Owls boss Megson in no doubt that job is on the line

Successive away defeats have left the Owls languishing near the foot of League One.

All the early optimism of Hillsborough wins over Rochdale in the league and Blackpool in the Carling Cup has vanished after the Owls crashed to defeat at Bournemouth and Bury.

After Tuesday night’s 2-1 loss at Gigg Lane, Megson said: “Alan Irvine left – that performance) will put me under pressure now.

“The players have got to start performing something like I know they can.

“If I’ve signed bad players then fine, that’s my fault and I will go, but I don’t believe I have because of the performance against Rochdale. But a one-off isn’t what’s required. We have now got two home games in the league and we’ve got to start winning.”

Those start tomorrow with the visit of Notts County, and Megson accepts that in today’s climate, people will start calling for his head if Wednesday do not halt their losing run.

“Modern-day football is like that now”, Megson said yesterday. “You lose one game and there are murmurs. Two games? It used to be five or six – but now it’s entirely different.

“But I can’t do anything about it. That’s the profession I want to be in, I have had success in this profession, and I know what’s right and what’s wrong.

“But I am also experienced and know what the score is. I also know when we played Rochdale and won, we went too far the other way, everything was brilliant and we were going to be fantastic.

“As a manager you have to keep your feet on the ground a little bit, accept what comes to you, but I know what the score is.

“People tell me not to be as honest, but I always say what I think and sometimes it gets me into trouble.”

Megson points to Leeds United and similar pressure on manager Simon Grayson after they lost their opening two games.

“Ask Simon Grayson. They had a fantastic season last year, had loads of injuries, they lose two games and everybody is under pressure.

“Nowadays the reaction to every result is different. People ring in radio shows, write in, they have the internet and everyone has an opinion – usually it’s a faceless one – but you have to accept that. That’s what football is like now.

“What I found difficult was, I’m at Bolton, we win 4-1 away at Sunderland and the first caller comes on and has a go at me for not keeping a clean sheet.

“That’s difficult to accept but it’s the way of the world now for football managers. You have to have a sense of humour as it’s the only way you can deal with it.”

The Owls face Blackburn Rovers in the Carling Cup next Wednesday, a tie sandwiched between League One games against County and Scunthorpe United.

“We are back at Hillsborough, where we have won two out of two, not conceded any goals – beaten a Championship side (Blackpool) albeit on penalties with our fringe players – so we have to learn from that defeat at Bury,” said Megson. “It’s good to be back at Hillsborough, I wish we could play here every week.”

Defeat at Bury also saw Wednesday pick up new injuries.

Captain Rob Jones broke his nose in an off-the-ball incident at Gigg Lane, with Megson admitting it is ‘touch and go’ whether he returns tomorrow.

Megson added the decision to bring in former Rochdale striker Chris O’Grady for his debut, after he had just recovered from a heel injury, had “backfired” after he broke down with the same injury on Tuesday night and now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines. It puts added pressure on Wednesday’s hunt for a new forward, Megson revealing they had been thwarted in enquiries for seven strikers in the last seven days alone. He added that he had to strike a balance between finding a striker who matches his criteria while also working within budget constraints.

“We want to bring a forward to the club, but it has to be the right forward,” he said. “I am aware of the circumstances that exist, what we can and can’t do, the parameters that we have got to work in – nobody else is.

“Some of the names that I see thrown at us, we wouldn’t be able to do them.

“If I say we want one with pace, can score goals, is good in the air, can link up and be intelligent, each thing I ask for there costs about £2m.

“So we have to try and find something that fits into the parameters that I know exist and we have got to work within.

“What I want to do and what I can do we won’t be able to achieve, so we have got to make the best of a bad job.

“We have been for seven in the last seven to 10 days, but for varying reasons it’s not got done.

“We are where we are and I have got to get the best with what I am told I have got to work with.”