BOUNCING BACK
And 35,000 will watch Owls take on Arsenal
THE trophy had been plonked down on the table beside Carlos Carvalhal, and although the Sheffield Wednesday manager did his utmost to ignore the Capital One Cup, it shimmered with significance.
Nearly a quarter of a century ago, Ron Atkinson delivered this same shiny three- handled pot to Hillsborough, having beaten Manchester United amid triumphant scenes.
Back then, it was the Rumbelows Cup, sponsored by a now defunct electrical retailer, but back then plenty of things were different.
Big Ron had his mate, comedian Stan Boardman, on the team bus telling pre-match jokes, and Yorkshire Television, having screened the final live, cut from Wembley to show War of the Monster Trucks, an editorial decision which inspired the title of a Wednesday fanzine.
If the nostalgia is beyond Carvalhal, he has a good grip on what it would mean to be the manager who relights the fire on the blue and white side of the city.
‘ Sheffield Wednesday means history, it means football,’ he said. ‘We are a traditional club in the country of football. In the last 15 years, maybe not so much, but it is a historic club, one of the oldest in the world. Everybody knows this club.’
Eight games unbeaten and highenergy football have washed away some of the gloom which has clung to the club since relegation from the Premier League in 2000. In three months, Carvalhal has convinced many that he can lead a project bankrolled by Thai owners who took control in January and want to be back in the top flight within two years.
After Lewis McGugan (left) sealed victory at Newcastle in the last round, Wednesday face Arsenal tonight with more than 35,000 expected at Hillsborough for a rerun of the two domestic cup finals in 1993, both won by the Londoners. Recently a fixture against an in-form club of Arsenal’s prestige would trigger despondent humour among fans but the mood has been transformed.
Behind the upturn in results, there has been investment in a notoriously poor pitch, training facilities and the academy, where former striker David Hirst and Ben Wilkinson — son of former manager Howard — are among those coaching the next generation, which includes Hirst’s son George.
Carvalhal was a surprise replacement for Stuart Gray, appointed at a time of confu- sion, when Wednesday were in the midst of creating a football committee and heavily linked with Mark Cooper, then manager of Swindon and recently sacked.
The 49- year- old’s managerial career had amounted to 14 jobs in 14 years until 2012, followed by time out working on TV in his native Portugal and in an advisory capacity in the Middle East.
He made his name taking thirdtier Leixoes to the Portuguese FA Cup final and into Europe, and won the Portuguese League Cup with Vitoria Setubal in 2008.
There was work in Greece and high- profile opportunities at Sporting Lisbon and Besiktas but he did not stay anywhere for long.
‘I changed clubs to move up, improve my career and earn money,’ said Carvalhal. ‘I started with the small clubs and arrived in the first division. Now I don’t depend on the money, so I have a free mind.’
He was recommended for this job by Jose Mourinho. They studied together for their UEFA Pro Licence. He also studied at university with Mourinho’s assistant Rui Faria, but Carvalhal claimed there had been no calls to Chelsea for advice on beating Arsenal, even though Mourinho has never lost a competitive game against Arsene Wenger.
‘I talked with Rui two or three times by WhatsApp about different things, but not about football,’ said Carvalhal. ‘I haven’t spoken with Jose since I arrived in England. They are very busy and I am very busy, also. We don’t have contact.’
Not to mention Mourinho has enough problems of his own, and Carvalhal will be wary of irking Wenger unnecessarily. His team have a difficult task as it is, and the Wednesday manager, a devotee of rest, recovery and squad rotation, will make changes according to the physical condition of his players.
Keiren Westwood, arguably the Championship’s best goalkeeper, will be rested and his place will be taken by 19-year-old Joe Wildsmith, starting his fifth game for the club.
‘We have only a 10 per cent chance, that’s the reality,’ said Carvalhal. ‘It is not zero. We will grab this 10 per cent and try to do our best.
‘The stadium will be full again, the excitement of the fans is back again, the confidence of the club is higher. We are in football to live these moments and create these environments where people can leave behind reality and dream.’