Owls in Portugal: Sheffield Wednesday sweat it out in intensive Algarve tour

Carlos Carvalhal is ready for the Championship marathon again - and his players nearly are too after their intense five-day training camp in his homeland.
Barry Bannan and Liam Palmer take a well-earned rest from trainingBarry Bannan and Liam Palmer take a well-earned rest from training
Barry Bannan and Liam Palmer take a well-earned rest from training

Wednesday’s mini-break to Portugal has not been a jolly. The team haven’t had their flip-flops on and been topping up their tans in the Algarve.

With temperatures in the high 30s, the squad have been training twice a day.

Felipe MeloFelipe Melo
Felipe Melo
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But Carvalhal’s men will leave Portugal today in better shape than when they arrived. His side are fitter and their pattern of play is slowly coming together.

As a training exercise, it couldn’t have gone much better.

The Owls boss said: “We have lived 24 hours together like a family. We have created a very good atmosphere.

“When the time has come for the team to work, they have done absolutely fantastic.

Felipe MeloFelipe Melo
Felipe Melo

“The players have trained very hard and I have been happy with their attitude.

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“They are great professionals. It is amazing the way they work.”

New additions Jake Kean and Steven Fletcher have blended in well into the group. It will have done Fletcher a power of good scoring a couple of goals as part of the trip. It is early days but he already looks to have formed a promising partnership with Gary Hooper.

Wednesday thrashed Portuguese top-tier side Nacional on Sunday, playing some lovely free-flowing football.

Although the Owls didn’t get the result they wanted last night, going down 3-2 in a training match with Portimonense, it was a still good test for the club’s youngsters. Carvalhal gave run-outs to Sean Clare, Connor O’Grady, Jack Stobbs, George Hirst and Jack Lee.

“We wanted to give experience to them,” he said.

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After falling 3-0 behind, Wednesday hit back with two late goals from Fernando Forestieri and Fletcher. Forestieri’s strike took his tally to four goals in his four pre-season appearances. He looks in great touch.

But the Portimonense test exposed the Owls’ defensive frailties and Carvalhal is acutely aware his defence needs more depth and quality.

“We lost a lot of loan players last year; we will receive new players,” added Carvalhal.

Overall, though, the positives far outweighed the negatives.

n Owls side v Portimonense: Kean (Dawson HT); Vermijl (Palmer HT), Semedo, O’Grady, Helan; Stobbs (Lee HT), Clare, Melo, Joao (Forestieri HT); Hooper (Fletcher HT) Nuhiu (Hirst 76).