Preston North End boss and former Leeds & Sheffield United manager opens up on 'frustrating' side to the job
PNE manager will occasionally pass the media reins over to his assistant - Stuart McCall
Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom admits media duty can be ‘frustrating’ at times.
Managers spent so much time in front of the microphone and camera, in this day and age. During a three game week, the 47-year-old may find himself speaking on five separate occasions - twice pre-match and three times post-game.
PNE assistant coach, Stuart McCall, has stood in for one pre-match press conference this season. But, it is a major part of the job and Heckingbottom tends to speak for 10-20 minutes per presser. While his interviews have been received well by supporters, there is one element he isn’t keen on.
“Media? Yeah, we need to double them up more don’t we?!” laughed Heckingbottom. “The Saturdays and the Tuesdays... You just feel like you are saying the same things over and over, when you’re doing it you know? And also, you guys know there is no way I’m telling you exactly what I am thinking or telling them.
“And, there is no way I’m giving you information which the opposition can capitalise on. So, that is frustrating, because you know you are half fobbing people off. But, you just can’t do it otherwise you are giving too much away. So, yeah, that is the worst side of it... but we have got to do them.”
Life in the Championship, from a media point of view, is much milder than the Premier League though. That is something Heckingbottom experienced during his time in charge of Sheffield United - and Wednesday night’s cup tie against Arsenal was a reminder of it.
Heckingbottom conducted four separate interviews after the 0-3 defeat: TV, radio, print and club media. Managers in the top flight are also often asked about all sorts of topics, away from their respective club.
“Oh, it’s crackers there yeah,” said Heckingbottom. “Sometimes you get the ones where it could be a Scandinavian or East Asian (journalist) and all they are bothered about is one player who has been on the pitch - and they can be really disrespectful and patronising to everything else at your club, and what you are doing. But, you’ve got to do it because it is what brings the money in.”