Garry Monk outlines Sheffield Wednesday’s deadline day plans

Incomings, incomings, incomings. Those are the three priorities for Garry Monk and Sheffield Wednesday as Friday’s 5pm transfer deadline draws ever closer.
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Speaking to the media ahead of their trip to Birmingham City this weekend, the Owls boss appeared keen to cool concerns over the futures of key men Barry Bannan and Dominic Iorfa, both apparently of interest to Brentford and Watford respectively, making it clear the club have not come to him with any transfer bids for any player during this window.

And he maintained that while the market is a difficult one, the club are working hard behind the scenes to get deals over the line and strengthen the squad in all areas of the pitch.

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“I’ve said it all along, it’s important to strengthen the squad regardless, but in our situation, of course it is,” he said on a side that sits on minus-seven points in the Championship table.

Owls boss Garry Monk     Pic Steve EllisOwls boss Garry Monk     Pic Steve Ellis
Owls boss Garry Monk Pic Steve Ellis

“In any window, especially this one, it’s never easy. We understand where we’re at and what we can and can’t do, that’s not easy. Everybody is trying to work as hard as they can to find a solution.

“As with anything, I’m hopeful of a few solutions to come in. If not, I’ll have to deal with that and get on with it. We’ve got a couple of days and we’ll see what happens with that.”

Monk has spoken about the transfer process at Wednesday, explaining that while he has the final say on any incoming deal, much of the work is done ‘upstairs’ while he concentrates on the football.

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He has worked hard to ensure his preparations for Birmingham have not been clouded by transfer matters and is comfortable with the way things work at the club.

“It’s a normal process where I’ve worked,” he said. “You’re asked your opinion in terms of where you think your squad is at, what type of player, whether that be the manager designing the profile of what you’re looking for or the club having their own ideas on the recruitment side of things and asking your opinion of certain players.

“That’s what I’ve done at every club, I’ve never really got involved in the decision side of it. My job is to say yes or no; that’s a player we want or that’s a player we need.

“Then it’s up to the club to decide whether we can afford to do that, whether it fits within the parameters of the business side of it.”

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Wednesday will train today (Thursday) before making the trip to the Midlands tomorrow and Monk will watch with interest as to whether he will have new players to choose from in the midweek clash with Brentford next week.

His recommendations have been made, he said, and his job now is to get points on the board.

“It’s now at the point where we’ve had those discussions and now it’s over to the guys at the club to either get those things over the line, or they can’t,” he said.

“That’s not my remit. My remit is to talk about the football and the football player and what we need going forward. We’ve had good communications with that in terms of doing the deal, that’s for the club to deal with. I’m very comfortable with that.”

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