Sheffield Wednesday coach highlights 'really good' aspect of pre-season friendly draw
Fans got to see The Owls in pre-season action at Hallam
The attitude of Sheffield Wednesday’s ‘senior’ players against Hallam was a big plus point from the friendly draw for the Owls camp.
Wednesday fielded two youthful line-ups in both halves of the goalless clash at Sandygate on Tuesday night. Although still young, the first half featured more experience, with many under-21s, before the under-18s came on at the break.
The Owls’ dire situation last season meant that many of their academy products were flung into first-team action much quicker than they would have normally but they came out of it in a positive light and they will be hoping to kick-on in the new campaign.
The likes of Cole McGhee, Reece Johnson, Jarvis Thornton, Sean Fusire, Will Grainger and Devlan Moses, who all started and played 45 minutes at Hallam, gained first-team action last term, which should benefit them hugely in the future.
Having tasted first-team football and the Championship last term, the Owls were encouraged to see those players in particular approach the game against non-league opposition at Sandygate in the right manner.
“It is amazing, that first-half team has probably got 40 Championship games between them which is unbelievable really and good for them,” Owls first-team coach Pete Shuttleworth told The Star. “The way they applied themselves was really good. No one looked down on the game, everyone went at it really well. The energy they put into the game was really good and it stands them in good stead for what is left in pre-season.”
Wednesday are back in action this Saturday in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Preston before they fly out for their pre-season training camp in Budapest and Vienna. More friendlies follow against Accrington Stanley and Oldham Athletic before they host Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup and then travel to Leyton Orient on the first day of the new League One campaign.