“We are Sheffield Wednesday” – Defiance the theme as Owls prepare for scrap.
There is no doubt that the task is difficult. Maybe too tall. While Wednesday’s players and staff navigate the mission of Championship survival knowing their roster is the thinnest in the division, off-field issues remain the most pertinent topic of talk over Hillsborough.
Although the scrap displayed in each of their six competitive games to date has taken many various forms by players with varying levels of experience, it has raised questions about their capacity to persevere through a demanding 46-game season. Of course, nobody on the ground is to blame for any of those issues.
The transfer window came and went with disappointment, the club bound by the shackles brought about by mismanagement in Bangkok. But while the free agent market remains off-limits with no end in sight on that front, this is it. And one man who refuses to go under is manager Henrik Pedersen.
“I am very happy with the squad I have,” he said. “I would also have liked to have more players, but we couldn’t. We were well-prepared for this but it was not possible. How I see my squad right now, this hunger, intensity, belief, trust within the group. I have a big belief and I promise the boys will do everything to make good progress and survive in the Championship.”
Throughout his tenure as manager thus far, the Danish coach has made an effort to project a positive vibe to every individual in his vicinity. He has urged his top players and coaching staff to follow suit, and if the intensity of emotion shown in the games is any indication, it seems to be making a difference despite extremely challenging conditions. They are limited to the things they can influence.
Asked some weeks ago whether a ‘siege mentality’ was required, Pedersen recoiled. Wednesday will require a spirit of defiance in how they go about their business in the coming weeks – the Owls boss spoke of next month’s international break as an opportunity to take a beat before going again – and it seems he wants not to close out the outside world, but to bring thousands with them. The spirit shown between players and supporters is one that must drive them on.
He remarked, “Anyone who has attended Hillsborough or our away games and experienced the feeling that it’s rocking cannot explain what this means at home or away.” It’s the players’ level of significance. They are talking about it, and they say that today was truly great. The employees talk about it. For us, it is everything.
“Every time we have a difficult period and they stay with us, it is a new energy every time. The boys need this energy. It is a tough situation, but everything goes slowly in the right direction. But there will be difficult periods. Here we need everyone, we need the fans as they do, to support us, to be a mirror. It means everything that they stay with us.”
The games Wednesday will play before the next break—a kid’s adventure with Grimsby, a visit from Bristol City, Pompey, Coventry, and Birmingham—will be played with that spirit. Despite all of the effort and scrap, the Owls have yet to win in ninety minutes of their six competitive games. This is a statistic they need to pass as soon as possible to give everyone involved another boost.
How that win comes is yet to be known. But for all the doubt and all the concern, Pedersen refuses to see the club belittled. It’s a monumental struggle no doubt, but the fact remains that with tongue-in-cheek, ‘The Massive’ remains a pull with Craig Mudd having made the switch from a cushy job with Manchester City and Harry Amass putting off other options to join on loan from Manchester United.
“Our team is Sheffield Wednesday,” he declared. “Players from major clubs wanted to come here.” Our team is Sheffield Wednesday. We are a fascinating address. Even if a lot has transpired, we remain a compelling football address, and we are aware that there are talented players who wish to join us, as well as large teams that think they want them to. It is a large trust. Muddy arrived here after doing a great job at Man City.
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