Barnsley seek to utilise the magic number

All the best things come in threes as it is the magic number, or so we have all been told. If this is the case, then rejoice Barnsley fans as Keith Hill is using this formula to his advantage by signing a striker with three legs a goalkeeper with three hands offering new contracts to three veteran players.

With the Tykes eight points clear of the Championship’s metaphorical trapdoor, Hill is confident enough to begin planning for another season of Championship football and wants defender Stephen Foster, winger Jim O’Brien and striker Andy Gray to join him on the adventure that isn’t really an adventure as it will be pretty much the same thing again next season as it was this but the term adventure shall be retained anyway.

Hill said; “I'm in negotiations with Stephen, Jim and Andy, I'd like to keep them at the club. All three of them have done very well this season and been consistent for us, but it's also a case of wanting to retain some continuity within the team. They've all been exceptionally supportive of me and Flicker [assistant boss David Flitcroft] this season and I feel they need to be rewarded for that. It's not just on the pitch where they have been a big influence, especially Fozzie and Andy because they're great players to have in the dressing room” thus  leaving poor old Jim O’Brien out.

In one of the very few examples of Barnsley being compared to Manchester United (the only other example I can think of is they’re both answers to the question “who are not Manchester City?”), Hill has likened the veterans being given new deals to the similar contract offers to the likes of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes at Old Trafford.

Hill added; “You need continuity at a club. You look at Manchester United and they've still got the likes of [Ryan] Giggs, [Paul] Scholes and Rio Ferdinand in the dressing room, there's so much experience. You need leaders in the changing room and on the pitch. These three players are important for the success of the club because they know we're building for the future."

Dan Whiteway

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