Crystal clear admission made on Sheffield Wednesday aims fans have long since known

But the mission statement is to survive relegation from the Championship this season.

Those are the words of manager Xisco, who speaking in the wake of a chastening 3-0 defeat at fellow slow starters Swansea City on Saturday responded to chants from the away end demanding the end of his time at the club.

Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri spoke at a fan forum a little over two weeks before the Spaniard’s appointment as manager, making the claim that he wanted to see his club aim for the play-off places - though he admitted it was a tough ask.

Faced with the reality of eight winless matches in their time back in the second tier, it is clear any notion of a top six finish has evaporated.

“We need to not forget the focus,” Xisco told BBC Radio Sheffield when asked of supporters who had lost faith in his methods.

“The focus is to play the next season in the Championship again.

“Sometimes we put the focus in another place.

“We need our fans, we need our players, we need everybody together. We need our stadium [to be] better for us and not to be a pressure for us.

“It is important also for everybody to understand in which moment we are. If you don’t understand in which moment we are, we cannot make a reaction.”