Comfort from the past as Owls bid for revival

A YEAR ago, Sheffield Wednesday boss Brian Laws was at Scunthorpe and contemplating not much of a start.

The Iron were wallowing none too healthily in 22nd place in League One with just two points from four games.

Of course, he wasn't to be around to see it - having moved onwards and upwards not all that much later - but 'Scunny' put that start behind them and turned their season round. They were to breeze to the League One crown and a place in The Championship.

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As Laws looks at the bottom of The Championship table this week, he will reflect on the fact that poor starts don't necessarily mean bad seasons.

Even the club they visit on Saturday, Preston North End - who still seek their first win as well - know from their own experience how quickly things can turn.

Last season, they began with one win from five and re-entered the campaign after a similar international break in early September in 16th place.

By mid-October, a month on, they were lying second!

There are numerous other examples, just from last season, of clubs who were eventually successful after making poor or indifferent starts. No example, of course, is better than Sunderland's well-documented one of having no points from their first four games but ending the season romping to the Championship title.

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While Laws, of course, wouldn't choose to be pointless after four games, it isn't necessarily a doomsday scenario.

He will certainly be looking for his side to get off the mark as soon as possible. He might even take a scruffy draw now so as to garner that first point.

However, he most definitely would not want to become the victims of Preston's first win, which would leave Wednesday stranded at the bottom.

Perhaps he will point out that there is more pressure on Preston and will have picked up the vibes that their support - sated by recent play-off appearances - are restless.

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A battling 1-0 win for the Owls would hardly mean all is right with the world - but neither does defeat mean they will be doomed to fail.

None of last season's bottom four after five games, were relegated - or even close to it in the final analysis!