Barnsley planning ahead as transfer window set to close

The caretaker head coach may also need to call upon a ‘Plan C’ or even a ‘Plan D.’ He is not saying it in jest, either.

Being forewarned is forearmed as the saying goes, although the caretaker head coach cannot say with total justification just as to who will still be a Reds player by the time that the domestic transfer window closes for business at 5pm tomorrow.

In an ideal world, the group of established first-team players who he has worked with since he took over the reins on an interim basis after Gerhard Struber’s exit will remain intact.

When it comes to Barnsley, you cannot say with any certainty that will remain the case.

Last season’s top-scorer Cauley Woodrow is the big focus of attention ahead of the deadline with Cardiff City circling. Despite valuations currently being apart, the interest has not gone away.

Other Reds players have drawn covetous glances from other rival clubs. All the while, the Oakwell hierarchy are trying to broker a couple of pieces of key incoming business to follow on from the signing of Callum Brittain.

Barnsley supporters have been here before. Many times in fact. Murray is waiting to see how everything drops, just as fans are.

On whether he had to make contingencies in the events of players being sold, he told The Yorkshire Post: “Totally. We have looked at that, especially in the last seven days.

“We have looked at every outcome because we know that, especially with the window closing on Friday, that we could have a team all week and then on Friday, there could be something in their move and there might be something on, we do not know. It is just the way the window works.

“We have got plan B, plan C and I think you need a plan D as well.

“It is football. Whenever you lose a good player, it hurts you in some way. What you have to be prepared for in anything – whether it is as a manager or player – is deal with it.

“None of us know what is going to happen in the next few days. When you get to this time of the window, there is never any pure clarity.”

Murray spoke about his players ‘going to war’ in the first game of his second spell in caretaker-charge on Saturday. It is hard to do it if you go into battle with paper swords and weapons gone.

Perhaps sensibly in the circumstances, Murray – in charge for five matches in mid-autumn last year following the departure of Daniel Stendel – is not planning to change too much for fear of over-complicating things.

The pressing style of Struber is likely to be similar to the philosophy implemented by his permanent successor – whoever that is – with the smart money again on another up-and-coming continental head coach arriving.

Murray added: “I am always very wary not to change too much when I am put into this role because if and when a new manager does come in, he has his own thoughts and the last thing I need to do is confuse the players and them have too much change.

“Especially at this time of the season when we have only just started.

“Last year was tough as there was a lot of pressure on us to get some kind of result on the board as we were in a constant losing position. But I enjoyed every second of it and I think the players enjoyed it as well.”

Struber’s decision to leave so early in the new season was far from ideal, but modern-day players have rapidly learned to be adaptable. More especially ones at Barnsley where the turnover of head coaches has been a regular occurrence in recent years.

Given ongoing links regarding the future of Struber since high-summer, it perhaps even had an air of inevitability about it.

Murray continued: “With that situation, there were that many rumours and people talking.

Not just from when we came back, but over the summer as well when the players had kind of dulled that noise out a long time ago as we had been hearing it for a while now.

“Whether it was going to be New York or over the summer, it was somebody else.

“In those initial couple of days when Gerhard had finally gone, you allow the players to get their heads around it and have the chats that they need to in their own dressing room.

“But then, we have to put the focus back on and at the end of the day, we are professionals and it is our job to do the best for our supporters and football club.”

Not in the first-team picture under Struber this season, former club captain Mike Bahre’s future remains elsewhere, despite the Austrian’s departure to Major League Soccer outfit New York Red Bulls.

“Mike has had contact from a few clubs,” Murray said.

“At the minute, he has not been training with us this week and I think him and his agents are looking at different options.

“Again, on Friday, we will have more closure on everything.”

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Thank you, James Mitchinson. Editor.