Barnsley boss shares thoughts on Portsmouth striker Makenzie Kirk with January transfer window on horizon
Makenzie Kirk has scored twice for Barnsley since completing a season-long loan move to Oakwell in July
A lack of confidence could be holding Makenzie Kirk back at Barnsley.
That’s something Tykes boss Daniel Stendel is conscious of as the Pompey loanee struggles to make an impact at the League One side.
The striker has scored twice for the Oakwell outfit since completing his season-long loan move in July.
However, it’s a goal return that has contributed to Barnsley sitting 23rd in the current third-tier standings with just two wins from 12 league games.
As a consequence, Kirk has found himself on the fringes of the first team since mid-September.
The 22-year-old’s last start came against Plymouth more than eight weeks ago, a game which saw him substituted at half-time for the third match in a row.
Meanwhile, four of Barnsley’s past eight games have seen the Northern Ireland under-21 international either omitted from the match-day squad altogether or remaining as an unused substitute.
Saturday’s FA Cup first-round win against non-league Aldershot, however, was the fourth consecutive game the centre-forward has been utilised by Stendel from the bench.
He replaced fellow striker Tobi Adeyemo at the interval as the hosts led 4-0, with the manager keen to give Kirk the opportunity to return to the goal trail.
The Blues forward was unable to seize the opportunity as he remains on two goals. Nevertheless, Stendel thought it was important to continue to call upon the former St Johnstone man as he also gave him and Adeyemo his backing to get Barnsley out of their current league predicament.
‘Get some confidence from this game’
Stendel was asked post-match about the substitution, with former Watford frontman Adeyemo yet to score for the Tykes.
In his response he brought up the subject of Kirk’s confidence levels, before claiming he remained happy with his striker options.
‘He's (Adeyemo) not injured,’ he told the Yorkshire Post.
‘We had a little bit of a feeling, he wanted to score today a goal for himself, and we had the feeling he was not so much in the game.
‘I said to him nothing changed, also when we substituted in the half-time, it was only that we wanted to give Makenzie Kirk the chance to play, maybe to get some confidence from this game, and I'm happy with both.’
Kirk’s time at Pompey
Signed as one for the future, Pompey purchased Kirk from St Johnstone two summers ago as they looked to add extra firepower to their forward department following their brush with Championship relegation in 2024-25.
A goal after coming off the bench against Coventry in the striker’s third Blues game appeared to be the springboard for an exciting period on the south coast.
However, it couldn’t be replicated, with Kirk often finding himself down the pecking order and unable to establish himself as one of John Mousinho’s go-to options despite Colby Bishop’s lack of goals.
In total, Kirk made 14 league appearances for Pompey last term, with his last coming as a 83rd-minute substitute against Derby on March 16.
He was allowed to move to Barnsley on loan in the summer as the Blues closed in on the multi-million-pound signing of Marko Milovanovic.
Pompey also added Tyrese Shade to their attacking ranks over the summer and have since welcomed back Thomas Waddingham from a long-term injury.
Kirk remains under contract at Fratton Park until the summer of 2028.