WEDNESDAY AWAY - AN OWLS PERSPECTIVE

Ahead of the crunch clash at Hillsborough on Saturday, I've been getting the opinions of both our own supporters, and those of a Sheffield Wednesday persuasion. 

In this edition, I welcome Matt Grant. 

Matt is a regular blogger himself, and he has been a Wednesday supporter since the age of four, despite coming from a Sheffield United supporting family. 

He currently lives in Stockport, and makes the short trip over the Pennines to cheer on his beloved Owls. 

I asked Matt a series of questions, and here's what he had to say... 

Q1 - How has this season gone for Wednesday?


I think most Wednesday fans were hoping for mid-table and perhaps even a cheeky final push for the play-offs once we were settled as a team. Some fans talked wildly of us 'doing a Norwich and Southampton', especially given the high we finished on last season and the positive start we made to this one. I would argue we are deep-down some of the most optimistic fans out there and often get carried away with the thought of what might be - although other clubs see that as arrogance!

So yes, this season has been a disappointment in the sense we are in the thick of a relegation fight.





Q2 - Dave Jones - the right man for you? 


I was a big Gary Megson fan and the way he was dispatched by the club hierarchy, in my opinion, was unfair. This was made worse by the fact he wasn't even mentioned in the promotion programme. I think many Wednesday fans struggled with how things were done in that respect. However, we are where we are and Dave Jones has very good credentials. I think he is more of a 'director of football' figure and has perhaps a bigger strategic role in terms of developing our club infrastructure whereas Gary Megson was more your touchline-and-training gaffer. I think whether we survive this season will ultimately decide whether he is the right man. 

Dave Jones

Q3 - Who have been your standout players this season?


Chris Kirkland has been a big coup this season. He is a fantastic goalkeeper and, from where I sit on the Kop, you can see him quietly organising the troops. The same goes for Anthony Gardner - another great signing. Then there are some of the heroes from last season who've made the transition up a level - Lewis Buxton and Miguel Llerra standing out as favourites also.





Q4 - Which players have under-performed?


I think it's less about under-performed and more about which players have struggled with the huge difference between League One and The Championship. For instance I would have liked to have seen more of Jose Semedo. Then there are signings such as Joe Mattock, Chris Maguire, Rhys McCabe, Martin Taylor - and dare I say it, the mythical Nejc Pecnik - who have for whatever reason not been given first team football. 

Q5 - Thoughts on Chris O'Grady, and his move to Oakwell?


Chris O'Grady was a solid player for us last season. He perhaps suited Gary Megson's set-up more than the current set-up. I always found myself rooting for him because he gives 100% but his goal tally was never great. I think he's more of a forward, playing behind a fox-in-the-box, than an out-and-out striker - and that's perhaps where he came unstuck with us. 

Chris O'Grady

Q6 - What do you make of Barnsley this season?


Barnsley are the great Championship survivors - and I always thought Keith Hill would build a solid, resilient team like he did at Rochdale to continue that tradition. Barnsley seemed to be dropping like a stone at the start but they've had an enviable turnaround under David Flitcroft. Credit where credit is due.

Q7 - Who do you rate as our key players? 


I actually know very little about your squad.

I would imagine Jason Scotland will cause us trouble and I have always thought Luke Steele was a good goalkeeper.




Q8 - What are your thoughts on these 'Derby' games?


I think most Sheffield folk, from whatever side, would say there is only one derby for them - the Steel City Derby. Nothing compares to that and I wouldn't swap it for any other so-called derby.

The games I looked out for at the beginning of the season were Forest, Leeds and Derby as I knew they were pretty local and would bring big crowds.

Having said that, I can't deny enjoying games with the various Yorkshire clubs. We might claim to not be bothered but of course we want to win these games. So Barnsley is pretty much a game I look forward to in the same way I would look forward to a game against Huddersfield, Doncaster, Rotherham - oh, and Stocksbridge Park Steels! And obviously our current relegation struggles make this one that bit more crucial.




Q9 - What result are you predicting on the 30th?

Barnsley are the slightly more in-form team plus our home form isn't great. So stats wise I'm sure there will be predictions from neutrals of an away win.

However, this Wednesday side is still very much growing together and there have been moments where we have looked very strong. And if Hillsborough is rocking then there's every chance we can pull off a good result.

Q10 - Do you think you'll stay up/Do you think we'll stay up? 


I think the division is too tight to call and it may well go down to the wire - as in the last few minutes! I guess whoever goes down may feel unlucky given the way it has panned out. All I can say is I am praying Wednesday stay up and don't have to make another round of visits to Yeovil and co! In terms of Barnsley, I think you're the in-form side down there and should be feeling pretty confident. 

Thanks to Matt for sharing his views with us, and I hope his trip back to Stockport on Saturday evening is a safe, if somewhat miserable one... 

You can see some of his blogs 'HERE' on the Wednesdayite blog page. 

Keep your eyes peeled to NewsNow for updates throughout the week.. 

Up The Tarn!