Joey Pelupessy on why Sheffield Wednesday must claw back some pride for supporters

IT MAY be over three months since Sheffield Wednesday last took the field, but midfielder Joey Pelupessy is conscious of the need to provide some payback.
Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Joey Pelupessy (right) in action in the Owls' FA Cup win at Brighton in January.Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Joey Pelupessy (right) in action in the Owls' FA Cup win at Brighton in January.
Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Joey Pelupessy (right) in action in the Owls' FA Cup win at Brighton in January.

The calendar year has been a grim time across the globe. Yet in the footballing realm, it was a wretched one before the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic for the Owls.

The Owls have been in freefall since Christmas, with a meagre return of two league wins in 14 matches changing the narrative of a season which is now all about securing enough points to stay in the Championship rather than envisaging play-off participation.

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Some hammer blows have been afforded Wednesdayites along the way, not least a painful 5-0 loss at Brentford in the club's final outing on March 7 before the season was curtailed.

It followed a similarly desperate defeat by that same embarrassing margin on home soil against Blackburn on January 18.

Plenty of time may have passed since those dual episodes and a number of other difficult moments along the way in 2020, yet Pelupessy - who recently extended his contract and will remain at the club next season - is conscious that supporters will have long memories and deserve better.

On the notion of clawing back some pride and points for the Owls, marooned in mid-table, but entitled to be mindful that a potential points penalty for breaching Financial Fair Play rules could propel them into relegation trouble, the Dutchman said: "It is really important.

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"We finished in a bad way in the last games. We were third at Christmas and then three months later are 15th.

"Pride is a really important thing because we have to show for ourselves, the fans and the club that we are better than what we showed in the last period.

"We are not where we want to be in the table. If you are in a relegation situation, it is not easy.

"You can have a lot of good players and I have seen that in Holland and a lot of other countries as well and it is a different way of football.

"I don't think we have to look too much at the relegation places or coming into that situation or you put the focus again on that and it has not even started."