Flitcroft must make do and mend Barnsley’s flaws

The Reds’ boss met the club’s board yesterday in a pre-planned monthly meeting when the club’s slow start to the new Championship season was at the top of the agenda.

Flitcroft said in the wake of their 5-1 defeat to Watford on Saturday – the third time they have conceded five goals or more already this term – that “surgery” was required on his squad.

But he will have to get the Barnsley heart beating again through the players currently on the club’s books with the Oakwell board unable to throw money at the problem.

If the right player is identified and within budget then Flitcroft does have some room to manoeuvre in the emergency loan market, but in the meantime the rehabilitation has to be done on the training ground.

“Every football club needs to evolve, but we have got a decent-sized squad, far bigger than it has been in the past,” said Barnsley chief executive Ben Mansford, who helped sanction a summer strengthening programme that saw Flitcroft spend half a million pounds on Chris O’Grady and Dale Jennings.

“If David finds someone he likes in the loan market then he’ll put it to us and we’ll look at taking it further. We’ll continue to try and go about our transfer business quietly.

“I think right now David is frustrated that the players he has got are not performing at the level he became accustomed to last season.

“David is an honest man and I don’t think he could have defended them after Saturday.”

The loss to Watford left Barnsley in the bottom three with just one win in eight games and a goal difference of minus 13.

After the close-season optimisim following the great escape of last term, reality is biting at Oakwell. But Mansford, who met with Flitcroft and chairman Maurice Watkins yesterday, says there is no need to panic despite three straight Championship defeats.

“David came in at the start of what was a pre-scheduled meeting and we had a good chat about football and where we are,” said Mansford.

“Obviously the meeting came at a good time after Saturday’s defeat and in terms of reviewing the first month or so of the season.

“We’re all slightly concerned about the situation and we’ve had a good natter. We want to win football matches, all our energies are on winning football matches.

“We have had a good chat and David knows where we are. We all support him.”