Barnsley v Huddersfield Town: Michal Helik seeks derby repeat for Reds

The Polish international said: “Football is like this and your situation changes so quickly.”

The hope is that Helik’s words are prescient in the weeks and months ahead, certainly in terms of the team’s fortunes at any rate.

Regarding his own future, many supporters will be wise to the potential of a change in Helik’s own circumstances, with the winter window open for business in less than a month.

Besides excellent goalkeeper Brad Collins, the defender has been the other beacon of consistency for Barnsley this term. It would not surprise many if suitors knock on the door next month.

Helik, for his own part, is focusing on doing his bit to try and transform the Reds’ fortunes and not his future, which he ultimately cannot control.

He commented: “I am not thinking about that and am fully focused on the sessions in training and games. I am happy to play football and I don’t think once about my future or the January window.”

On a fluctuating year which has seen him make his debut for Poland in March, become a key figure in one of the most astonishing EFL stories of 2020-21 and now fight relegation fires, he added: “For us, this season is a tough moment. But we have already forgotten about last season and are here in the moment and we need to focus on the situation we are now in.

“We know how to solve that problem and we will be better soon.”

As is stands, not too many Reds followers will be sharing Helik’s confidence. But then again, not too many expected Barnsley to win six out of eight games last December and propel themselves from 16th place in the table to within three points of the play-offs either.

The more realistic hope is that the ‘change’ that Helik refers to leads to an incremental improvement in form similar to what occurred during Gerhard Struber’s early time at the club in 2019-20.

December of 2019 saw Barnsley win two out of six matches and lose just once. It kept them in touch with teams around and about them in the relegation mix at least and laid some foundations ahead of the late-season ‘Great Escape.’

A home derby with Huddersfield Town is as good a place to start as any in terms of instigating a fightback.

It is a fixture that brings happy memories to the Pole, who scored both goals against the Terriers in this same fixture last Boxing Day, including a 90th-minute winner. Sadly, he had no-one close to him to share it with.

The game was played out at a deserted Oakwell, with Helik’s loved ones having to watch events remotely from back home.

It made for a surreal Boxing Day, given that bumper festive sporting crowds are a big part of the Christmas tradition in England.

Supporters will at least be there to generate rather more atmosphere this afternoon at the start of the festive month. From Helik’s perspective, a similar result would be nice.

He continued: “My fiancé has seen a few games in the stadium and has felt the atmosphere.

“Unfortunately, my parents have still not been here yet and I am still waiting for their visit. But with the Covid situation, it will not be so easy in the next few weeks.

“They are watching every game on the iFollow App and I am always speaking to them before and after the games and am in touch with them all the time. They are Barnsley supporters now, of course.

“December is so different if you compare it to Poland, where we have Christmas time with our families and days off. Here, we just play football. But to be honest, I like it.

“We also have time to celebrate on Christmas Day. But the next day is a game and that is what I love most in my life – to share time with my family and next day I can play football with my friends and team doing what I love.”