Sheffield Wednesday braced for '˜toughest test' yet, says Carlos Carvalhal

CARLOS CARVALHAL insists that Sheffield Wednesday's game at Brighton tomorrow night will represent the club's '˜hardest match of the season' '“ and will pose a stiffer examination than the recent trip to Newcastle United.
Carlos Carvalhal celebrates with his Owls players after last season's play-off semi-final victory at Brighton.Carlos Carvalhal celebrates with his Owls players after last season's play-off semi-final victory at Brighton.
Carlos Carvalhal celebrates with his Owls players after last season's play-off semi-final victory at Brighton.

The sixth-placed Owls are the final Yorkshire team to visit the Amex Stadium in the Championship in 2016-17, with second-placed Albion boasting a 100 per cent record, having already beaten Leeds United, Huddersfield Town, Barnsley and Rotherham United, without so much as conceding a goal.

Carvalhal’s side face second-placed opponents who currently hold the division’s best home record, with their tally of 29 points from 12 matches being three more than the total amassed by Huddersfield – with Albion’s only league reverse on the south coast this term coming in a 2-0 defeat to Brentford on September 10.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

That was the prelude to an 18-match unbeaten Championship streak, which was finally ended at Preston last weekend, with Brighton seeking to hit back at the first attempt against the side who ended their 2015-16 season in East Sussex last May.

Sheffield Wednesday boss, Carlos Carvalhal. Picture: Steve EllisSheffield Wednesday boss, Carlos Carvalhal. Picture: Steve Ellis
Sheffield Wednesday boss, Carlos Carvalhal. Picture: Steve Ellis

Acknowledging the challenge, head coach Carvalhal, whose side previously upset the odds by claiming victory at leaders Newcastle on Boxing Day and became the first Championship side to triumph in Huddersfield this season back in October, said: “It will be a big challenge, of course. When we played Huddersfield, they were above us, but we beat them and Newcastle were first when we played them.

“I think this will be the hardest match of the season.

“It will be tough. They have only lost one game in 19. They are strong at home and have lost only once at home.

“Brighton achieved 15 more points than us last season, even though we beat them in the semi-finals of the play-offs. They have since increased the team with quality players. They are more strong this season.

Sheffield Wednesday boss, Carlos Carvalhal. Picture: Steve EllisSheffield Wednesday boss, Carlos Carvalhal. Picture: Steve Ellis
Sheffield Wednesday boss, Carlos Carvalhal. Picture: Steve Ellis
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Brighton are one of the strongest teams in the competition. Probably in the top two or three. They are the favourites, but we are Sheffield Wednesday and will go there to fight and put our football on the pitch.”

The incentives for Brighton tomorrow night may be considerable, with Chris Hughton’s side able to return to the top and open up a two-point lead over Newcastle with a victory.

But Wednesday are also not without their own incentive, on an evening when a win would hoist them up to fourth place in the Championship, which would represent their highest position of the campaign thus far.

Perceived style issues may have dogged Wednesday so far this season, with sections of supporters having been quick to allude to a lack of elan in many of their performances, but substance has arrived in the form of their current league placing of sixth – with a five-point buffer over Derby County, the side just outside the play-offs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Given that Wednesday benefited from generally lower expectations in 2015-16 and are saddled with much more pressure this time around, Carvalhal believes that their progress is worthy of credit and not censure.

Carvalhal, whose side are unbeaten in six league matches, having kept five clean sheets during that run, said: “I am not the kind of person who gets depressed if we lose one game and thinks ‘it’s the end of the world.’

“But when we win games, I am not jumping and saying we are going to get promoted and are the best team in the world.

“We must have our feet on the floor all the time and understand what we are doing.

“We are progressing and are better than last season.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We are not playing anymore as underdogs. Opponents play against us in a different way to last season which makes a massive difference.

“It is exciting for all opponents when they play against us this season and we understand that. We create this, which makes our work more hard.”

On the incoming front this month, the Owls have already brought in Sam Winnall, Callum McManaman and Morgan Fox and are interested in Barnsley captain Conor Hourihane.

Wednesday’s potential need for a midfielder has been heightened by a season-ending hip injury for Kieran Lee, but Carvalhal has stressed that the club are ‘not under pressure’ to bring in another player in the middle of the park.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Carvalhal, hopeful that McManaman will be fit for tomorrow night despite missing training yesterday due to sickness, added: “We are not under pressure as we have players who can play there.

“If we can achieve something better and progress the team, we are in the market –like we did with Winnall. We try to bring in the best that we can, but we are not planning to change a lot of things and we are not desperate to bring in players because we trust our players.”

One outgoing yesterday saw injury-hit schemer Felipe Melo return to his native Portugal to join Pacos de Ferreira on loan - with Carvalhal anxious that the club can also move on several others not in his plans including the likes of Lewis McGugan and Claude Dielna.

He added: “We must do this. We have too many players in the building. We have people working on it.”