Barnsley FC owner Patrick Cryne has written an exclusive column in today's Chronicle in which he describes caretaker head coach Paul Heckingbottom as 'the man for the moment' and talks about the Reds' future.
In the column, Patrick describes his surprise that Barnsley were bottom of League One in December but praises the players for surging up the table in to Sunday play-off final, having also picked up the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. He also discusses his renewed involvement in the club's running for the last two seasons having had to take a backward seat previously due to ill health and a long-term legal case.
He talks about putting in place a new strategy for recruitment and style of play and says that it was only when previous head coach Lee Johnson fully committed to that approach that the team's form improved.
He praises Johnson's replacement Paul Heckingbottom, adding: "The differences between Lee and Hecky are interesting. They worked well as a team, but they are very different in their approaches as individuals. Lee liked to iterate things for improvement, which is a valid approach. Unfortunately, when it doesn't work it looks like needless tinkering.
"Alternatively, Hecky takes the pragmatic view that if it's not broken don't fix it. Hecky is every fan's idea of a football pro – hard, determined and leaves it all on the field. However, as a head coach, he is a thoughtful, analytical person with a strong academic bent. Hecky is most definitely the man for the moment.
"At the time of writing, we do not know the outcome of the play-off final. If we win, I will be delighted for the fans, whose support has been consistent during adversity and triumph alike. If it doesn't happen, I believe we can go on to challenge for promotion next season.
"The recruitment plans are in place and the club is committed to the development of our players. I am asked whether we will be able to keep our current players and I cannot give a definitive answer to that, because players have a strong say in their careers. However, from the BFC perspective, we do not have any financial pressures that compel us to sell."
Cryne goes on to add that he is 'past my sell-by date' as a football club owner and that, after his plans to pass the club onto son James seem to have been shelved, he feels 'pressure to vacate the seat' of ownership. He wants to work to a 'break even point' before potentially handing the club over to the fans.
See the full column in this week's Chronicle.
