“It’s not about results” Popular Sheffield Wednesday midfielder plays down friendly concern

Sheffield Wednesday are set in the embroynic stages of Xisco’s reign as manager and are working hard to assemble an influx of new transfer additions to suit his style and give the Owls a boost heading into their opening league fixture next Friday.

Preseason results have been less than encouraging, three without a goal having lost at Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday evening.

But results are a minor concern, certainly to the Wednesday manager, and to key man midfielder Will Vaulks.

Speaking ahead of the short trip to Doncaster, the Wales international made clear it is creeping improvements and moves towards what Xisco wants to instill into his squad that matters more.

“We’ve played a few preseason games now and this is what preseason is for, it’s to try and get all these things the manager wants to do and put them into games,” Vaulks said.

“It’s not about the results and it never has been. I’ve had loads of preseasons now, some I’ve won all the games and then lost the first few league games, some I’ve lost in preseason and won in the league.

“It really doesn’t matter, it’s more about how we’re playing as a team, whether we’re getting signs of what the manager wants from the team onto the pitch, which I think is important.”

Wednesday’s players have been put through an intense preseason programme, with double sessions and sessions on the morning of matches commonplace as the club’s new coaching staff look to frontload both fitness and technical work.

It is in this work that Vaulks places most importance, extolling the virtues of patience as the club go through a major on-field transitioning period.

“You’re trying to build, it’s about putting little things on,” he continued. “That’s what the gaffer says, he’s trying to drip-feed lots of things day by day, not just give us it all at once.

“That will hopefully stand us in good stead for the course of the season, but it will take time, for sure.”