Henrik Pedersen makes Sheffield Wednesday midfield admission after Svante Ingelsson position switch
Sheffield Wednesday are still searching for the right balance in midfield after losing long-serving captain Barry Bannan in January.
Manager Henrik Pedersen has highlighted the importance of striking the right balance between youth and experience in Sheffield Wednesday’s midfield, reiterating the importance of the club’s youngsters having seniors to guide them.
After missing the 4-0 defeat to Swansea City at the Swansea.com Stadium due to personal reasons, Svante Ingelsson returned to the starting line-up against Millwall last Saturday and slotted in next to Jaden Heskey at the base of the midfield.
Following former captain Barry Bannan’s departure last month, Ingelsson has started three of Wednesday’s last four games at the base of the engine room, meaning he has to adjust to playing in a slightly different role to the one he has spent much of the season in.
The Swede is renowned for his athleticism, his running power and his ability to break the lines, meaning his switch to a deeper role has starved Wednesday of some running power in more advanced areas of the pitch.
Partnering on-loan Manchester City man Heskey, Ingelsson is able to offer the 20-year-old some guidance and experience to lean on now Bannan has departed. Wednesday strengthened their midfield options on deadline day earlier this month, signing Marvelous Nakamba on a short-term deal, but he is yet to make his full debut.
With the Zimbabwe international and Ingelsson the only two senior midfielders on the Owls’ books who are currently fit, Pedersen is short on options, and he has played down the likelihood of deploying Jarvis Thornton and Heskey as a midfield duo.
Pedersen addresses midfield situation
Analysing Ingelsson’s performance after the defeat to Millwall, Pedersen told The Star: “I think he was really, really important for the team today, and you can see with the young boys, if it's Jarvis or it's Jaden, when they play together they are very young.
“But when they play besides Barry earlier [this season], and Jaden now with Svante, Svante and Jaden played really well against Wrexham. Today, again, they played really well, and it's easier for the young boys if they have a senior by their side because it's just different to when it’s two young players.
“It's a tough area of the pitch to play No.6 against Millwall and then sometimes it's good to have a good neighbour who can guide you, who can help you, and how Liam [Palmer], Svante, Jerry [Yates] and Jamal [Lowe] were senior players today, it was strong.
“It was one of the reasons why we also had this hunger, why we had this belief, why we had this mentality, because you have senior players who are a mirror for the young guys.”