'He deserves it' - Dominic Iorfa shares Henrik Pedersen verdict and makes honest Sheffield Wednesday admission
Sheffield Wednesday’s Dominic Iorfa has opened up on Henrik Pedersen, being competitive and the role the fans can play at Hillsborough.
Sheffield Wednesday defender Dominic Iorfa has lauded manager Henrik Pedersen for the way he has remained so positive during such a testing time for the club, admitting he deserves the opportunity to enjoy some positive results.
After Danny Röhl exited Hillsborough in July, Pedersen stepped up from his previous role as assistant manager to become the tenth and final permanent boss of the Dejphon Chansiri era.
Although the Owls were already in the midst of a crisis at the time of him being awarded the top job at Hillsborough, no manual could have possibly prepared the Dane for what was still to come after stepping into the role Röhl had vacated.
Nevertheless, despite only winning one of his first 16 games in charge in 90 minutes, Pedersen has banked plenty of credit for the job he has done amid the backdrop of the chaos that came with Chansiri’s final few months at the helm.
His positive outlook and refusal to let his head drop has been admirable, leading many Wednesdayites to suggest he should be given the opportunity to continuing leading the club once new owners secure control at Hillsborough.
And in the opinion of Iorfa, Pedersen has remained consistently positive throughout a period of such uncertainty for everyone associated with the club.
Iorfa hails Pedersen’s positivity
“He has been really positive and really good,” Iorfa told The Star, reflecting on Pedersen’s reign so far. “It has been really hard, not just for us players but the staff as well. He has had to deal with a lot, as you can imagine.
“He has come in every day with his positivity. Even if we have a bad result and we don’t play well, he comes in the same. He hasn’t been swayed from that.
“Every day has been pretty consistent with his positive messages, and I think that has helped keep the boys and the group together with everything that has been going on.
“Hopefully, going forward, we can start to get a few good results; not just for us and obviously the staff, but for him as well because he deserves it.”
Although Wednesday now find themselves in administration and still under the constraints of five EFL embargoes, there is hope they will be able to bring some new players in come the January transfer window.
A chaotic summer saw the Owls bring in just two new faces, meaning Pedersen is working with a depleted squad.
“He has dealt with a lot this season,” Iorfa continued. “He has conducted himself really well and he has kept us competitive in games. If we can get to January and get new bodies in, it can only strengthen us as well.
“With him in charge, things are going in the right direction.”
Although Wednesday have won just one of their opening 13 league games this season, they have been competitive in almost all of their matches, reflected in the fact half of their eight defeats have been by a one-goal margin.
“I think that is the most frustrating thing,” Iorfa admitted, reflecting on the small margins Wednesday have been on the wrong side of. “We had three games last week [Charlton Athletic, Middlesbrough & Oxford United] and we probably should have, when you look at how the games played out, got something from all the games.
“We probably should be sitting here with about five extra points, but it wasn’t meant to be. The thing is, we know, as a group of players, we believe in ourselves.
“People from the outside might think we’re going to be a soft touch, but we know that is not the case, and we are showing that in games. The only thing that is missing is us getting a positive result.”
After getting a point on the board at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, drawing 0-0, the Owls’ focus now switches to Wednesday night’s clash with Norwich City at Hillsborough. With ticket prices having been significantly reduced in an attempt to try and get Hillsborough as full as possible, Iorfa is relishing the occasion.
“I am looking forward to it,” Iorfa added. “It will be the first time this season [a big crowd under the lights] it has happened.
“I have said it many times that there is no better feeling than playing at Hillsborough under the lights with the fans behind us. We know how great the fans can be when the place is rocking.
“It drives the team, and they are like the 12th man. We are looking forward to it as it has been a while, so it will be really, really good.
“The fans will be behind us, but it is up to us as the players to start well and put in a performance. We know if we do, the crowd will be right behind us cheering us on for the whole game.”