Tom Kennedy (From the star)

Barnsley FC: Reds ace eager to sign

Tom Kennedy is optimistic about prospects under David Flitcroft
Published on the
27 May
2013
06:00
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BARNSLEY defender Tom Kennedy is hungry to sign a new deal with the Championship club.

The Star understands Kennedy is to be offered a two-year contract to stay at Oakwell having impressed last term.

And speaking exclusively to The Star, Kennedy revealed: “I want to sign as soon as possible! I’ve loved every second of playing for the club since I joined, it’s been brilliant. Barnsley is a club on the up and we’ve got a great set of lads. All the lads are excited about what we can achieve next season under David Flitcroft.

“I’d like to be a part of what the manager is building for next season, it could be a bright future.

“Everybody stepped up to the plate season to make sure we avoided relegation. It was an incredible effort because no one gave us a hope in hell of staying up.

“The form we showed in those 20-odd games with Flicker [Flitcroft] was brilliant.

“We were destined for the drop and we showed what we were made of. It was a fantastic achievement to stay up, definitely one of the highlights of my career.”

A versatile left-back and centre-back, Kennedy has impressed since joining the club on non-contract terms.

His tireless work ethic and desire to make a home for himself in South Yorkshire has brought it’s rewards when he discovered he was one of only seven players to be on the club’s ‘retained’ list.

And after a well-earned break, Kennedy is hoping to sit down with Flitcroft and put pen to paper on a new deal for the next two seasons.

“I think Flicker knows where I stand, he knows I want to stay at the club,” added Kennedy.

“It’s nice to be wanted again to be honest. Barnsley want me and the gaffer likes me.

“I used to play with Flicker at Bury and Rochdale when he was player-manager - and he’s always tried to help me get better in my career. I’ve always appreciated that and will always be thankful for his help.

“When I came to Barnsley I didn’t know whether I’d play much because Goldy [fellow left-back Scott Golbourne] was playing really well.

“If I’m being honest I probably expected to be playing in League One, but I was grateful for the chance at Barnsley and to be able to play.

“Goldy got injured and I got to play. If he’d have carried on playing like he did then I think he’d have probably ended up leaving at the end of the season. He was an outstanding performer.

“But you’ve got to take your chances whenever they come along - and thankfully I did. Hopefully we can a deal signed soon because I want to stay here.”

 

Great news, I thought Kennedy was excellent last season.

 

Don't understand that comment about Golbourne being injured. He played mainly at CB when Golbourne was fit anyway in the 5-3-2.

 

With Goldy injured, the system had to change, which gave Kennedy the chance to play.

 

Great news, he certainly impressed me. Let's hope the rest of the retained list have the same enthusiasm for the club.

 

Great news.

I think he looked better at LCB than LB so that's where I'd keep him when Golbourne comes back into the side. That's a strong left side of the defence. If Cranie signs up then we'll have him and Wiseman down the right side and all we'll need is a commanding centre half to go in the middle. Clean sheets are king.

 

Kennedy was LB at Huddersfield. O'Brien was RB with Wiseman and Cranie in the centre.

 

It was a shame the season ended when it did for Kennedy, because he was getting stronger with every game. Hope its a formality now, him signing a new deal because he was a key part to our back 3.

 

That last bit makes it sound like we let go nearly all our out of contract players when the reality is we want to keep a large majority.

I thought he'd been offered a contract already?

 

Nice to read stuff like this.......proves we have the right spirit in the team.

If Kennedy does sign, I am not sure he will get many games if Goldbourne is fit?

 

But does this mean we've STILL not offered terms to out of contract players?
What are they messing about for?

 

It doesn't say anywhere that he hasn't been offered a contract. All it says is he's hoping to sit down with Flitcroft and sign a contract: the contract that he's been offered.

 

Kennedy did okay in defence, he works well in the 3-5-2 and a flat 4. Going forward he was poor, hesitating to the point where he just lost the ball. His crosses were hit straight at keepers and his dead balls were woeful. Apparently he pings them in the top corner in training, but the other lads have to step up to taking set pieces as we wasted so many last season.

That said, there is a role for him at present and his enthusiasm for the club is great to hear.

 

Am I the only one that doesn't rate him that highly? I'm glad he's up for re-signing though and don't get me wrong, he's decent but I think we need to be doing better. He's really poor when challenged for the ball in the air and doesn't offer that much going forward imo. Good squad player.

 

A good, solid defender

More than capable of playing in a number of positions. I think he's proved to be an excellent member of the first team squad.

 

Agreed

Kennedy made a major and much appreciated contribution to our turn round of form last season.

 

Great news.

Steady player, rarely makes errors and does a lot of unseen good work. Obviously he's not the greatest aerially, for a defender, but he's good enough. I think he's a good deputy for Golbourne at LWB or LB. And good competition for McNulty as the left sided centre half if we play a three.

I can only recall one glaring error from him - at Franchise FC in the cup.

He'll not be costing us much in wages, and he's clearly one of Flicker's reliable soldiers.



Got to be honest though, I'd have preferred the article to have been Luke Steele saying similar things, or even Jacob Mellis talking about wanting an extension.

Fingers crossed on those.

 

Same here, I would love Steele to resign for us.