Will Grainger has given Arise a Sheffield Wednesday objective they can't ignore
Will Grainger was the star of the show, scoring two goals and registering one assist as Sheffield Wednesday’s Under-21s beat Crewe Alexandra at Hillsborough.
"We have to make a business model that is sustainable, and a part of this is to find young, top talent. We have to make them strong and effective in the first team. Then it will be a part of the business model also to sell players.”
That was what Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen said earlier this month when addressing the rebuilding project that is going to be required at Hillsborough this summer.
With the end of a nightmare season now less than a fortnight away, Wednesday will soon be able to focus on what everyone hopes will be the beginning of a bright and prosperous new chapter.
When Wednesday last went through the Championship’s relegation trapdoor, former Owls boss Darren Moore focused on bringing in experienced heads who had been there, done it and got the T-shirt. Pedersen has already suggested the Owls will be taking a different approach this time around, searching for a “mid-group of players” between the ages of 21 and 24 with a sprinkling of the Owls’ own Under-21s thrown in.
If the U21s’ 3-0 win over Crewe Alexandra at Hillsborough on Monday afternoon is anything to go by, Will Grainger might have a big role to play next season.
Fresh from scoring twice in last Tuesday’s 4-0 win over Barnsley at Middlewood Road, the talented teenager was it again against the Railwaymen, helping himself to a brace inside the opening eight minutes.
For his and Wednesday’s opener, the Wales youth international fired a low drive across Crewe goalkeeper Dominic James, finding the bottom corner via the aid of the post. He then added his and the Owls’ second less than 60 seconds later.
After good work down the left from fellow promising attacker Devlan Moses, Grainger was in the right place at the right time to turn the ball home at the back post, tapping into an empty net. It came via his anticipation and predatory instincts to be in the right place at the right time.
Sporting the captain’s armband, Grainger, who was wearing the No.10 shirt on his back and playing in the No.10 role, went within a whisker of completing his hat-trick with just 14 minutes gone when he failed to turn home Reece Johnson’s pinpoint cross from the left.
Occupying the No.10 berth, one thing that became clear as the first half went on is that Grainger is an intelligent player. He dropped into pockets of space, made smart runs, spotted passes and got back to help with the defensive effort.
His positional play, in many ways, was reminiscent of the way Josh Windass used to play throughout his time in blue and white stripes. Grainger was constantly on the run, playing on the shoulder of the last man, anticipating being found with a through ball.
Continuing to cause Crewe countless problems, Grainger, who has made three Championship appearances via the bench this season, added an assist to his two goals not long before half-time, picking out Moses inside the box and the Northern Ireland youth international, after a couple of bites of the cherry, turned the ball home to put Giles Coke’s men in complete control.
Grainger should have completed his hat-trick right on the stroke of half-time, racing clear to put himself one-vs-one with the goalkeeper, but his tame effort was easily dealt with by Alexandra goalkeeper James.
That proved to be Grainger’s last touch as he was, alongside Cole McGhee and Moses, substituted at half-time. That decision was almost certainly made with half an eye on Wednesday night’s Championship clash with Middlesbrough at the Riverside.
Having added another two goals to his collection, the cries for Pedersen to offer Grainger more minutes in the first-team are only going to increase. A growing number of Wednesdayites are desperate to see him given a meaningful opportunity before the end of the campaign.
Pedersen, of course, knows Grainger better than any of us. He also knows there is a massive gulf between U21s football and the pressure cooker of the Championship. The Dane is also fixated on overseeing at least one more win before the curtain falls.
With that target at the forefront of Pedersen’s mind, he might believe he is safer leaning towards more experienced members of his squad amid a recent upturn in form with a three-game unbeaten run over the last fortnight.
On the flip side, it will be argued what is the worst that can happen if Grainger does get a chance to make his mark? Wednesday have nothing to lose at this stage. Relegation was sealed a long time ago.
Whether a chance comes before the end of the season or not, it has become impossible to turn a blind eye to Grainger’s progress and potential.
With Wednesday yet to tie Grainger down to a first professional contract, every supporter will be hoping that changes sooner rather than later.
Arise Capital Partners LLC, should they secure the keys to Hillsborough, have a mammoth task ahead of them. But if they are to align with Pedersen’s blueprint of Wednesday improving their success rate at academy level, developing talent and eventually selling players on to bring in valuable funds, they are going to have to tie a player of Grainger’s potential down.
Wednesday need to protect their best assets, and Grainger is already establishing himself as one of their biggest. The Owls can’t allow him to slip through their fingers.