This was meant to be so joyous – But patched-up Sheffield Wednesday have no time to feel sorry for themselves

The score was nil-nil and Wednesday to that point had been OK. Not barnstorming, but good enough to suggest today would be the day. A couple of early half-chances had come and gone, David Stockdale had made a good save. It was a decent start.

But staring into the away end at the Kassam Stadium as the Owls’ boss’ name bounced back louder and more resounding than it had done for a little while, the sense was that it was a chant of defiance, a message to the dugout and to the players that they were behind a team that has given them so much to shout about this season.

Rewind less than a month – three weeks or so – and the assumption would have been that the singing of Moore’s name at Oxford, the seventh-last game of the season, would have been in celebration; of a fan base basking in the sunshine of a sure-thing. The title was Wednesday’s for the taking.

Make no mistake they’re still in it and this is no column of resignation, but it feels a wee way from that now.

Not a feeling of celebration, one of defiance is what came back with that chant. The man who had to be persuaded to leave the away end long after everyone else, hurling abuse at the warm-downing Wednesday subs after a few hours drinking on an empty head? A man, for the moment, quite literally on his own.

Figuratively speaking he’s not alone – of course he’s not. Nervousness within the Owls fan base has turned in some places to anger and yes – to resignation. There’s a lot of football still to be played as Moore keeps telling us and as we’ve seen in the last three weeks, tides can turn faster than can be forecast. Wednesday are third.

But the weight of injury woe, the importance of players impacted? The aesthetics of a squad that looks shell-shocked? Most tellingly, the unstoppable trudge forward of two other sides while the Owls falter? It’s adding up fast.

Confirmation of injury to Michael Smith on top of the nature of Oxford United’s equaliser at the Kassam Stadium felt horrible inevitable. When it rains, it persists it down. Especially on Sheffield Wednesday, it seems.

There were dissenting voices at the final whistle, a strained boo from a few, and from many standpoints who could blame them? This was meant to be the most enjoyable few months in a long time.

But while you question fairly strongly whether the ‘Barmy Army’ chants would have been quite so steadfast had they known the final score early doors, there was more to be read into that five minutes of constant chanting. That’s the view from one seat in the press box at least.

Where does a sixth match without victory leave Sheffield Wednesday? Let’s not dress it up as something it’s not; from where Wednesday were, from what was expected, it’s a place that stings.

Barry Bannan’s first half opener serves as a reminder of the immense quality Wednesday have even in a patched-up squad. Mallik Wilks’ lively performance was a positive to be grasped at.

Moore’s message has been that everyone connected with the club needs to stick together in times such as these.

What other option is there?

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