Blackburn Rovers v Barnsley – Out-of-favour Elliot Simoes challenged to up intensity levels by Valerien Ismael

IF there are two words which sum up the Valerien Ismael regime so far, it is intensity and seriousness.
SIDELINED: Barnsley's Elliot Simoes has not been involved in the last two matchday squads. Picture: Tony JohnsonSIDELINED: Barnsley's Elliot Simoes has not been involved in the last two matchday squads. Picture: Tony Johnson
SIDELINED: Barnsley's Elliot Simoes has not been involved in the last two matchday squads. Picture: Tony Johnson

The Barnsley head coach is a stickler for high standards and professionalism on the pitch and off it at all times as Elliot Simoes has found out to his cost, given his non-involvement in the club’s last two match-day squads.

At an early juncture of his Oakwell tenure, Ismael has fired out a bit of a warning in no uncertain terms to others in the process.

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Every training session and moment at work matters and the ‘gaffer’ is clearly watching.

Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael celebrates his side's recent 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest at Oakwell.  Picture: Bruce Rollinson.Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael celebrates his side's recent 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest at Oakwell.  Picture: Bruce Rollinson.
Barnsley boss Valerien Ismael celebrates his side's recent 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest at Oakwell. Picture: Bruce Rollinson.

On Simoes’ recent omission, he said: “It is a tactical decision. He is a young player with a lot of quality. But you have to understand that to be a player and be professional, you have to be serious in any situation.

“This is daily work and that is why we have to make decisions and at the moment, he is out.

“But I hope that with his performances in training, he shows us he wants to play and be in the squad.

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“It is our decision to think what we need on the pitch and outside of the pitch and the whole feeling with him. And at the moment, it is not enough to pretend to play.

“He needs to improve his intensity, seriousness in the game and his work out of possession and to show more of his quality with the ball.”

Barnsley may be only partway through a frenetic schedule of games which continues with a Roses test at Ewood Park today, but the Reds hierarchy are conscious that the January transfer window is on the horizon a little bit further down the line.

One of the pressing issues will revolve around loan midfielder Matty James, whose loan is due to expire in the New Year.

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Given his lack of game-time over the past few years at parent club Leicester City, an extension would be in the interest of both the Foxes and Barnsley and Ismael has acknowledged that he wants to keep the 29-year-old.

He added: “We will try for sure to work on the January windows with Dane Murphy (Barnsley CEO) and the board.

“We have a lot of thinking about our squad and Matty James, for sure, is part of this thinking.

“I hope we can find a solution for him and everybody and see what is the perspective in Leicester.

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“If we can (keep him), we try to do it. He is a very good player and has a possibility to recover his fitness with us. But we also want to make the next step in our game and for sure, we need such a player with his experience.”

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