Barnsley recruit aiming for hat-trick of survival successes

Back in his native Austria with his family, with the Alpine nation effectively on lockdown alongside the rest of Europe, Ritzmaier – like thousands involved in the sporting profession across the globe – is waiting for the time when he can get back to the day job.

For him, that is in the country which he and many others view to be the ‘home of football.’

Ritzmaier’s first taste of the English game has certainly not been straightforward, far from it.

A knee injury suffered shortly after he joined Barnsley from Wolfsberger AC – former club of Reds head coach Gerhard Struber – was untimely.

Now his Oakwell career is again on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the club’s European contingent having flown back to the continent to be with their loved ones during football’s global shutdown.

Just as Barnsley’s players have had to stick together and form bonds amid tough times on the pitch this season, so they now must display a strong mentality amid unprecedented times off it.

It is something that Ritzmaier has prided himself upon in his career to date.

He said: “It is very important that the group stays together in good and bad times.

“We have shown it in the times that have not gone so well. We were making progress, not only in the game, but in the mood and togetherness in the team. That is very important.

“One of my strong things is my mentality and style of my game. I try to bring experience.

“I have had relegation battles two times before and two times, I stayed up and it is a good experience and I hope we can do that here.

“England is the main country of football and a pleasure to play here and the Championship is a good league.

“The first few games were a case of getting used to it, more physically it is more long balls than any other competition. I will get more used to it, but I feel good and confident to play here.

“The main factor in the Championship is that a lot of players are big and strong in this league.

“Our group is quite small, so we need to play football and the technical and tactical stuff and it is a good way.

“You need a plan to how you can play against those teams.”

While Ritzmaier’s early days at Oakwell have been stop-start, the same cannot be said of his compatriot and former Wolfsberger colleague Michael Sollbauer, who has made a more noticeable impact in his time at the club.

After a difficult baptism in his opening two games against Charlton and Portsmouth, when the Reds conceded a combined total of six goals in back-to-back defeats in league and cup, Sollbauer has dusted himself down in resounding fashion with some solid displays in the heart of the Barnsley defence.

His presence as a team-mate and a friend is something appreciated by Ritzmaier, although he believes it is his club who will ultimately be the big beneficiaries.

“Of course, it is always good to see your friend as I played with him for a long time,” Ritzmaier continued.

“I am happy he is here, he is a player with experience and good body language and he also knows the way Gerhard wants to play and that is a big reason.

“He is doing very well and it’s nice to have him here.”

Barnsley may have headed into the lengthy break on the back of successive defeats to Reading and Cardiff, but their previous accomplishments in securing consecutive victories against Fulham, Middlesbrough and Hull City at least provided an inkling of hope in their quest to stage what would constitute a remarkable’Great Escape’ act somewhere down the line.

That is very much on ice due to events outside of the club’s control amid the Covid-19 chaos, but there remains a resolve and a strong inclination across football that the season must be played out to a natural conclusion whenever that may be.

There will be similar determination in the Reds ranks once football emerged from its unfortunate hiatus.

Ritzmaier remarked: “It is good that everyone can look in the mirror and say I gave everything I can. It starts in the head and the mentality is one of the important things and the manager has done a great job.

“Everyone believes what I feel. Everyone has believed from the start we can stay up otherwise we are in the wrong place.

“But everyone believes more when you win.”