Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk lays down warning to players ahead of Owls FA Cup trip to QPR

The Owls take on QPR in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday on a run of four defeats in their last six matches, sparking question marks over the side’s mental toughness.

And Monk, who is presiding over a squad that has several senior players approaching the end of their contracts, made it clear that it is over to the players to make the most of the opportunities he gives them.

“We’ve let ourselves down in certain moments,” he said.

“Everyone has an opportunity but then there will be decisions that will be made and that’s the same at every club.

“But the here and now is the players we have and I’m trying to give them the opportunity and moving forward they will show us.

“It’s up to them to show that and as I’ve said, I’ve seen quite a lot of really good things that show that they are capable of doing that.”

Monk admitted there he had witnessed ‘things he didn’t like’ about the group during his time at the club and said the FA Cup clash was the first opportunity post-Blackburn for the side to get back on track.

And he refused the idea that there is less pressure on the Owls because the match is in the cup.

He said: “The pressure is to win. It’s not just a cup game, it’s a game we want to win. We need to win.

“Wins breed confidence. Losses like the one at the weekend, of course that’s a dent to the pride, to the ego.

“After that result, I expect to see a real fight - that should be in you anyway, regardless.

“That’s what I have sensed from the players this week, and that’s what I hope to see on Friday.

“We let ourselves down, and everyone else, last week and if we have anything about us - and we learned anything from it - we will come fighting back from it.”