<div class="ds-headline" id="ds-headline">Barnsley look for consolidation</div><div class="ds-headline"></div><div class="ds-firstpara">But players urge board to strengthen squad IAN APPLEYARD</div><div class="ds-firstpara"> BARNSLEY chairman Gordon Shepherd says Championship consolidation and financial self-sufficiency are the club's aims next season.</div><div class="va-bodytext" id="va-bodytext">Shepherd will meet manager Andy Ritchie today to discuss budgets and the need for team strengthening. Decisions are needed from six out-of-contract players who have been offered new deals – Stephen McPhail, Nick Colgan, Daniel Nardiello, Chris Shuker, Antony Kay and Bobby Hassell – while striker Barry Conlon and defender Matt Carbon have been released. Money will still be tight, despite the prospect of a £1.65m promotion windfall, but Shepherd and the club's major benefactor Patrick Cryne are determined to build on this season's success. Only 18 months ago, Barnsley were in administration and but for Cryne's personal investment of £5m would have gone out of business. Lessons have been learned from past mistakes and Barnsley's involvement in the play-offs could enable the club to break even for the first time since their relegation from the Premiership eight years ago. Shepherd said: "We have always done our best to support the manager in the transfer market and that will continue to be the case. "Our target will be to consolidate our position in the Championship and to achieve financial self-sufficiency. Patrick Cryne's support has been totally and utterly vital to this club but he doesn't put pressure on us to repay that money because he is a genuine fan. "Not one of the directors take a penny piece out of this football club. We don't receive salaries and we don't claim expenses. Everything we do is for absolute love of the club." The board are eager to take one step at a time. "We are so proud of what the club has achieved this season and will do everything we can to keep going forward," he added. "Yes, I would love to think that we can get back in the Premiership one day but our immediate aim is the realism of consolidation in the Championship." Barnsley goalkeeper Colgan and midfielder McPhail have both urged Shepherd and Cryne to make money available for new players or risk a season of struggle. McPhail has warned he will walk away unless the club is ambitious enough while Colgan also feels money must be spent. "It is going to be a step up next season and the chairman and the owner need to know that," he said. "They need to decide what they want to do. Do they want to cement their place in the Championship or do they want to struggle? The ball is in their court. "It is going to be very difficult. But hopefully the chairman will give the manager a few quid to strengthen what is already a pretty good squad. Team spirit is excellent but I am not sure that alone can carry you through the Championship. "I want to stay but I need to sit down with the chairman and the chief executive and get something done and dusted. The lads class me as a 'veteran' of the team but I am only 32 and I think I am still pretty young for a goalkeeper. We have got a very young squad right now but a lot of them have matured over the last part of the season and that will stand us in good stead for next season's campaign." Colgan's save from Swansea's Alan Tate in the penalty shootout at the Millennium Stadium secured Barnsley's ticket to the Championship and also spared his blushes after an earlier blunder which gifted Swansea a goal. "Goalkeepers are remembered for their mistakes," he said. "I let the lads down with their second goal but I think I have been forgiven now." ian.appleyard@ypn.co.uk </div><div class="va-date" id="va-date">30 May 2006</div><div class="left"><div class="inactive">« Previous Page</div></div><div class="right"><div class="inactive">Next »</div></div><div class="centre">Page 1 of 1 </div><br clear="all" />
As we've released Conlon, Carbon and Vaughan and sold Burns I'd like to see us get replacements for those. And Kell has got to go, shirley, so there's another place in the squad. Not sure how long a contract Wroe and Williams have but maybe they could be released to allow another player in. And maybe I'm a twit for saying this, but I'd listen to anyone interested in taking Richards or Wright off our hands.
Frankly I'd listen to offers for any of them. If an offer came in that represented good business, there's no-one irreplacable in that squad. It also seems a little odd to me that some folk, now accusing Barnsley of undue haste in offloading Fallon, have already written off Tommy Wright. To me he shows a similar (lack of) promise that Fallon showed at his age. If anything he looks less out of his depth than early-Fallon did.
What I think I think we should all enjoy the feeling of being back in the Championship and look forward to the start of the new season. Mr Shepherd (and the Directors) and Mr Ritchie will know what is needed to survive so let's leave it to them to sort that out. So what if we struggle against the so called bigger teams we are the underdogs and should fear nothing,We are not expected to do well by others. If we want to be in a higher division we have to raise our game. I think most of the team we have may find it easier to play at a higher level because it is more skillful play rather than relying on brute force. We don't really have a physical team. If players don't want to play for Barnsley let them go I'm sure there are plenty of players who are coming towards the end of their careers at top level who would love to play for us. Money is tight and other clubs may be able to offer more but like I say this is where Mr Shepherd and Mr Ritchie have to do the hard work not us. Here's to the start of the new season and Come on you Reds! I know I'm only a child and what do I know but I'm allowed to say what I think and so I have. ff
We must try to keep..... .... Colgan, Shuker, and Hassell. A better way to spend money than rolling the dice on replacements. It costs to have the turnover of players it takes to find those who fit the bill. I know what I mean anyway.
RE: We must try to keep..... We don't need to add too much to our existing squad. Just need to make sure we replace anyone that leaves with players Richie believes to be better players. And do anything possible to keep hold of Mcphail as he could be the difference next season.
RE: We must try to keep..... We need to build a squad around: Colgan and Flinders (two keepers who are capable, in my view, of stepping up a division); Austin, Kay, Reid; McPhail, Howard, Devaney, Hayes (as a winger); Nardiello. That leaves plenty of players who probably AREN'T going to be good enough next season that will be nevertheless playing a part: Heckingbottom, Williams, Tonge, McPartland, Wroe, Kell, Wright and Richards, amongst others. I think there is a LOT of work to be done if we aren't to drop straight back down whence we came.
RE: We must try to keep..... Think we need a new spine to the team, a striker, a holding midfielder to play alongside McPhail or Howard, a central defender and a goalie (Colgan to be reserve)
