SV Ried once again needs a real effort in the relegation battle

On Sunday (5 p.m.) bottom of the table Ried plays at penultimate Altach. More basement duel in the penultimate round of the Bundesliga basic round is not possible, this game is a foretaste of the qualification group, which begins at the beginning of April after an international break. The sporting situation is precarious, the displeasure of the fans is growing. The reaction after the 1:3 home defeat against Austria Vienna on Saturday was particularly significant: A large part of the “hard core” of the Rieder fans in the West Standing Stand left the stadium immediately after the final whistle, but not without first waving their own banners to express displeasure. “Acted without a plan for years. Ruined our SVR. Realignment now,” said the “Supras 96” fan club to those responsible for the club and the sporting management.

Hoping for unity

“The criticism from the fans is justified and understandable. You have to be able to deal with it. I still hope for unity in the coming weeks. That’s the only way we can be successful,” said SV Ried sports director Thomas Reicheltshammer during yesterday’s training in the OÖN interview.

The Innviertler only managed three wins and 14 goals in 20 competitive games. The performances after the half-time break in particular are a major cause for concern. In a table in which only the interim result after the first half is evaluated, the Innviertler are in seventh place without fear of relegation, the lead over the last would be ten points.

However, these figures do not help the SVR any further. So far this season, you have repeatedly weakened yourself with completely unnecessary red cards. The most recent example: David Ungar was sent off against Austria Wien just after half-time. When asked about this, Reifeltshammer said: “Of course it’s an issue that we’re addressing. It may be due to the inexperience of the players to a certain extent. It’s important that we don’t continue to make life difficult for ourselves in the coming weeks.” After eight Bundesliga games in a row without a win, they finally need a sense of achievement against Altach, who are also plagued by the crisis. Reicheltshammer knows that too: “This game is extremely important, a look at the table is enough. We want to go to Altach and get three points.” The many injury-related absences and the suspension of two players (Michael Martin, David Ungar) are bitter, “but that kind of thing happens in football. I’m convinced that the coaching team will find solutions,” says the sporting director. Julian Wießmeier will most likely return to the squad, and a start from the start does not seem to be out of the question.

Veterans are working on the comeback

Reicheltshammer hopes that Samuel Sahin-Radlinger and captain Marcel Ziegl will return in April. “The surgeries went well, the rehabilitation phase is going according to plan for both of them. The loss of these experienced players hurts us a lot. Everyone is happy when they’re back on the pitch,” says Reifeltshammer. Nikola Stosic will probably no longer be available to the team this season.