Sheffield Wednesday errors part of process with 'growth' praised
Sheffield Wednesday make the trip to Oxford United tomorrow hoping to get the win that performances in recent weeks have threatened.
A glaring mistake from young defender Gabriel Otegbayo proved to be the difference between Sheffield Wednesday and promotion-chasing Middlesbrough in midweek - though manager Henrik Pedersen was more interested in the way his side responded to the calamity.
The Republic of Ireland youth international saw his lackadaisical pass-back to goalkeeper Murphy Cooper intercepted by Boro marksman Morgan Whittaker, who scored the goal that ultimately separated the two sides in what was another spirited Owls effort. Though clear cut chances for both sides were at a premium, Wednesday had their moments and sparked a concerned atmosphere within the Riverside.
It’s been often discussed that the next step in Otegbayo’s football development is the ability to put together 90-minute performances and shed the momentary lapses in concentration that can so often be present in a youngster’s game. Now 34 Championship appearances into his career, the hope would be that that tide will turn.
Speaking to The Star post-match, Pedersen preferred to focus on the reaction of both Otegbayo and his teammates in the defeat. With Whittaker’s goal arriving just 11 minutes into the clash onlookers feared a long evening for the Owls - in reality the match ended relatively evenly. Pedersen spoke about the need for his players to act bravely on the ball such was the tactical proposition put forward by Boro and Otegbayo’s mishap was the result of that.
“They are so aggressive, their sixes in the middle,” he said. “It's an extreme situation, all the situations, they are out of comfort zone in every action, because otherwise we cannot compete. So, of course, there will come some mistakes, but this is not the question.
“The question is, how do they react from them? Here, Gab reacted fantastically, the whole team reacted to him.”
Wednesday make the trip to Oxford for what is their final away trip and the penultimate match of a long campaign. The hope is that a takeover of the club by US consortium Arise can be completed next week in time for their final day outing at West Brom in front of a sold-out Hillsborough. The pursuit of the zero point marker remains - should Oxford fail to win, their relegation alongside Wednesday will be confirmed. Pedersen is in no mood to look too far ahead.
He said: “We don't need to wait for the future, we're all looking forward to the future, but get the best out of every day you have. I think how the boys have grown the whole season, but since the away derby, I think there have been so many strong, strong performances and you can see how much they have grown as a human, how strong they are mentally.
“But we know we need to be extreme in everything we are doing, otherwise we have no chance, then they (Middlesbrough) are too good. So when you trust and believe in yourself and your teammates and you put this effort and energy in, then you can do a lot. I'm proud of how we have grown over a long time.”