Sheffield Wednesday: Ambitious Sougou sets sights on push for top two

Taking 16 points from the last 21 available has seen Wednesday surge up to sixth in the Championship, meaning the long-awaited challenge for a return to the Premier League is becoming a reality.

Carlos Carvalhal’s side currently sit nine points off second spot with 18 league games left.

And Senegalese winger Sougou believes while ever automatic promotion remains within reach, that should be the ultimate goal for Wednesday.

“We have to have more ambition than sixth place and think about the first two places,” Sougou said.

“If the top two is mathematically possible, why not?

“But we have to just work day by day.

“At the moment we don’t think about promotion. We just think game by game.

“The Championship is very difficult and we have so many games.

“It’s not important to be in sixth place now. What’s important is where we are at the end.”

Wednesday take a break from their Championship ambitions this afternoon as they head to Shrewsbury Town in the FA Cup fourth round.

Sougou is likely to make only his tenth start for the club since joining from Marseille last summer. Four of the 31-year-old’s starts have come in Wednesday’s six cup matches so far this term.

While he may not feature regularly, Sougou insists he is happy at Hillsborough.

He said: “I’m enjoying the work we are doing and I’m happy with the way things are going.

“You have to be patient. When I came here, we had so many players and a big team so you have to be patient.

“The manager has to have the equilibrium, the balance in the team.

“The players who are not playing are important too.

“We have so many games, so many tough games. We have to prepare ourselves to be ready.

“I have experience and now I understand how things can change quickly.

“When the players play well, sometimes the coach doesn’t have the motive to change.

“It’s why we support the team.

“We all have the same objective – to get in the Premier League next year.”