It's a frustrating time to be a football supporter, with recent off-the-field events calling a halt to this year's campaign. 

It means that the battle to survive in the Championship has been put on hold for the time being, with no scheduled return date being put in place as of yet by the relevant authorities.

Barnsley are currently sat bottom of the second tier standings, and will be hoping they can put together a positive run of results when the sporting calendar gets back underway.

The Tykes are seven points adrift of safety with nine games remaining, and will be keen to avoid a drop back into League One after a brief spell in the Championship.

There has been talk over the remaining fixtures being completed over the space of 56 days, although a decision is yet to be finalised on how the season will be concluded.

Speaking in an interview with the club's official website, Tykes boss Gerhard Struber issued his thoughts on that rumoured proposal, and stated the advantages and disadvantages of it.

"I think 56 days is enough to bring nine games in this time; I think this is OK. I think the biggest challenge is the preparation of the boys – if we come back in the middle of May, we need a minimum of three or four weeks to get ready. Only two weeks would be a big problem with injuries for this situation in the Championship.

"When we come back with a high intensity and the boys have no preparation time, I think this is not professional preparation. If we get more injured players, this would be a bad impact.

"I think this is a good chance to have many options for the nine games and we can handle this on the field when we have five substitutes. It’s a positive signal in this time and I think this is good for many players that we can change and manage and handle this in a good direction."

Struber went on to reveal that he is regularly in contact with the Barnsley squad, and stated that his players are keen to return to action in the near future, but only when it is deemed safe enough to do so.

"I am in conversation also with my boys and I read the media reports from England. I think the opinion of the players is very important in this situation because I think many players wish we can make the restart in the near future. All the players say we need a guarantee of safety when we come back and I think this too."

Can you remember which Barnsley manager signed these players? Test your knowledge in our quiz!

 

The Verdict: 

It'll be interesting to see how they perform when football returns.

Barnsley have been in a poor run of form in their last few league matches, and Struber will know that results simply have to improve at the earliest of opportunities if they're to stand a chance in surviving in the Championship this term.

It's good to hear that the Barnsley boss is still in regular contact with his players and staff during the break from competitive action, as they need to keep that togetherness in the squad heading towards a crucial period of their season.