Barnsley v Blackpool: Time-management puts Reds boss in a daze

As the drizzle fell upon Barnsley on a bleak morning at the start of the working week, the Reds head coach had plenty to ponder on the third Monday of January – designated as the “most depressing day of the year” according to researchers.

Having seen a star striker depart for their local rivals and with concerns that the club’s best player could be the next to follow, Heckingbottom had a fair bit to be worried about as he addressed the press.

Not to mention the need to kick-start some incoming business, having seen his hopes of re-signing Sam Morsy slip through his fingers, with the midfielder securing a new deal with parent club Wigan instead last night. The transfer window clock is starting to tick. Although it is far from easy to get deals over the line, especially when your chief executive left three days earlier.

Then, there’s a potential banana-skin FA Cup replay to consider this evening. Although given other considerable issues, Heckingbottom would have been forgiven for putting that to the back of his mind.

Not that he has had the benefit of much time to concentrate wholly on training-ground preparations, with fielding endless phone calls to agents and contacts likely to have taken up much of his time ahead of tonight’s home third-round replay with Blackpool at Oakwell

After some stellar highs during his time in charge at Oakwell, Heckingbottom has done it tough over the past week. Through no real fault on his own either, many would venture.

The Royston man is the first to acknowledge that it has been the most exacting period of his tenure.

But in fashion befitting of a robust Yorkshireman whose maxim clearly is what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger, he is getting on with it. Even if he has obvious concerns.

On the hardest week of his spell in charge so far, Heckingbottom, working overtime to try and instigate some inward transfer business, while keeping his fingers crossed that the likes of Conor Hourihane remains a Reds player by the close of the window late on January 31, said: “In terms of time (management), it is.

“It is a hard enough job anyway when you are doubling and tripling up on other roles.

“But you have to do it and I am adamant that we have got to get people in and if it is me who has got to stay on the phone, I have got to stay on the phone.

“I would not be able to go home and sleep at night, thinking: ‘isn’t no-one doing that?’ At the minute, it’s me pushing and I have to do. We have lost three big players and I have to get three players in.

“We have got three players missing from that team who have got us up to eighth. Yids (Andy Yiadom) is away on the African Cup of Nations and Sam Morsy is at Wigan and Sam Winnall has moved to Sheffield Wednesdaty.

“We don’t carry a big squad and that is three of our starters and they are the areas which we have to strengthen immediately if we are serious that we want to be up there.”

Alongside recruitment, Heckingbottom is desperate to keep hold of what he has got, with the vultures circling regarding in-demand captain Hourihane, subject of significant interest from the Owls and Aston Villa, among others. With the Irishman’s contract up in June, the Reds are highly vulnerable and exposed to raids from rivals with vastly bigger resources and wage budgets.

The likes of Marley Watkins and Josh Scowen, who also see their deals expire in the summer, are keeping their options open too, despite speaking to the club about fresh terms.

It remains to be seen if the departure of Winnall proves the catalyst to more departures and while speculation will no doubt continue to rage, Heckingbottom believes that players’ priority is firmly keeping focused on matters with Barnsley.

On the subject of Hourihane, Heckingbottom added: “There’s lots of talk, but nothing which has turned our heads at the minute.

“Most of it is speculation. Some of it is real. The players just have to remember that their responsibility is to play well and whatever happens, if they want to move, they can make one with their performances.”

As to whether he can categorically state whether players will keep 100 per cent focused, the Reds coach admits that ultimately only time will tell.

“I don’t know. We will see how we do in the next few weeks,” he continued. “That is their responsibility because it is their performances that get there and performances which will get people interested in them. That should be their focus.”

Last six games: Barnsley WWDWDL; Blackpool WDLDDD.

Referee: R East (Wiltshire).

Last time: Barnsley 4 Blackpool 2, December 28, 2015; League One.