After scoring his first Reds goal against Stoke City recently and then making his first start last time out in Blackburn, Reds striker Patrick Schmidt is confident that he's going to make his mark for Barnsley.
Speaking to iFollow Barnsley ahead of the trip to Middlesbrough, forward Patrick Schmidt was in confident mood despite his side suffering a 10th defeat of the campaign.
The Austrian U21 international, brought to the club in the summer has had to wait patiently for first team opportunities, but he was thrust into Sky Bet Championship action last weekend when he lined up in fellow countryman Gerhard Struber's first Reds XI since taking charge of the club.
"Just because he's also Austrian, that's not a reason," Schmidt explained, smiling.
"Of course it helps me a little that I can understand him, but the last Gaffer spoke my language also and I didn't play very much. It is helpful having someone else here from Austria, but that's as far as it goes.
"It's not going to help me get into the team.
"I have to show that I deserve my place and I think that I am improving all the time as I get used to English football.
"It's much different to where I came from but that is why I came, I wanted the challenge, I want to improve and to be as good as I can be, for Barnsley."
Schmidt was withdrawn at the interval during the Reds' latest defeat.
The 21-year-old forward accepted the decision to pull him.
"I think it was the right decision," he stated.
"We needed to change something and Conor (Chaplin) has made a real impact and I was very happy for him and for us, happy for the team.
"I scored in my previous game. I'm always learning and this is a tough league where I'm giving my all to get better. I think I'm doing that, I just need time."
Time is of the essence for Barnsley, rooted to the bottom of the table and now three victories away from safety, it's a mammoth task ahead of them.
But Schmidt is convinced that there are brighter times on the horizon.
"I think we are getting better all the time and with the new Gaffer I think he will fix the mistakes. They are what we need to cut out. We undo all of our hard work with little errors.
"It's about maintaining our focus for the full game, don't switch off.
"We will get there, we're a good squad and will prove we are a good team."
