Exclusive:'The real Henrik Pedersen' - Barry Bannan makes prediction about Sheffield Wednesday boss ahead of next season
Former Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan is confident Henrik Pedersen will prove his doubters wrong.
Former captain Barry Bannan is confident Sheffield Wednesday will see the best of manager Henrik Pedersen next season, insisting an opportunity with a proper structure in place is the least he deserves.
The Dane stepped up from assistant manager to take the top job at Hillsborough last July, following the exit of Danny Röhl. Pedersen encountered what was already an increasingly difficult situation, but nothing could have prepared him for how bad things would eventually become.
As a result of former owner Dejphon Chansiri’s failings, Wednesday, for the first time in their entire history, went into administration last October, triggering an automatic 12-point deduction. They were then deducted a further six points at the start of December, meaning any hopes of preserving their Championship status were well and truly over before Christmas.
On top of 18 points being shaved off Wednesday’s total, Pedersen was also forced to work with a threadbare squad after it was butchered in last summer’s transfer window. He had no choice but to put square pegs in round holes and promote countless youngsters from the academy ahead of schedule.
Despite leading Wednesday to just two victories all season, the Dane frequently banked praise for how he continued to get a tune out of his players, ensuring they never downed tools. And with the club now under ownership, Pedersen is going to be given the chance by Arise Capital Partners to prove his worth in more traditional circumstances.
The Owls are continuing to build a proper off-field structure that will support Pedersen and ensure he has the tools any manager needs. As a result of that, Bannan, who is poised to return to Hillsborough from Millwall this summer, is confident Pedersen will be able to prove any doubters wrong.
Bannan, speaking exclusively to The Star, said: ”He deserves it. He's an incredible human being, first and foremost, and he's got a lovely family as well. He also took the city to heart straight away. He's brought into the culture of the city.
“We look at him as a manager, but he goes out his way to learn about the club from years and years ago. He knows all the ex-players, he's close with all the ex-players, and he's really invested in this club, and it's part of his family as well.
“He deserves a chance next season because last season wasn't a true reflection of the manager that he is. The team was short in a lot of places.
“A lot of young kids came in and did really well, but in an ideal world, we wouldn't have needed these young kids as much as we did last season. They were still developing and they were getting thrown into the pressure cooker, really.
“I think Henrik was doing a lot more last season than just concentrating on what he's paid to do, and that's managing. I think now, with the right structure behind him, you'll see the real Henrik Pedersen.
“I think you'll see how good a manager he is. He definitely deserves it because of the loyalty [he has shown], the time he stepped in and took it on his shoulders, fought for the club, fought to bring the players in on loan, fought for staff and got it. I think he'll just go from strength to strength next season.
“I worked with him under Danny, and he did a lot of stuff with Danny as well. I then I worked with him last season as captain and manager, so we've got a great relationship.
“Our families are really close as well, so I'm delighted for him. It's the least he deserves.”
Although Wednesday won just two games last season, Pedersen was admired for the competitive edge his side often showed, refusing to roll over and give up. The way in which he kept spirits high within the camp impressed Bannan.
“It would have been easy to roll over and play the victim, but he was brilliant at keeping everybody going,” Bannan added. “A lot of the results did not go their way, but a lot of performances were really good and they were in a lot of games last season.
”The job he did to keep the mental side of that changing room going was amazing. He's a top coach as well. I think he'll do an amazing job for the club.”