The talk is over: Sheffield Wednesday’s battle to claw back their dirty dozen starts now

Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk is doing his best to turn their gut-punch points deduction into a positive as the club prepare to kick off their Championship campaign with a trip to Cardiff City.
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The Owls will start a manic league programme a daunting 12 points back on their closest rivals having been found guilty in an EFL misconduct trial in the summer.

Led by Monk, the club appear to be fronting-up to the task of clawing back the deficit and approach this afternoon’s 3pm kick-off hoping to turn a negative into a positive.

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“There’s no feeling our way into it and seeing where you are,” Monk said. “We know where we are and, in a sense, it's a nothing to lose type of attitude within the structure we are trying to work on.

“We have to go out there and try to put points on the board. I know every team does that but we can use that as an advantage. We know we are at a disadvantage compared to every other team in the league right now.

“Hopefully, in a funny way, there is less pressure on us.

“Sometimes when you start off in the league you have a slower start and then teams come on strong and those type of things. We know we have to be as full on as we can in every single game right from the off because of the disadvantage we have.”

The Owls boss closed out last season promising he would build a team Wednesday fans ‘can be proud of’, and though he admits there is still a long way to go on that, he believes his side have made strides in moving towards the dynamic he wants to instil at Hillsborough.

Sheffield Wednesday manager Garry Monk speaks to his players during a drinks break during the Sky Bet Championship match at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea. PA Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 5, 2020. See PA story SOCCER Swansea. Photo credit should read: Nick Potts/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.Sheffield Wednesday manager Garry Monk speaks to his players during a drinks break during the Sky Bet Championship match at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea. PA Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 5, 2020. See PA story SOCCER Swansea. Photo credit should read: Nick Potts/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Garry Monk speaks to his players during a drinks break during the Sky Bet Championship match at the Liberty Stadium, Swansea. PA Photo. Picture date: Sunday July 5, 2020. See PA story SOCCER Swansea. Photo credit should read: Nick Potts/PA Wire. RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications.
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Five new signings have joined the club over the past few weeks, with a raft of long-serving senior players having left at the end of their contracts.

“I felt at certain periods last season we were too slow,” Monk said. “We had a slower dynamic about us.

Football is getting quicker and quicker all the time. I have always tried to build a squad that is more dynamic at the other clubs I have worked at.”

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