Leeds United v Barnsley: Split loyalty's not an issue for former Tykes boss Heckingbottom

They can increase the likelihood of Barnsley’s demise but having burned bridges at Oakwell by abandoning the club two months ago, it would not have suited Heckingbottom to land the fatal blow tomorrow.

Leeds United’s head coach lives locally still and was back at Oakwell last Saturday for Barnsley’s 2-2 draw with Bolton Wanderers, his first visit there since he quit to take charge of Leeds in February. He might have felt a division of loyalties at Elland Road this weekend were his new job going to plan but Heckingbottom’s record makes the opposition irrelevant. A good result for Barnsley will pour vitriol on him.

Leeds were coming apart at the seams when they approached Heckingbottom to replace Thomas Christiansen, trapped in a poor patch of form and crippled by indiscipline, but the month-and-a-half since has not been any better. The idea of a resurgent run to the play-offs was wiped out in a matter of weeks, put beyond much doubt by successive 3-0 defeats to Middlesbrough and Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Heckingbottom is left to concentrate on the start of next season, a campaign which some doubt he will remain in charge to see.

When he walked out of Barnsley, a departure which caught the board at Oakwell by surprise, did he think he was walking into a potential promotion bid at Elland Road?

“I was hoping, definitely,” Heckingbottom said. “But going in you do your homework. You see the injuries, you see the suspensions and you see the fixtures that were coming up.

“I said straight away that the first six games were going to define where we’d end up and unfortunately we found it too tough. We coped well in some games but were second best in two in particular where the gulf was too big. I think that was a fair reflection.

“That was my dream, to come in, hit the ground running and be chasing things. But the longer-term goal, regardless of how that had gone, was improving things behind the scenes, improving how the club works and trying to create a bridge between the academy and the first team.

“Then we can create our own value rather than splashing cash the whole time, chasing the top teams. We can build something sustainable which we can build on and start challenging.”

Leeds are looking beyond the horizon of this season and the lack of competitive motivation at Elland Road, combined with the sense of lilting spirit amongst the club’s squad, gives Barnsley an opportunity this weekend. Barnsley have a precious game in hand over Bolton and Birmingham City, the teams directly above them, but are in a relegation position and have won only eight matches all season, six of them under Heckingbottom.

His replacement, the eccentric Jose Morais, is keeping the show on the road, but only just.

Heckingbottom said he was hopeful of seeing Barnsley avoid relegation and confident that they would. “The game in hand’s a big one for them but you’ve got to go and earn it,” he said. “I’m saying I want them to stay up but I also want to beat them on Saturday, which would give them three games left. It’s going to be tough but other teams are dragged in there. They’re in a decent position.