IGNORING THE RUMOURS
Barnsley boss Heckingbottom focused on recruitment plans for January
IN January, of all months, it should perhaps come as no surprise that Paul Heckingbottom is paying little attention to fresh reports regarding his own future.
Despite only turning 40 last July, and being somewhat young in managerial terms, the Barnsley head coach has already become a bit of a veteran in fielding speculation that he is on the wanted list of rival clubs.
In this case, the club said to be interested in his services are Nottingham Forest – again.
A couple of months ago it was Sunderland. Norwich were also linked at one point last year, while Forest were said to be interested before plumping for Mark Warburton last March.
Heckingbottom has grown proficient in playing a straightbat to any such talk. But at this time of year – and no doubt mindful of Barnsley’s painful January transfer window of 2017 when Conor Hourihane, Sam Winnall and James Bree were sold and the Reds’ season effectively ravaged – it is distractiing.
The fact that Heckingbottom has yet to sign a new deal is perhaps fuelling the current speculation. As for the Reds chief, his sole preoccupation is on having a “good window” and finalising some key incoming transfer business at the earliest opportunity.
On his mindset following fresh speculation, Heckingbottom said: “Same as usual. I always ask the lads what is happening and their first words were ‘Notts Forest’. People can say and talk what they want, but it is nothing to do with me until Barnsley say something.
“We have had this a number of times and have to keep on going and not let it distract from this window. Any distractions at this time can be really bad and there will be no distractions this January.
“Hopefully, we have a bit more control over it (transfers) this year. There is only Yids (Andy Yiadom) coming to the end of the last year of his contract who we have not had any hold over. So, hopefully, it is a different sort of January to the last one.”
The contractual situation regarding the club’s key players may be far healthier than it was, but Heckingbottom still has significant squad issues with which to grapple.
As it stands, following the loan returns of Harvey Barnes and Ike Ugbo, Barnsley’s striking and wing options are painfully thin, with Heckingbottom keen to bring in at least two new forwards and another winger.
The situation regarding forwards is particularly critical, with the club’s two senior options being Tom Bradshaw and Mamadou Thiam, the latter still acclimatising to Championship football following his summer move from French side Dijon.
Heckingbottom said: “It is obvious; we have two first-team centre-forwards and two fit wingers and that is it. We are very light.
“We are working really hard. How close we are, I don’t know. Things can happen really quickly or you can identify someone and it can drag on and on and never get there. Until we get them in, I am not relying on anything.
“Every day new signings are not in is a day you are not working with them towards when they have got to play. That is what we experienced in the summer and suffered through August. We need to be aggressive and positive.”
Acknowledging that the success – or otherwise – of Barnsley’s season could hinge on their January business, the Reds’ chief added: “Some teams will buy someone who makes a significant difference on their own. Every now and again you get those moves where a player goes and it just ignites something.
“The more sensible way to look at it is just making improvements and having a stronger position and squad and filling gaps. That is probably going to be our approach.”
Barnsley have been linked with a number of players, with Heckingbottom revealing that Everton have rejected a bid for key loan midfielder Joe Williams to join permanently.
On the striker front, ex-Rotherham United loanee striker Kieffer Moore, back at Ipswich, is one mooted option for the Reds, who have allowed midfielders Cameron McGeehan and Jared Bird to head out on loan for the rest of the season, to Scunthorpe and Yeovil respectively. Another midfielder in Josh Kay has joined Chesterfield in a permanent deal.
Given the right circumstances, Heckingbottom admits that he would be interested in bringing back out-of-favour Middlesbrough forward Ashley Fletcher for a restorative loan stint – should Boro decide that he is in need of one after a fraught spell following his £7m summer move.
Heckingbottom, who will be without Yiadom for a short spell due to an ankle sprain, added: “He (Fletcher) is their player, we cannot do anything. We could throw our hat in for every single player, but it is up to the parent club what they do with him.
“If I was speaking to him again now, I would be telling him to get his head down and make it work. If a footballer ever takes an easier way out, they are not for me. But we know what he is about.”