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Sheffield Wednesday 0 Ipswich Town 0 - Grant restores his confidence in making the grade at Hillsborough
NOT too long ago, Lee Grant was regarded as one of the best young goalkeepers in English football.
He was playing on the international stage for the England Under-21 side and appeared to be on the brink of a glittering Premier League career with Derby County.
Some people might think he has 'missed the boat' – playing now for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship – but they might just be wrong.
Grant, 24, produced a performance in the goalless draw with Ipswich Town that suggested he still has the credentials needed to be one of the country's top goalkeepers.
Owls manager Brian Laws says there is none better in the Championship while Ipswich manager Jim Magilton cited the goalkeeper as the main reason for his side's failure to pick up three points.
Grant pulled off two stunning late saves to deny David Norris and also saved one-handed from former Owls midfielder Alan Quinn.
Any goalkeeper who plays like that – just four days after conceding six goals at Reading – lacks nothing in self-belief yet, by his own admission, Grant has suffered from a lack of confidence in the past.
However, the faith shown by Owls manager Laws, coupled with his own development as a player, means Grant is ready to fulfil the potential he showed as a teenager.
"Lee is as good as anyone in this division and in my eyes he is like a match-winner," said Laws. "I don't know why he wasn't getting in the team at Derby but his confidence was very low when we got him here.
"All of a sudden, after playing a few games, his confidence improved and he grew in stature. His performance levels are now exceptionally high and, at 24, he has still got loads of time on his hands."
Although the Owls have debts of 26m and a paper-thin squad, Laws stressed that there was no danger of Grant being sold to raise finance. Just as the Owls fought off interest in highly-rated defenders Richard Wood and Mark Beevers, equally there is no desire to cash in on their goalkeeper.
"Lee won't be going anywhere," said Laws. "He is nailed down and an important part of this side. If he continues in the same vein, he will probably get our player of the year award again."
Reassuringly for Laws, Grant has no intention of rocking the boat and is optimistic that he can achieve all his professional ambitions by staying at Hillsborough.
"I have to thank the gaffer for putting his trust in me; a lot of other managers would have washed their hands of me," said Grant, who moved to the Owls last season following his release by Derby. "Football is a game of opinions and at Derby there was a lot of upheaval with five managers in five years.
"There were stages where I thought I was playing well but still not getting a look in and other stages where I had just lost my confidence.
"I have now achieved a level of consistency that I am pleased with," he added. "I want to play for this club as long as possible and, hopefully, help the club kick on."
After a promising start to the season, the Owls are slowly slipping towards the wrong end of the table.
Grant insists the squad is good enough to avoid a season of struggle but fears the financial restraints at Hillsborough may ultimately hinder a push for promotion.
Geoff Sheard's proposed takeover deal has still not materialised after eight months of negotiations and questions are being asked about the credibility of his backers.
"There has been a lot of talk about this, that, or the other happening – but we try to forget about that and concentrate on the football," said Grant. "There is no hiding from it, everybody knows the situation, as do the players.
"We cannot cry about it – although it would be great if it did change! We probably wouldn't know what to do with ourselves," he quipped.
"I wouldn't like to talk about the play-offs because, realistically, when you look at our squad, and our budget, it is certainly not something we should be aiming for.
"There are teams that, come January, will be able to go out and spend another few million pounds and, unfortunately, we won't be able to do that. We have not been able to do that for the last couple of years.
"The clubs that come down from the Premier League buy 14 or 15 players yet we are lucky if we can get one or two in. Even when we get four or five injured, we still can't get any more in. We don't want to grumble about it – we just have to develop a siege mentality and get on with it."
Without Grant's heroics, the Owls would have suffered a first home defeat of the season in the league.
Although Marcus Tudgay struck the crossbar and headed a good chance over early on, the overall performance was a major disappointment compared to recent weeks.
Manager Laws praised his side's character in the wake of the Reading result but will be under no illusions about the need for improvement.
The final whistle was greeted by jeers and only the re-appearance of Francis Jeffers – his first at home this season because of injury – gave the Wednesdayites something to sing about.
Sheffield Wednesday: Grant; McMahon, Wood, Spurr, Gilbert; McAllister (Jeffers 83), Watson, O Connor, Esajas (Burton 61); Tudgay, Johnson (Small 79). Unused substitutes: Smith, Clarke.
Ipswich Town: R Wright; Voltz, Naylor, McAuley, D Wright; Norris, Shumulikoski, Garvan, Quinn; Stead (Lisbie 69), Walters. Unused substitutes: Supple, Miller, Haynes, Campo.
Referee: M Jones (Cheshire).
Match Focus
Hero: Lee Grant
The former Derby County goalkeeper tipped a shot from David Norris onto the crossbar and saved another at point-blank range to earn the Owls a welcome point.
Villian: Alan Quinn
The former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder, who jumped ship and joined the Blades was, predictably, a target for the Owls boo-boys.
Key moment
83rd minute: The return of Francis Jeffers after a lengthy injury. The reaction of the fans underlined the significance.
Ref watch
Michael Jones: Avoided any real controversy and got the majority of his decisions spot on.
Verdict
Not a game that will live long in the memory. Too many players failed to perform for Wednesday and improvement is needed.
Quote of the day
Should we have won that game? Without any shadow of a f****** doubt!
– a clearly exasperated Ipswich Town manager Jim Magilton.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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