Positive impact makes Nuhiu an attractive option for Owls
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY manager Jos Luhukay hopes to convince Atdhe Nuhiu that his future lies at the club despite the big Kosovo international being out of contract in the summer.
Nuhiu’s general play and rich vein of scoring form has helped the Owls allay any fears of relegation in what has been a troubling campaign at S6.
A number of injuries to key forward players has opened the door for Nuhiu since Luhukay came in at the start of the year, and the 28-year-old has impressed with six goals in 12 games, five of those coming in the last three fixtures – all of them wins. Often a polarising figure among the Hillsborough fanbase, it is the kind of form that has led to a groundswell of supporters demanding the club retain the striker’s services.
“We’d like him to stay here. Atdhe knows that we like him and that I have 100 per cent trust in him,” said Luhukay.
“He’s been in great form. He knows we respect his quality and that we’d like him to stay. Atdhe has earned a lot of respect from his colleagues and also from me.
“He has a positive character which helps him and helps the team.
“He’s been working hard to bring success for himself and for the team. The way he has been making goals has been just as important.
“He’s very happy here, he knows he has our respect, but in football you never know what the future holds.
“We hope he stays, but I cannot say 100 per cent that he will be here next season.”
Luhukay also confirmed that Morgan Fox, Keiren Westwood and Joost Van Aken will not play again this season.
Van Aken could be a doubt for the start of next season after injuring his ankle. He will undergo surgery on April 19.
Westwood suffered a relapse of a groin injury just a week after returning to training. BRADFORD CITY manager Simon Grayson has expressed his frustration after his team’s schedule has been hampered by a series of postponements.
Talking ahead of the Bantams’ League One match-up against Blackpool this weekend, Grayson said that his squad shared his annoyance, particularly after Easter Monday’s clash at home to Walsall was postponed.
He said: “It’s frustrating because we have not been able to get any momentum or any consecutive games over a period of time.
“Everybody was ready for the game. We wanted to get the disappointment of the Blackburn result out of our systems quickly. But, obviously when things are out of your control then you can’t do anything about it.”
Bradford will travel north on Saturday knowing they need a win to reignite their promotion challenge this season.
The Yorkshire side sit in 11th place, eight points off the playoffs, with two games in hand on the majority of their rivals.
“I think we’ve always said that if you can get on a run, players will want to be playing games, so if we can kick-start our season with a win at Blackpool, who knows what we can achieve.
“One victory can really lead to a snowball effect and that’s why we’ve got to remain positive and think that’s what we can achieve. That’s the intentions and we’ve got to win on Saturday.”
Bradford fans will be buoyed by the news this week that coowners Edin Rahic and Stefan Rupp have confirmed that Valley Parade pitch, which has been in poor condition for several years, will be replaced in the summer.
Grayson was quick to praise the German owners and said that it is a positive step forward for the club.
He said: “I think everybody wants it to happen. It’s good news, a positive step from the owners to change the ground.”