Cardiff City v Barnsley: Conor Hourihane keeping his fingers crossed on several fronts

For starters – and probably the most important thing for him – the Barnsley head coach wants to keep hold of what he’s got by the time that the transfer window closes.

His devout hope is that none of the ‘family silver’ are sold off between now and February 2. For that, read Reyes Cleary and Davis Keillor-Dunn, who continue to have their admirers. It’s a feeling shared by a fanbase.

Adding a couple of new signings is something Hourihane also feels is paramount in the coming week to keep the Reds competitive in League One amid a gruelling itinerary.

A move has been completed to sign St Pauli winger Scott Banks – on loan at Blackpool – but Hourihane would ideally like at least one other signing as well.

A decent week, results wise, with back-to-back home games against Stevenage and Northampton Town following a long and testing trip to the Principality to face the league leaders, also carries importance as Barnsley seek to retain interest in the top half of the table and not the bottom of it.

Hourihane is also hoping that other things transpire. Injuries not biting into his squad for instance alongside the weather behaving itself.

Another postponement or two would represent an added headache in a schedule which already looks exhaustive.

Should everything come into place, then the Reds chief can look forward to the final three months of the season with some hope. It remains a big if.

Cleary, who alerted himself to a watching nationwide audience at Anfield, has already been the subject of several bids from Championship clubs which have been so far knocked back. The winger remains a target of Blackburn Rovers and Bristol City.

Keillor-Dunn also remains on the radar of second-tier clubs.

Asked whether the club have to sell any stars in his pre-match press conference, Hourihane admitted it was not his question to field.

He said: “Look, that’s a difficult one for me to answer. You’d have to ask the board that kind of question.

“We know the cycle that we’re in. We know that everyone’s got a price. I’m hoping obviously that all the players mentioned will stay in this window. I’m hoping a figure isn’t met that the club feel like is a good figure.

“Hopefully come next Monday we’re all sitting here with a couple of new reinforcements and all the players mentioned will still be in the building.”

What Hourihane is unequivocal about at least if that Cleary and Keillor-Dunn have maintained their focus amid a fair amount of speculation this month and have not got distracted. Others as well.

He continued: “They’ve been great, really good. I think summer is a little bit more challenging because there can be long months, long links and long transfer sagas a little bit, whereas in January, we’ve got a week to go all of a sudden and we’re at the end of it.

“So the lads have been great, there’s no issue from that point of view. And I’m probably saying from every head coach’s point of view that come next Monday, we’re all looking forward to having no more questions on it, if I am honest.”

A lengthy midweek trip to south Wales hardly looks ideal on several fronts for Barnsley. The fact that the Reds’ next two games after that are at Oakwell is one saving grace.

Not just in terms of helping with match preparation and cutting out travel time either. With Barnsley remaining active in the market, it will help that Hourihane will be present to help co-ordinate recruitment matters from Oakwell.

He continued: “That will help.

“We’ll get back late (after Cardiff). I think having Cardiff and then two home games in a row will help from a recovery point of view and everyone just being in the building and heading into the end of the window as well.”

The Reds are still assessing Jack Shepherd (knee), who came off at Reading last weekend. Hourihane has confirmed that the issue is not a ‘long-term one.’

In comparison to last few seasons, Barnsley’s away numbers have proved a underwhelming so far in 2025-26, with just one league victory registered since August 19.

Hourihane’s side have chipped away from useful points here and there, for sure, but it’s not been earth-shattering and it’s an area they need to improve if they want to retain a sniff of the top six, come the run-in.

Hourihane said: “We feel like our away form is OK. I think the Wigan and the Reading game could have gone either way, and we could be sitting here with another win.

“I don’t think it’s anything drastic from a point of view that we’re not picking up points on the road. Would we like to pick up more? Absolutely.”