Wednesday So Far

After their exploits last season, big things were expected of Sheffield Wednesday this campaign. The Owls managed to defy the odds by making the play off final last term, eventually losing out to Hull City, and this feat dramatically increased expectations from the fan base and rightly so! The key is to build on success and move forward, together. The drawback of progress, however, is that some people subsequently harbour unrealistic beliefs of what should be happening, both on and off of the pitch.

The Championship is a fiercely contested division, more so this time around. Upwards of ten outfits, including Wednesday, will fancy their chances of a top six finish, with a chance to revel in the riches of the Premier League the prize up for grabs. Optimism is great but it is imperative to retain a sense of realism. The highs and lows of a football season are plentiful but supporting the team and the club, during the harder times, is just as essential as celebrating the better times.

Twenty two games of the 2016/17 Championship season have been played so far and The Owls find themselves in sixth, winning 50% of those matches. Over the course of the last five games Wednesday have managed to pick up a maximum haul on four occasions, sitting 3rd in the form table. To the naked eye, this may be seen as an achievement that is nothing to shout home about but a closer look may tell a slightly different story.

Players being unavailable, for whatever reason, undoubtedly has an impact on a team. Sheffield Wednesday have had no fewer than ten players unavailable over the last few weeks, with injuries, both long and short term, illness and suspension all being factors that have seen key players miss out. This highlights the togetherness at the club and the belief the staff and players evidently have in each other as The Owls fashioned out victories against Wolves, Preston, Barnsley and Rotherham United. Their only reverse came against Jaap Stam’s high flying Reading at The Madejski Stadium, in a game that they could and probably should, have got more from.

There has been criticism levelled at Sheffield Wednesday’s recruitment of late but the strength of the squad as a whole has been pivotal in The Owls being able to piece together an impressive run of form. Ten of the players to take to the field over the last five games have been recruited since the summer of 2015, with six of them arriving during the last transfer window.

As I have stated previously, not every signing will be a success that is not how football works.  Signings made by the club, without doubt, helped to turn The Owls into promotion contenders. That added to the recruitment of Carlos Carvalhal, his technical team, the staff already at Wednesday and other appointments behind the scenes has seen a complete transformation for the better.

Jhony Conceição, Carlos Carvalhal, Bruno Lage and Joao Mario

There are players at Wednesday, as there are at most clubs, who find themselves surplus to requirements. This is to be expected as new players are recruited. This has been a topic of discussion for some fans just recently as we approach the winter transfer window. Many suggest we should move these players on by whatever means. I just want to highlight that this isn’t an easy task and is far from straightforward. New clubs could be found for players we would be happy to let go but their proposed new employers may not be able to afford to meet their wage demands for example. Would you do the same job for less money? The player may be advised to stay put if he has time remaining on his contract. He may even feel he has something to offer and may decide to fight for his place. Whatever the reason, it is not a case of find the player a club and he leaves. Also, to suggest releasing players, is ludicrous too. That would only increase the losses made financially. If you are paying a player, you may as well have him available to play, if that time should arrive.

Back to Wednesday’s season so far. It has seen some good results and some not so good but that is to be expected. It seems that some fans expect The Owls to turn teams over with aplomb, week in week out. Whether that is based on the club’s stature, history or their exploits last season, I’m not sure.  In this hotly contested league, it is impossible. Teams at the top of the division have found themselves on the losing side against sides that are struggling at the foot of the table. There are no easy games. Three points are never a certainty.

Another topic of discussion amongst the Wednesday faithful lately has been performances. Some fans believe they have been substandard and that the football hasn’t been as entertaining or attractive as they expect. I personally feel The Owls aren’t playing at their peak, just yet. This will come though, I guarantee it. Sometimes you just have to dig in and grind out results and that is what they have been successfully doing. You don’t get awarded extra points based on performances after all. The way that some opposition teams set up, it ultimately means that the game won’t be end to end and full of attractive play. Some sides may sit deep and compact and it will be a case of probing and trying to find ways through. It may not look great but picking up points is what matters first and foremost. Winning is what matters.

Looking forward to Boxing Day away at Newcastle and this is a game where Wednesday could really make a statement. It will be a completely different sort of match to The Owls’ last two fixtures. Newcastle will want to dominate the game and will look to play on the front foot with attacking purpose from the get go. This ultimately means that there will be space to exploit. There will be chances to counter. There will be chances to win. Don’t write Carlos Carvalhal’s men off as this could be a fixture where they show their class and show what they’re really about.

There are plenty of reasons to be positive right now as a Wednesday fan.  Four wins from five, currently in the top six and two clean sheets on the spin are a few examples. What the fans need to do is come together and get behind the team and support them. There is a lot of negativity that surrounds Wednesday on social media and there is a lot of overreacting too. Instead of highlighting the positives, fans tend to highlight what they perceive as negatives. Fans have a right to criticise where they see fit but sometimes I feel that the criticism isn’t thought out properly. Some of it isn’t logical, some is based on rumour or conspiracy. Negativity in the end gets nobody anywhere. If fans all get behind the team, at every game, together great things can be achieved.

Encourage and be positive.

 

Thanks for reading.