Sheffield Wednesday are four wins from five in their League One rebuild.

The look and feel of Sheffield Wednesday from last season could not be more different - and it’s a rapid improvement based on huge change.

There were many that felt this start was impossible no matter the quality brought in, that too much change would hold them back from a front-foot start to life in the Arise era and that patience would be required early doors. That patience will likely be required as Wednesday move through the gears of what is always a brutal third tier effort and runs of four wins in five may not come around all that often. But then again, they might.

Of course this is a stronger squad. The welcoming of 18 senior players is not an undertaking many clubs will go into in a single summer but the Owls were forced to do so given the scorched earth that was left behind in the changing room by Chansiri negligence. The ability to change a game by bringing on the likes of Billy Mitchell, Ali Al-Hamadi and Mason Burstow as they did in a 2-1 win at Peterborough United was one simply not available last season as they went through the motions of battling defeat to battling defeat with out-of-depth youngsters and tired older bodies.

But there is more to it, you feel. Back-to-back wins at Wycombe Wanderers and Posh were a rare thing indeed - EFL teams take six points in on-the-spin away weeks around 10 per cent of the time. Neither performance was as swash-buckling or as fluid as Henrik Pedersen and his coaching staff would have liked, but both showed a gristle and a know-how that other teams crave. At this early stage in the cohesion process, with key players having arrived only in the last few days, it’s deeply encouraging from a blue and white perspective.

“It shows that we have some strong, strong character,” Pedersen said. “And we also show that there are many ways to win a football game. Where you are very dominant with the ball or where you are very aggressive and have a lot of quick transitions.

“I think it was one set-piece today too! It's a new thing for us! It's amazing to play a tough, tough away game and then go with a win. It was a solid culture performance.”

The option to turn to a substitute’s bench and bring on those players of genuine third tier quality, as they did in midweek with the introduction of Jaden Heskey, cannot be understated. The triple sub at London Road turned the match on its head at Peterborough raced around Wednesday’s defence and held all the momentum at 1-1. The performance wasn’t blitzy or glitzy but it had grit and bottle.

Mitchell stationed himself in the thick of things, picked up sensible positions and kept the ball with a mix of quality and nous. Up top, Al-Hamadi and Burstow began to stretch the Posh defence and the Owls were able to turn them the other way, the Iraq international in particular threatening with his pace and physicality.

On the triple change, Pedersen said: “Before the game, we had a discussion because when you win games you are in the flow, but how much freshness do you need? With Billy, we couldn't let him start. To put Billy on the pitch together with Mason and Ali, it changed the picture of second half to go from back foot to front foot. We are striving to be dominant. So they make a huge difference.”

”Ali has the speed. He has a hunger to press. He really likes to go. I think him and Mason also. It's really good.”

But there is more to it than just quality. Squads of huge quality have been chewed up and spat out in this division. Barry Bannan left the club in January to return to a hero’s welcome this summer and has noticed a tune-up in attitude. Pedersen himself has been more critical of performance in victory this season than he was in defeat during last season’s crisis effort. Rules have been brought in to drive and maintain standards. Wherever it all ends up, the early weeks have suggested this is a renewed Sheffield Wednesday on and off the pitch.

“It was tough last year,” Bannan said. “Losing those games didn’t really get touched on the way I wanted it to. I hate losing, even if it’s games with my kids when I’m home, I really cannot accept it. But I think this season we touched on that straight away, all the excuses were gone for the players this summer.

“The owner, the sporting director, the CEO have done everything they can do, so there are no more excuses. We’ve got everything that we want and you can see that we’re dying to win games now. We’ve got our edge back.”