Paul Heckingbottom

As this season continues to offer more frustration and concern than fun and excitement, it was inevitable that attention would at some point be switched to our manager. Especially after the very good previous season (at least pre-March), it was always likely to be difficult to stomach a relegation scrap this campaign, with the added disappointment of a much less exciting style of play. But as we hopefully reflect on our current situation with as much sense and measure as possible, let's be really careful with our analysis of our manager.

Hecky took over a team that had turned a corner under LJ, but by no means were anything like promotion candidates. He guided us to a simply stunning, enthralling run of form that saw us storm into the play offs, win the play offs with a degree of comfort I have never seen a side enjoy over three huge games and win pick up a wonderful JTP Trophy win along the way. I mean, Barnsley winning twice at Wembley in the space of six weeks! Magical.

We then stormed the Championship, winning at grounds I'd never seen us even compete at, beating teams with a wage budget that would engulf our squad multiple times over. He did this with humility and a grounded, refreshingly honest manner. We then fell victim to the money-orientated world of modern football at this level. He had his crown jewels leave first, then the other better players, then his captain and midfield engine. Faced with the task of rebuilding with a budget unlikely to entice any ready made quality, Hecky brought in players to develop, to coach. Steve Bruce doesn't have to develop players,. Neither does the Wolves gaffer. Hecky does. Every time. It's a work in progress. Does he sign every player? Who knows? Does he get the players he really wants? Probably not.

Let us also not forget that Hecky lost his trusted assistant Tommy Wright as well, plus having to deal with both Ben Mansford and Linton Brown leaving at less than ideal times. A continued lack of clarity over the club's ownership wouldn't have helped, neither would the very sad passings of two Oakwell stalwarts almost a year apart.

We've had plenty of managers in the past who we agreed we had to give time to. We HAD to accept the longer term picture. We had to attain some continuity. Simon Davey enjoyed it, Mark Robins deservedly had it, Lee Johnson was afforded as much as could be possibly hoped for. Danny Wilson would have had it from most fans as well. Given all that Hecky has done and the problems he has faced, surely to goodness he deserves more time, less criticism and a bl00dy lot more backing than all the above!

As we move into a rather uncertain new world under new ownership, which could be exciting or concerning depending how it pans out, let's keep close a Barnsley lad who happens to be our manager, who has the best interests of the club at heart and who has done a sterling job before circumstances dictated his job got a lot lot harder. He could soon be the most familiar, local link at the club to our fanbase. Let's stay right behind Hecky.

 

One of our own Get behind the lad

 

its understandable the fans getting restless in this case. Lets face it they were all over Danny Wilson's back when he first became manager.... as were the Man Utd fans with Alex Ferguson. Not saying Hecky is totally innocent, and I am sure he would admit to a good many mistakes and also he is a young manager still leaning his trade, but the rapid change over of managers is not good. What is needed is a decent budget for him to get in players... this so called "Plan" obviously is not working in its present form. I would like to see home grown players and the discovery of gems from obscurity... but one thing the "Plan" totally lacks is experience and the subsequent guidance which it brings both on and off the pitch...
Instead of going and getting 4 or 5 so called " upcoming Starlets" I for one would prefer to see us getting two or three well seasoned warriors, and they could bring one or two through... and lets not forget we apparently have some very good prospects in the development at under 23 and even lower. Hammill is just turned 30 and has a wealth of experience and is still a very good player... maybe aan experienced central defender and an experienced midfielder could sort us out... I do not think that this would cost the new owners their so called "CRAZY" money... but it really could keep us afloat this term and kick us on to better things next season

 

Good post. This "one of our own" tag is a bit misleading in terms of how Hecky is judged I think and those who want him to stay have it used against them, those who want him out see it as some sort of buffer for him where he can't be challenged.

I just think changing our manager at this level has rarely worked out well in recent times, and I don't know whether as I've aged I've simply become less concerned about it, but stability for the long term is going to involve an up and down journey.

Today's result was gutting, genuinely thought a point was the least that we deserved. For huge chunks of the game I thought we looked a decent side. And whilst the table doesn't lie, I'm miles away in terms of despondency compared to the Hill and Flitcroft era especially.

 

Can't see the sense of getting rid of Hecky at this stage of the season. We are probably going to recruit
reinforcements between Monday and Wednesday of next week.
Sack Hecky and any new coach has got to work with the same players that are in the present squad.
As many have agreed, up to Cavares dismissal today we were playing OK.
As supporters, our job is to get behind Hecky and the boys in the hope that they can turn the corner and
get the necessary points required to see us still in the Championship in early May.
Some of the vitriolic criticism posted on the board tonight is uncalled for an in no way is at all helpful to a
set of boys who need a couple of wins to get their confidence levels up again.
Keep the faith, let's continue to give them our support and I'm sure we'll be OK.

 

Agreed but championship wages now need to be paid, 10-12 grand a week starting and not the supposed 7k thats banded about (im not privvy to what the going rate is, plucking figures really, but i hope you see my point, just that it should match a large proportion of teams we are meant to be competing with). This is where the plan has really fallen down for me in this league.
We now have owners who supposedly can offer these sort of wages so it needs to happen immediately to have any hope of getting the required quality and experience to stay up.

