How it happened as Sheffield Wednesday sack Henrik Pedersen
Sheffield Wednesday are on the lookout for a new manager after the sacking of Henrik Pedersen.
Sheffield Wednesday players were at Middlewood Road today before decisions were made from above to sack Henrik Pedersen, The Star understands.
The Danish coach has moved on after consecutive 2-0 defeats on the road sparked a clear strength of feeling from the terraces. In a statement, sporting director Simon Wilson cited a lack of progress in performance and playing style as a driving factor behind the decision. A lacklustre defeat at Doncaster Rovers on Saturday proved to be the final straw for the club's new ownership and with Matt Hamshaw placed in interim charge, the search for a new manager begins.
It's understood that at least some members of the squad were due to have a day off but reported to Middlewood Road where they took on a light training session and held a team meeting. Though it is unclear whether Pedersen was present in the meeting itself, he is believed to have been at Middlewood Road today where he received the news. Following a public rallying cry by senior man Liam Cooper on Saturday evening, the themes of the meeting are believed to have been a broad acceptance that the squad had to do their bit to improve their performances.
Co-owner Michael Storch is in town and was present for the defeat at Doncaster, while Tom Costin was in Sheffield last week. Chairman David Storch is recovering from back surgery in the US but has been following events closely. Players are believed to have received the news via WhatsApp shortly before it was made public and Pedersen is believed to have been told via video conference with Storch jnr present.
Asked whether he felt he would be given time to improve things following defeat at Doncaster, Pedersen said the matter was out of his control and that he was focused solely on Tuesday evening's rearranged game with Cambridge United. He leaves Wednesday after a three-year association with the club, initially as an assistant to Danny Röhl before stepping up to the top job with the club in a state of crisis last season. Wednesday were inevitably relegated but Pedersen received admiration from those within the club for his role in steering the Owls through.
In a statement confirming Pedersen's departure, sporting Director Simon Wilson said: “First and foremost, I want to thank Henrik for his professionalism, commitment and contribution during an exceptionally challenging period for Sheffield Wednesday.
“We knew the start of this season would be difficult due to the scale of change across the club, but our expectation was always that we would develop as the season progressed, establishing a recognisable style of play and greater consistency in our performances.
“Although we have accumulated points, we haven’t seen enough progress in those areas. We believe making a change now gives us the best opportunity to establish those foundations and build towards the second half of the season and beyond.
“We remain ambitious about what we can achieve this campaign, and our focus remains on building a Sheffield Wednesday team with a clear identity, capable of delivering sustained improvement and long-term success.”