HISTORY IS AGAINST OWLS
Will last season’s play-off experience help Sheffield Wednesday gain the upper hand against Huddersfield Town? Richard Hercock reports.
Sheffield Wednesday hope fourth is with them in Championship play-offs
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY will have to defy history if they are to triumph in the Championship play-offs.
The Owls have become just the fourth team in the last decade to reach back-to-back play-offs in the second tier of English football.
Wednesday gatecrashed the top six last season – losing at Wembley to Hull City in the final – and followed that up this year by finishing fourth. It is an impressive feat. One appearance in the play-offs could be deemed as fortunate, but successive appearances suggests strength in depth and quality.
Nottingham Forest (2009-10, 2010-11), Cardiff City (2010-11, 2011-12) and Brighton (2012-13, 2013-14) all failed to get promoted in each of their play-off attempts.
This suggests last season’s experience will offer no guarantees, or passport to success, when the Owls kick off at Huddersfield Town in the semi-final first leg on Sunday lunchtime.
Finishing with back-toback top-six spots has not been lost on the Owls players, who are determined to make amends after losing to Hull in heartbreaking fashion 12 months ago.
“It’s great work from everyone at the club to achieve back-toback play-offs,” said Owls leftback Daniel Pudil.
“Everyone from the chairman, the players and the management staff have done their job over the last two years.
“We didn’t take that last step last year, but everyone is focused on going to the final this time and going to the Premier League.
“I think we are much stronger than last season.
“No one expected anything from us last year, but this season we were a little under pressure from the beginning of the campaign. People expected us to be in the top six.
“We were struggling two months ago, but we have shown we have big characters in the team. We have a lot of international players. We knew we could handle it. It is up to us.”
Last season, the Owls were the underdogs, finishing sixth on 74 points, 15 points behind thirdplaced Brighton, nine behind Hull City in fourth, and trailing fifth-placed Derby County by four.
This season, just five points separate the play-off teams of Reading (85), Wednesday (81), Huddersfield (81) and Fulham (80).
Wednesday upset the odds last season, beating Brighton over two legs, but will that experience count for much against the Terriers?
“It can be a little bit of an advantage, but all the play-off games are difficult,” answered Czech Republic international Pudil.
“There will be small details and little things that can change the games.
“We have an experienced team and that can help us a little bit.
“No one expected anything from us last year so we were not under pressure.
“Maybe it is a little bit different now.
“Since the season began, everyone has been talking about going to the play-offs again and we would like to play in the final again. The fans were amazing all game.
“We lost the game, but it was one of the best days of my life. Of course, we would like to make the people happy and win the final this year.”
Pudil admits nerves may have caused the Owls to underperform at Wembley last year, when Mohamed Diame’s 72ndminute goal proved decisive.
But the 31-year-old believes Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri deserves success after ploughing millions of pounds into the club – both on and off the pitch.
“Everything has changed since he came in,” said Pudil.
“You can’t change everything in one day. You need time to change things.
“First he changed the pitch at the stadium and then the pitches at the training ground. He has changed the facilities over here so everything is getting better.
“Of course, we are playing for him as well. He likes the club and has invested the money into the team. We are doing our best to get him and Sheffield Wednesday where the club should be.
“We have a little more confidence than last year. We know we did well and we trust each other.
“We have so many good players. We have a big squad and anyone can play. We know if anyone is injured we have another one to come on the pitch and do the same job.
“We have confidence in all the squad. It can be an advantage for us and we have great momentum right now.”
There is some debate over the importance of finishing third or fourth and securing home advantage in the second leg. Last season, a 2-0 win at Hillsborough in the first meeting with Brighton proved decisive, before a 1-1 draw on the south coast.
This recent history means Pudil and his Owls team-mates know the value of getting a positive result when they visit the John Smith’s Stadium on Sunday lunchtime, before the return leg at Hillsborough next Wednesday evening.
Pudil reflected: “It doesn’t matter if we play first home or away. It is a normal game. You have to go for the result.
“Maybe if you play at home second and you know you have to win the game then the crowd can help you a little more.
“They can push you and be a little bit of an advantage, but it always depends on the result of the first game.”
We have a little more confidence than last year. Wednesday’s Czech international defender Daniel Pudil.