Paul Heckingbottom admits he is concerned by the 'fickle' and regular sackings of Championship managers – such as Alex Neil by tomorrow's hosts Norwich City – but he hopes to remain Barnsley's head coach for years to come.

Despite only celebrating a year in change last month, Heckingbottom is the ninth longest-serving of the 24 Championship managers following the dismissal of Neil, a former Reds player.

Derby County also fired Steve McClaren for a second time this week while more than half of the clubs in the top four divisions have changed their managers since Heckingbottom got his job in February of last year. He was caretaker for four months before signing a rolling contract and insists he is committed to his hometown club.

Reds owner Patrick Cryne has previously said that he wants the Royston man stay in the Oakwell hotseat for the long term.

Heckingbottom said: "I see my future at Barnsley. We had speculation in January about me leaving but it is just speculation. It's the nature of the job. My contract is irrelevant because it has no time limit on it. I am at Barnsley until they get rid of me. I would have to give notice for 12 months for me to leave, unless they sack me or someone buys me."

With Middlesbrough's Aitor Karanka being the latest victim yesterday – leaving former Red Steve Agnew as caretaker – Heckingbottom is unsettled by the precarious nature of his profession.

"Nothing surprises me anymore with managers being sacked. What a week it has been and it shows what the game is like. I don't think we should accept it and it's not for the best but you have to be prepared for it and understand that that is what happens. It's more ruthless than ever. Fickle is a good word for it.

"Owners need to be more clear with what they want from the managers from the start or they are setting themselves up to fail. You are only as good as the people above you."

Heckingbottom will be hoping to end an 80-year wait for a Barnsley victory at his former club Norwich tomorrow. Barnsley have not won at the Norfolk club since 1937, with their last 16 visits bringing seven draws and nine defeats including losses in the most recent five.

Heckingbottom made just 16 appearances for Norwich in the 2002/03 season before his three-year contract was cancelled two years early. Only one of his seven starts for the Canaries came at Carrow Road after he jumped up two divisions to join from Darlington.

He said: "I have good memories of Norwich. It is a lovely place and we had a good group of lads down there with a good team spirit. I have still got friends from that team, which is good. It's a good club and it seems bigger because it is the only one for miles around. Even the nearest rivals Ipswich are a long way away.

"I was coming up from League Two to the Championship. It was good exposure for me and I enjoyed my time there.  I had to move on because I wasn't playing and my little boy was up here and I wanted to be back up north. "It suited both parties for me to leave."

Tomorrow Heckingbottom will come up against Alan Irvine who is in charge of the Canaries on a temporary basis. Neil, who made 132 appearances for the Reds between 2000 and 2004, was sacked on Friday of last week following a five-match winless run.

The Scotsman had taken Norwich to the Premier League two years ago but – despite him spending more than £50million since arriving at the club – they were relegated last season then languishing nine points off the play-off places when he was dismissed.

Norwich were top after 12 games but then picked up just 11 points from the next 14 which brought them down to mid-table. They later won four out of five, drawing the other, but since a 5-1 victory over Nottingham Forest last month they have not won any of their last six, drawing four and losing two including a 5-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.

Irvine, the former Preston, Sheffield Wednesday and West Brom manager, secured a 2-2 draw in his first game against Blackburn on Saturday – despite an early red card – and will now look for a fourth win in six meetings with Barnsley as a manager.

The Reds, in 11th place, are three points behind Norwich who are ninth. City are unbeaten in eight games in 2017 at Carrow Road, where 37 of their 54 points have come this season. Norwich lost 2-1 at Oakwell on December 10, ending a run of nine wins and a draw in the last ten meetings between the clubs.

Heckingbottom said: "They will still believe they can get in the play-offs with the firepower they have got. It's a great place to play, it will be a full house and it's another great game for us against a team that was in the Premier League last season."

The Reds are currently 11 points off the top six. Heckingbottom said: "We want to finish as high as possible with as many points as possible and the players want to build as big a reputation as they possibly can."

Barnsley captain Marc Roberts injured his ankle in the 1-1 draw with Ipswich on Saturday and missed training early this week but he is expected to join in today and play tomorrow. n Barnsley have loaned young midfielder Josh Kay for the rest of the season back to his former club AFC Fylde who are top of National League North.