough once said: "In the first three months of a football manager's life, you are at your strongest."

Hourihane might well have read that quote. He blew away the Reds hierarchy with his energy, sheer force of will and professionalism to earn the full-time gig.

What about time off?. Well, a few weeks will be fitted in with the family at some point.

Expect the phone to be next to the sun lounger and Sormaz’s number to be on speed dial.

He said: "I want things done yesterday, if I am being honest.

"I was the same as a player and I am the same as a coach. I have got a long list of things that I want to tick off and do and get better and improve and bring that new energy. That’s already under way.

"I will have a couple of weeks (off), I think it’s important. I am making sacrifices. My family obviously are, with me being away from them quite a bit.

"Look, that comes with the job and territory, but a couple of weeks together in the summer will be important from that point of view."

For all of Hourihane’s admirable words and deeds so far, he has been in football long enough to know that recruitment - an area where Barnsley got it wrong in January - will ultimately be king this summer.

The club intend to be quick off the mark with their retained list and probably won’t stop there.

Hourihane candidly admits that some contracted players won’t be in his plans going forward, given the fast-paced pressing style he favours as he strives to build a side truly in his own image.

With the need to shake things up paramount after a disappointing season - past two seasons really - it could well be an interesting summer.

Hourihane added: "Every summer at every football club, players will come and go. It’s part and parcel of football.

"How many will come and go, time will tell. In terms of recruitment, as soon as I got the job, talks and planning were under way. Me, Mladen and the club are heavily in contact every single day, getting things ready.

"There’s no shying away from the fact that I want to play a back four, moving forward, with exciting wingers and people who are mobile and can press, high press, counter press; that’s what I believe in and want to achieve.

"I want to win the ball back as quickly as possible and be a real high-pressing, aggressive team and then control the ball from there.

"There’s no secret the squad will have change and needs to get better and improve in pre season."

While prizing ability, Hourihane wants more culture carriers. In his eyes, Barnsley have some leaders, but nowhere near enough of them, quite simply. Not to his standards.

Barnsley's dreadful home numbers over the past year or so are one obvious by-product of those deficiencies.

The Reds chief continued: "The dressing room and the group need to become more together and aligned and there needs to be more role models in the group. “I am not saying we don’t have any; we do, without a doubt.

"I have said before that I really want players who want to be here and wear the badge and represent the club and town with pride. I was like that as a player and now as a head coach. I am going to be big on that with the players I recruit in the summer.”