Alan Biggs: Sheffield Wednesday's decent return showed why shutdown may have been just what they needed

Sequences of results will always stalk managers but football’s restart offered something of a clean break to Garry Monk.
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And I think the Sheffield Wednesday manager is entitled to be judged without prejudice or malice despite what went before.

But let’s not rush to any positive conclusions based on the encouraging and resilient performance in last Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.

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Those same players, whether in a repeat line-up or variation of it, have form for rank inconsistency. Wrong word, perhaps. Try predictability (of being a soft touch), bearing in mind the hammerings of early 2020.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Garry Monk with Connor Wickham and Julian Borner. Pic Steve EllisSheffield Wednesday manager Garry Monk with Connor Wickham and Julian Borner. Pic Steve Ellis
Sheffield Wednesday manager Garry Monk with Connor Wickham and Julian Borner. Pic Steve Ellis

It’s one win in eleven games now, one more than during lockdown. There - and I’d resolved not to stalk Monk by sequence!

But maybe you get my drift based on some of the reactions, not all, to what was by common consent a pretty decent show against Forest. First game back, fifth-placed opposition.

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Consider also the unsettled backdrop created by the ongoing worry over a possible points deduction (coming to a head this week with the EFL hearing) and the rickety status of Wednesday’s raft of out-of-contract players.

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I’d raise the performance up a notch to “high standard” in those circumstances. Yet there were still those who chipped away at it being “typically uninspiring” under this manager and I dread to think of the reaction had Connor Wickham not scored a thoroughly deserved stoppage time equaliser.

There’s no denying that Monk is quietly spoken, reserved in demeanour and has failed to inspire a section of the fan base. Mind you, some steely words have been uttered, albeit that the wisdom of them has been questioned in terms of creating a harmony in the squad.

Monk has been walking a tightrope here, having fingered some players he may be forced to rely on if the Owls are faced with a fight for Championship survival.

But I think he decided to grab the proverbial bull by the horns come what may, regardless of his fate. The squad is long, long overdue a shake-up; backward glances to past heroes don’t help him or the club. That time has gone.

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There are some who say Covid-19 has come to Monk’s rescue, not that he or anyone would have wished for a health crisis that puts football firmly in its place.

However, can these circumstances prove Monk’s salvation? I think they can. For starters, the team’s freefall went into suspended animation. Supporters found other concerns in life that put those for their team in the shade.

Empty grounds? Well, in my opinion that won’t do Monk or his players any harm, either, after a build up of acrimony in the stadium. The manager won’t be harangued to bring on a certain crowd favourite, for instance!

But the absence of fans also removes an excuse and it is up to manager and team now to grab this opportunity to rebuild bridges.

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As we are seeing, the game is nothing without fans and their return cannot come soon enough.

Neither can the end of this particular season in the hope that Wednesday’s status remains secure and that the latest incumbent in one of the hardest jobs in football gets an opportunity, at last, to recruit his own staff off the field and reshape the team on it.

I’m not whitewashing Monk’s record, which needs to improve. But willing poor results to justify getting rid of him is very much in the “careful what you wish for” category.