Video: Top-two push is still on, believes Sheffield Wednesday star

Automatic promotion looks a long way off for the Owls at the moment after another sluggish start to a Championship campaign.
Barry BannanBarry Bannan
Barry Bannan

Eight points and 10 places currently separate Wednesday and second-placed Cardiff City.

Nonetheless, Barry Bannan remains confident they can still secure a top-two finish.

Barry BannanBarry Bannan
Barry Bannan
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He said: “It’s still early on in the season. I don’t know where we were at this point last season, but we came with a strong finish and in the season before. “We aren’t known to be slow-starters and we want to get promoted automatically this year, so you can’t really afford that. So it is up to us to have a right go from now and hopefully try and get that.

“The league this season is more open than it has been in the season’s before. I don’t think you can look at anyone in the league at the minute and say anyone is going to be favourites to win it. That’s a good thing as well; it helps us.

Barry BannanBarry Bannan
Barry Bannan

“We have got 30-odd games left. Things can change and you can play three games in a week and win three games so it is definitely what we are looking at and that won’t change. Results have not gone our way in previous weeks, but we have lots of games coming up to put that right.”

Mid-table Wednesday take on Derby County today searching for their first away in six matches.

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Bannan said: “They are a good team and always have been. They have been there or thereabouts for years. It is a tough place to go and they have good fans as well. We have worked on things this week and changed a little bit of what we have been doing and hopefully we can take it into the game and get off to a good start .”

The midfielder spent time on loan at Derby in 2009, making 10 appearances.

Bannan said: “It was a long time ago and it was my first ‘men’s football.’ I was in the reserves at Aston Villa at the time and it was my first real proper league football. Obviously, I benefited from it massively and it is completely different from playing reserve football.

“Jumping into the Championship was a shock at first, but something that has stood me in good stead and I enjoyed my time there.”