By Chris Bevan

We have played very well for the majority of the season and have not got what we deserved - but you have to make your own luck Barnsley manager Andy Ritchie

Barnsley may be struggling at the wrong end of the Championship but their fans cannot complain about value for money this season.

The Tykes' 13 league games so far have produced 45 goals - more than any other team in their division.

For manager Andy Ritchie and his assistant Rick Holden it is reminiscent of their playing days together at Oldham.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Joe Royle's Latics side produced similar swashbuckling football - with Holden on the wing and Ritchie banging in the goals.

The duo helped Oldham into the Premiership and enjoyed a series of exciting Cup runs too.

Fast-forward 15 years and Ritchie is trying for a repeat of that success as a coach - but admits it is not all plain sailing.

Ritchie told BBC Sport: "We are definitely a side in the mould of the way Rick and I used to play together at Oldham.

"Back then it was a case of 'they score four - we will score five'.

"But it is not as simple as that. We have to defend better than we are doing - we just don't do that well enough as a unit.

"That is not just taking the back four to task about the goals we have conceded but the whole team - the 10 outfield players on the pitch.

"We can do that and still do the nice attractive bits we do going forward. I don't want us to stop attacking.

"But collectively we have got to be more switched on and I don't think it will take a lot for us to do that."

Ritchie began his managerial career with Oldham and worked at Leeds United's academy before taking a similar position with the Tykes in 2004.

Andy Ritchie takes on Man Utd during his Oldham playing days

He took over as Barnsley's caretaker manager in March 2005 before landing the job permanently and guided them to promotion from League One in his first full season in charge.

They made a good start to life in the Championship but have won only one of their last nine league games and stand just one place above the relegation zone.

And although they have scored 18 goals, they have conceded 27 - leaving Ritchie more than a little frustrated.

"We have conceded a lot of stupid goals in my mind," he explained.

"They have not come through the super play of other people but through our own mistakes so in that respect we are disappointed."

But what hurts Ritchie even more than bad defending is bad luck - something he feels his side have had more than their fair share of recently.

"I cannot believe how unlucky we have been to end up losing some of our games.

"For example we had our goalkeeper Nick Colgan sent off early on at Preston and even then we should have got something out of the game but lost 1-0.

"Those sorts of body blows are tough enough for a manager but are even worse for the players.

It has been a learning process for me and the players. It is difficult for them but they have to start producing Andy Ritchie

"When you are playing in those games and you know you have worked so hard and not done anything wrong you could be forgiven for the players feeling a little bit down.

"But they haven't done. We have tried to keep them as positive as we can and if we can get some better results that will lift their spirits even more."

And Ritchie is determined to keep smiling as his side try to rediscover their early season form.

"We are enjoying it and we are adjusting to life at this level," he added.

"We have played very well for the majority of the season so far and we have not got what we deserved - but you have to make your own luck.

"It has been a learning process for me and the players. It is difficult for them but they have to start producing.