Why Louie Barry didn't start Sheffield Wednesday win - and what's next for Harry Gray
New signing Louie Barry was a surprise exclusion from the Sheffield Wednesday side that beat Bolton Wanderers.
Henrik Pedersen has a clear idea on how best to use - and improve - Leeds United loanee Harry Gray after the teenager caught the eye in moments of his Sheffield Wednesday debut.
The 17-year-old talent started on the left of a four-pronged attack and grew into their 1-0 Carabao Cup win over Bolton Wanderers, winning fouls and creating attacking opportunities inside his 25 touches before he was replaced by fellow youngster Will Grainger after 79 minutes. Gray looks likely to be part of a competitive battle for minutes in the attacking midfield areas, with Louie Barry expected to play a big part on the left.
There was some surprise that Barry did not feature in the starting line-up, though Owls boss Henrik Pedersen explained this was down to the fact that he had not trained in the days leading into the match - and that Gray’s performance in a friendly outing at Accrington Stanley last weekend had earned him a chance to impress.
Speaking on where he sees Gray playing the bulk of his football this season, the Dane told The Star: “I think his left-10 position is a really strong position for him. I think the central 10 he can do also, we still work on him playing as the nine. I think in the future he can be a nine, but right now I see him a lot as the left or central 10. Maybe right-10 in the future.”
Pedersen will demand a high-intensity effort from his team against the ball this season, with a great deal of their pre-season programme having been designed around winning the ball and making the most of transition moments. Heavy fitness work has been put into the squad - and teenager Gray has been encouraged to increase his intensity as things move forward.
Pedersen continued: “He's a guy who works well, but he has to learn to work with the intensity that we are expecting. We want to be a very aggressive pressing team, and before you can be a very aggressive pressing team, you need runners. And you need a good, strong ‘internet’, so you can not only have internet sometimes, you need to be online all the time. And here he has grown a lot in the last week.
“Of course, his quality on the ball is very, very strong. So I think he's grown right now a lot for the personality, together with the other players. So I think it's all very positive.”