Sheffield Wednesday set 'deep win' challenge as manager outlines hunger to restore clear identity
Sheffield Wednesday have lost just two of their opening 11 matches this season, but manager Henrik Pedersen is determined for more.
Manager Henrik Pedersen has said Sheffield Wednesday have “a big hunger” to improve their performance levels, revealing that he is looking for what he describes as a “deep win”.
The Owls extended their unbeaten run across all competitions to seven matches on Tuesday night with a 2-0 win over Sunderland’s Under-21s at Hillsborough in the Jersey Mike’s Trophy. Jaden Heskey and Barry Bannan scored either side of half-time to seal the Owls’ passage into the next round of the competition with a game to spare.
Although Wednesday controlled proceedings and recorded 16 shots, their performance was not as vibrant or free-flowing as some Owls supporters had hoped for against a youthful Black Cats side.
Nevertheless, Wednesday have lost just two of their first 11 matches across all competitions this season, meaning they have enjoyed a very strong start to the campaign from a results perspective. They are currently fourth in the League One table ahead of the resumption of their league schedule against Huddersfield Town at the Accu Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Although Pedersen is understandably encouraged by the results Wednesday have produced so far this term, he is determined to see an improvement in his side’s performances, revealing he wants to see his side restore their identity.
“I'm really pleased,” Pedersen told The Star, reflecting on the season so far. “We know when you have to integrate a lot of players that to win football games is not so easy, and not in this league, and that we have done this so many times is very, very positive.
“But for me, there is something else: the identity. We are working hard to get back the identity we had at the beginning of the season, with the aggressive high press, the quick transitions and the dynamic game on the ball, so that we are a more forward-thinking, more dynamic team.
“That is what we were in the beginning, in the first four games of the season, and then we lost it a little bit. Now we want to have it back again.
“I call it a deep win — a win where you can see that we can repeat actions again and again to produce good performances, and we are working hard for this. So, it has been a very positive beginning from a results point of view, and there is a big hunger to do things better on a higher level.”
With Pedersen determined to see an improvement in performances, Saturday’s trip to Huddersfield, who are currently one place and one point ahead of the Owls in the table, provides Wednesday with the ideal stage to try to make a statement.
“Of course, it’s a big game,” Pedersen continued. “It’s a strong team we have to play against.
“They have a strong, strong squad, they have a clear way of playing and, yes, it’s going to be a tough game.”