 

Hope you've read this Hemsworth.

 

Whenever weve changed manager in the past its been blindingly obvious to me that it had to happen, there was an air of inevitability about it and almost everyone was in agreement. Im just not getting that at the moment; I know results are sh*t but I can see why theyre sh*t and those reasons dont point at Hecky for me. Id keep him even if we do go down and I cant think of anyone better to bring us back.

 

It has apparently been agreed that Hecky can recruit an additional coach for his staff. I suspect we've been in the Championship two years with the same number of staff on the coaching team and still expecting our recruits from the lower leagues to start and deliver in a short space of time but at a higher level.

Staying with player recruitment, I'm not sure any methodology for identifying young talent can legislate for a moment of madness such as we saw from Cavare yesterday. As he gets older incidents such as yesterday might be repeated, alternatively he might learn from yesterday's mistake but it's not until he's much older can we truly measure his character on the pitch.

 

Well said, sir. I back Hecky 100%.

 

Excellent post which I agree with completely. 100% behind Hecky and will remain so even if we are relegated.

 

Brilliant post agree completely I'm 100% behind Hecky. I would be absoulety gutted if we sacked him.

 

Great posts,

Hecky as worked wonders it what can only be described as some unique and challenging times in Barnsleys History.
I get rather bemused as we all do, with players that don't appear to cut the Mustard!!!!.
And that then turns certain factions on the Manager.
Heckys doing a job and half with all the restrictions, sales, ever increasing budget in football stacked against him.
Let's keep it real Peeps, some of the Best fans in football Barnsley fans, Funny and in the most part knowledgeable ( me excluded ).

COYR

 

I don't give a flying foook that Hecky is one of our own.

The bottom line is this:
The manager was asked by the previous owners to build a NEW SQUAD at Championship level.
That in itself is a ridiculous ask.
Last year - January 2017 - I realised we could or probably be relegated this season.
You can't start all over again in the Championship - it's an unforgiving league.

As for the 'Plan'.
Personally I think the plan is working very well.
But when you implement such a plan - those players from lower leagues need time to come up to speed.
So you bring in 4 or 5 PER SEASON.
What you don't do is throw away a successful team and then ask the manager to bring in 15 to 20 new players and hope to survive.
We are reaping what was sown 12 months ago.
Barnsley deserves to be relegated.
I hope we arnt.

 

I don’t buy this lower league players need time this or that .
The players who took us to the brink of playoffs last season were lower league players first time in championship Hammill and White apart .
We need a few back to back results to turn our confidence round , there’s at least four more teams not as good as us and we need to keep above them in may and all this blaming and moaning isn’t gonna help imo

 

Hourihane

 

In all the time Ive supported Barnsley i can honestly say this ...ive never seen a manager that deserves backing and more time than PH..a blind man on a galloping horse can see that this young man is not only trying to juggle oranges with both arms tied behind his back but hes having to walk a tight rope with his laces tied together..

what part of the plan dont people understand...the club highlight the players , bring them in....Paul then chooses which of the 2 fat kids he wants has his last pick...
Has ive stated before you cant fill the team with sea side donkeys and expect the jockey / trainer to win the grand national

we pay peanuts ...so put yourselves in both sets of shoes the type of player we want and the type of player we get for the money.... then ask yourself which one do you think you would get
Yes its easy to spend someone elses money

The outers complain about tactics but ask yourself this ...knowing the players like the coaching staff do ..has it never crossed your mind that team selection and tactics used are so that each week we arent on the end of a cricket score and its damage limitation whilst trying to nick a win here or there let alone a point

I also hear and see the abuse Thaim is getting ...get off the lads back hes in a strange country, a country whos language he struggles to come to terms with ...hes young ...why not put yourselves in his shoes a while ..training cant be easy heckys on record as saying the club bought him but he hasnt the resources to afford a translator ..how the hell do you think youd fair if roles were reversed trying to figure out what is expected of you let alone how isolated the lad must feel ....pound to a penny a lot that complain havent been further than Stairfoot round about on their own let alone elsewhere without their mothers holding their hands and that goes for some of the so called adults on here
i bet theres only an handful who have got of their backsides and moved to another country to work and face all the difficulties that then face you ...so for once in your lives be PATIENT give the kid a break

if anybody wants to pin blame on any individual start looking away from Hecky and yes the players at the club to some point for our present plight.Hes well down the list for target practice, the players you cant blame them for accepting the bigger move then finding out they are not ready

Too many of our fans are Fickle to a point it boarders on insanity
before anybody comes back at me to have a go i say this ..if the cap fits wear it .....if not for chr1st sake stop moaning
The problem is a deep rooted one... off the field ....lets hope the new owners dont take the same path because AFC Barnsley could once again become a reality

 

Sp now your saying Hourihane was an experienced Championship player before last season ?

 

I'd have said he was trying to climb Napes Needle wearing roller skates and boxing gloves.