Millwall v Sheffield Wednesday: Resurgent Nuhiu puts himself in frame for new Owls deal

IT REMAINS to be seen if Atdhe Nuhiu does enough to secure a new deal at Sheffield Wednesday, '“ but he is certainly doing his level best to maximise his chances of earning one.
Impressive: Sheffield Wednesday's Atdhe Nuhiu.Impressive: Sheffield Wednesday's Atdhe Nuhiu.
Impressive: Sheffield Wednesday's Atdhe Nuhiu.

After a write-off of a year in a pretty forgettable 2017, the odds on the towering Kosovan, affectionately known as ‘Big Dave’ by Wednesdayites, sticking around at Hillsborough in the longer term appeared lengthy at the start of January.

But there may just be a sting in the tale yet, thanks to Nuhiu’s surprise re-emergence in 2018, which has seen him score four goals since the beginning of the year and prove a real nuisance to opposition defences.

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Out of contract in the summer, Nuhiu also led from the front in Saturday’s FA Cup tie with Swansea, with his power, physicality and character likely to come in handy at Millwall tonight.

Acknowledging the impact made by Nuhiu during his reign so far, suitably impressed Owls head coach Jos Luhukay remarked: “He is a player who has been in good form in the last two months. He is a very hard-working player.

“He is scoring goals for us. He is a very important player and a very positive person with very good character.

“I am very happy with Atdhe. We will decide in the future our squad for the new season. We now have time.

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“I must look every day and every game at the performances of all the players and then at the end, we must make decisions for the future of our club and team.”

The Owls can take another big step towards reaching the 50-point mark – perceived as the ‘magic figure’ to clinch Championship safety – by taking three points in the capital this evening.

For his part, Luhukay is not looking too far ahead, which is perhaps a wise stance.

Negotiating Wednesday’s congested late winter itinerary and ensuring that his players remain fresh and are not being overloaded – not exactly straightforward given a lengthy injury list – remains his main concern, with an FA Cup replay at Swansea City and against his predecessor Carlos Carvalhal next week now having to be factored in.

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The upshot of that additional game is that Luhukay will have taken charge of 14 matches in his first two months at the club, with training having largely revolved around rest and recuperation.

Luhukay, who says the club must show a ‘little bit of patience’ regarding the future of midfielder Sean Clare, who has yet to agree a new deal, said: “We must look at the physical situation of every player and then make decisions. We must have a very good eye on that.

“We have a very intensive programme. We play Millwall and then Aston Villa on Saturday followed by Swansea and Bristol City. We have six games in two weeks. It is very hard and intensive. We must focus on Millwall and then have very good regeneration for Aston Villa.”

Tonight, Wednesday head to a New Den venue where they are unbeaten in their past four visits – winning on three occasions – although Luhukay is more mindful of the fine recent league form of the Lions, who have not lost in their last six outings.

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Luhukay, who will again be without Jordan Rhodes tonight, with Keiren Westwood having undergone groin surgery last week, said: “They are a very strong team. They play at a high tempo and have good players who press well.

“They are very fast in the transition from defending to offensive. They are very dangerous also from set pieces.

“But we must focus on ourselves.

“We have respect for every opponent, but it is always important you believe in your team and can get a good result.”

Last six games: Millwall DDWLDW; Sheffield Wednesday WDLDWD.

Referee: P Bankes (Merseyside).

Last time: Millwall 1 Sheffield Wednesday 3, February 24, 2015; Championship.