Ritchie happy with survival Staying up would help manager with contract negotiations ANDY RITCHIE has no idea whether he will still be the manager of Barnsley next summer. He is entering the final year of his existing deal and chairman Gordon Shepherd says there are no plans to grant an extension at this stage. Ritchie has no intention of rocking the boat and has remained tight-lipped about the situation since winning promotion at the end of last season. Yet if Barnsley make progress in the next few months, he will be the one sitting firmly in the driving seat when it comes to contract negotiations. The former Leeds United striker is a local hero after leading his side to a Millennium Stadium victory over Swansea City in the League One play-off final. Not since Danny Wilson took Barnsley into the Premiership has a manager been as popular at Oakwell. Yet Shepherd, guardian of the club's finances, remains adamant that it is unnecessary to commit the club to anything longer. Call it a 'calculated gamble' by a lifelong Barnsley supporter – but there will only be one loser if Ritchie is tempted away by another club. For the longer the length of remaining contract, the bigger the compensation entitlement for the club. Against this backdrop of contractual chess, Barnsley return to the Championship after an absence of four years. Ritchie is under no illusions about the size of his task. Summer spending has been limited, despite the sale of goalkeeper Scott Flinders and the departures of prize assets Stephen McPhail and Chris Shuker, and his squad is worryingly young. "We know it is going to be a difficult season but we are going to enjoy it, have a good go, and hopefully we will come out at the other end smiling," he said. "Staying up would be a bigger achievement than getting up, in my eyes. "We over-achieved last season and we have probably come up before we are ready – but you have got to take everything that is given to you in football and try to keep hold of it. "We are not flush with money and we have lost one or two players who have gone elsewhere purely for financial reasons. It cannot be anything to do with the facilities or the size of the club. "I still think we have got enough players who can handle this level and I believe they deserve to have a crack. We need to show all the qualities we showed last season and in big chunks – resilience, a good team ethic, and a good defensive record. If we make sure we are in this league at the start of next season, we can build a little bit more." Boardroom caution is understandable at Oakwell since the club was in administration just a few years ago and nearly went to the wall. Ritchie admitted: "It's a fine balancing act. There is a joint responsibility between the board and myself to look after this club's future. "We won't go back to the dark days of financial insecurity, we want to keep the club on an even keel." Although Ritchie insists there is no pressure to sell players, the sale of highly-rated young goalkeeper Flinders to Palace for a fee rising to £1m has 'stabilised' the club's finances. "It had to be a good deal for the club, otherwise we wouldn't have done it," he stressed. "There was no guarantee that he would be playing first team football with us next season. It gave me a little bit of money to spend but not a massive amount." Ahead of last weekend, Ritchie had acquired only three new players; winger Michael McIndoe, midfield player Sam Togwell, and teenage striker Michael Coulson. "The average age of my squad is very low, but I can't just make wholesale changes, the finances don't allow that. You need stability and that comes from the players knowing how each other plays – but we do have to try and find one or two with a little bit more experience. "Michael Coulson is a player for the future and I think he will force his way into the team at some stage. He is a very clever player and he scores goals. "Sam Togwell can play in a number of roles, across the back, as a defensive midfield player, or even pushing forward. Michael McIndoe is a very exciting player, a match-winner who can turn a game on its head and I hope he will put a few bums on seats." Assessing his side's chances, Ritchie added: "It has got to be about survival for us this season. There are so many good teams in this league and the three teams that have come down from the Premiership will be there or thereabouts at the end looking for an immediate return. "We have got to make a good fist of things against the teams that have come up with us, we will need to score more goals and we will need a bit of luck."
Ritchie's Contract I cannot believe the board are not in negotiations with him. They like leaving things until the last minute and then it's too late.
