We need to take care of our own games, says Silva
BACK in the summer of 2015, the odds on Carlos Carvalhal celebrating a century of matches in charge of Sheffield Wednesday would have been long and generous in the extreme.
The Owls’ decision to plump for not just the first foreign manager in the club’s 148-year history, but one with no experience of English football whatsoever, was viewed as bold by some and foolhardy by others. It was most definitely perceived as a risk by all.
To the rivals, it created open amusement. In those early days, the ridicule from the Owls’ Yorkshire neighbours was ceaseless – with ‘Carlos who?’ being the unflattering moniker doing the rounds.
The jibes are rather less pronounced now.
Carvalhal, a tenacious defender in his playing career in Portugal, is the one bearing the contented look these days. The longest serving ‘manager’ in the Broad Acres, no less – with just Yorkshiremen Mick McCarthy and Simon Grayson and Brighton’s Chris Hughton having been in charge of a rival Championship club for longer.
Justifiably proud of reaching the 100-game mark in today’s meeting with Cardiff City he may be, but Carvalhal is sage enough to realise that extending his longevity could well depend on how the club’s fate pans out between now and late Spring.
One thing that he can count upon in that regard is the full respect and support of his players. His leading lieutenant on the pitch, Glenn Loovens, cannot speak highly enough of the impact made by the Portuguese at Hillsborough – both as head coach and as a man.
Loovens said: “It has been great working under him. He is a really good manager and a pleasant person to have around you. I think he United chief ‘did a job’ on another of his former clubs in Leeds United, who were undone by a streetwise Cardiff display at Elland Road, with the Welsh clubrunning out 2-0 winners.
Warnock, a figure who Wednesdayites uniformly love to hate, was also smiling in February of last year when his Rotherham United side became the first team to win in the league at Hillsborough in just over six months with a shock 1-0 derby victory for the Millers.
On both those occasions, Warnock’s teams boxed clever to frustrate the hosts at almost every turn and the wily operator will be seeking to reprise those tactics.
With plenty of nous in their own ranks, Loovens believes that Wednesday will be aware of what is coming against a club he knows well from his time in Wales under former Wednesday chief Dave Jones in the mid to late Noughties.
In terms of the battles ahead, the experience of a climactic run-in at the end of last season is something that the Owls can lean upon again, he says.
Loovens, hoping to shrug off a slight fitness issue to feature after coming off at half-time in last Saturday’s fine victory over Newcastle United, said: “We know what Cardiff are about. They are quite physical and an in-your-face team, so we have to make sure we cope with that.”
“Our experience should help, of course. We did it last year and everyone knows what to expect now. There is a bit more pressure coming into the games as it is the end of the season when the trophies are going to get dished out.
“But we have got a lot of experience and players who have been there, too, and I don’t think that we will get too nervous about it.” HEAD COACH Marco Silva insists it is too early to consider the relegation scrap to be a two-horse race between his Hull City side and Swansea City.
The Tigers head to Stoke City tomorrow looking to boost their survival hopes further after an encouraging start to April.
Back-to-back victories over West Ham United and Middlesbrough mean Hull make the trip to the Potteries sitting fourth bottom.
Swansea are two points behind the Yorkshire club, while Crystal Palace’s win over Arsenal on Monday night means Sam Allardyce’s men are six points above the drop zone.
With Middlesbrough and Sunderland looking doomed, that has led many to consider the battle to avoid the drop being between Hull and Swansea, but Silva does not necessarily agree.
”We will see,” said the Portuguese when asked about the survival battle. “The Premier League is the Premier League and you never know what to expect on the pitch.
“You never know because if you play against big teams you can still take points, as Crystal Palace proved against Chelsea and Arsenal.
“Of course, what we need to do is look after our behaviour and our performances and look to take points. After that, you will see what position we stay in the table.
“I don’t know if it is only between us and Swansea because Middlesbrough continue to fight, Sunderland as well. The other teams try to do the same.”
Dieumerci Mbokani returns to the squad after five games out, meaning Silva has a selection headache with Abel Hernandez and Oumar Niasse also available as Hull look to end a woeful run of form away from home.
The Tigers have taken just one point from their last 14 games on the road.
“I feel our performances have been better than the results, but the most important thing in football – and the most important for us in our position – is the results.
“It is important our performances, even if the results are not the best. Okay, we play against very good teams in the last six games away and, in some moments, I feel like we deserved a little bit more, but of course it is the football. Of course, we need to improve the results though away.
“We need to win away. Sure, it is my feeling and I pass this to our players as well. We realise we need to take the most points possible between now and the end of the season.”