Jos Luhukay calls on Sheffield Wednesday to stick together after three straight defeats

Luhukay's men blew a one-goal lead in Saturday's defeat at Birmingham City. Goals either side of half-time from Connor Mahoney, Lukas Jutkiewicz and Che Adams condemned the Owls to a third straight Championship loss.

"I have to help the players," Luhukay told The Star. "There was a moment two months ago where we won three games in a row.

"Now, we have lost three games in a week but that is football.

"You have periods in the season where you have the positive side but in the last week we have the negative side of football.

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"It is important that we stay together as a team and help each other.

"On Monday, we must have focus to build new confidence and trust up. We must stay together and fight for everything against Norwich City. That is what we must do."

While Mahoney's 43rd minute equaliser was a spectacular strike, Luhukay acknowledges Wednesday's defending was no up to scratch for Jutkiewicz and Adams's second half goals.

Luhukay said: "We must defend better. We must look to ourselves. It's not only Birmingham - when you look at last Tuesday (3-0 loss versus QPR) and last Friday (2-1 defeat against Middlesbrough), we have now given goals away in the past three games.

"You cannot do that at this level - every team has strikers who profit from that.

"At the end, we must learn from our poor defensive work and in our offensive moments be more effective."

The result leaves Luhukay's team, who welcome fourth-placed Norwich City to Hillsborough on Saturday, still searching for a first league clean sheet.

Luhukay said: "It's not a question of confidence; it's more the question of making the best decision to clear dangerous moments and we did not.

"When we have 100 per cent focus on making the best decision, then we can win the next game against Norwich City."

Meanwhile, Wednesday's Under-18s climbed back to the top of the Professional Development League after a comprehensive 6-0 victory over local rivals Barnsley yesterday. Forward Eyad Hammoud (2), Liam Waldock, Conor Grant, Michael Ellery and Jordan O'Brien netted in the first half.

Three ups and one down after Sheffield Wednesday's defeat at Birmingham City