Paul Heckingbottom spoke to the media in the build-up to the Blackburn match this weekend.
The Reds Head Coach began with an update on the fitness of his squad following the Cardiff City match on Tuesday night
"It’s all similar really, we have one or two knocks. Adam [Hammill] had a stamp on his toe, Alex [Mowatt] had a bit of a tight calf, Bradders [Tom Bradshaw] got a few bumps and bruises but everyone should be available except Yids [Andy Yiadom], who is still struggling with his shoulder."
Yiadom defied the odds to carry on playing against Sheffield Wednesday for 47 minutes last weekend despite an obvious shoulder injury that required treatment on more than one occasion. Heckingbottom was asked whether his injury would require surgery.
“It’s looking that way.” He stated. “We’re going to hold a meeting together today. I spoke to Yids on Tuesday afternoon and we’re going down that route. We had a slot provisionally booked for tomorrow morning anyway. That’s still there and it’s looking like the most sensible thing to do, it would be season over for him if he has the surgery.”
Cardiff came to Oakwell and were a very physical side, as well as being defensive and looking to go away with the point. Heckingbottom was asked if that was a compliment to his side that teams come here and look to just take a point.
“I suppose so.” He said. “But at the end of the day, they won because they got what they wanted which was the point out of it and we didn’t get what we wanted so regardless of what happens we need to find a way to win.
“Because of the turnaround in games we haven’t done much on the grass since Tuesday. We’ve needed to rest lots of aching bodies and there was a second recovery day for most yesterday. The focus of it comes to the analysis and the mentality, because most things from the match the other day were really positive and the majority of the things we’re working on at the training ground are coming off, it’s just the final product. That’s not just in open play, that’s in set-plays as well that we lacked a cutting edge. We could have played as well as we did, but scored from a set-play then everyone goes home happy. Every element is just as important as the other.”
The Reds haven’t had the results to show for their performances in recent matches, following three draws out of the last four games. Heckingbottom feels that he can take the positives from those matches and carry them forward and seek to improve the squad.
“You have to hang on to the fine details because that’s what wins games, so it’s pointless worrying about what has gone on before. You have to take what’s gone before and use it to get better but if you always focus on what is in front of you, you can get better, if you are dwelling on what has gone you’re not working on anything to improve yourself. That’s my take on it, and more often than not I’ve been able to do that.”
The Reds Head Coach was then asked whether he feels the media coverage of the his squad of late has been unfairly negative based on what his side have achieved this season, because of the recent slip in results.
“I think everybody knows, but what happened is that expectations changed. They went through the roof and that’s just how it is, you have to be somewhere in the middle. If you win you deserve to win, if you lose you deserve to lose and I keep saying it. Likewise, when you’re getting wins it doesn’t mean that’s going to continue and when you’re getting beat it’s no big deal, the corner will turn so long as you know what you’re doing and you’re working towards it. That’s how we try and work as a group of staff and players. If it was a level playing field with every team in this league I think we would be a lot higher than where we are.”
Watch Paul Heckingbottom's press conference in full on Barnsley Player HD.
