Sheffield Wednesday v Blackpool: O’Grady to get Owls initiation from top of the Kop

Chris O’Grady’s Sheffield Wednesday initiation will be conducted at the top of Hillsborough’s Spion Kop.

It’s the same view Gary Megson had as a young Wednesdayite and one he wants all his new signings to appreciate when they join the League One club.

“I took five players onto the Kop at 1.30pm on Saturday and just showed them Hillsborough,” said Megson, who this week completed a £300,000 deal to bring Rochdale striker O’Grady to the Owls.

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“The reaction from senior players is one of awe when they actually see Hillsborough from the Kop, not from the pitch looking up.

“Then I took Milan (Mandaric, chairman) there at 1.40pm, because he’s never been up there, and it does make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

“I do it with every new player that comes to this club. Chris will go up, he doesn’t know it yet, but everybody needs to see, because it epitomises what Sheffield Wednesday is from that Kop and there’s not a better sight in football – regardless of what division you’re in.

“It just hows what Sheffield Wednesday is; it’s not a Mickey Mouse outfit or something to be trifle with, it’s a huge football club with a huge tradition.

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“When you see it from the Kop it’s an eye opener for you. When I was there as a lad, I used to run up the thing.

“And players shouldn’t be here if that intimidates them, because that’s their home ground and if it does then we’ve got the wrong players and they can sling their hook.”

O’Grady, for his part, said he made the switch to S6 after a summer-long courtship from Megson because it provided the best option for him to continue his development in the game.

“This is a great opportunity,” said the former Rotherham striker who was wanted by Championship and League One clubs who offered more wages. “And I am grateful for the chance.”

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The 25-year-old will not figure tonight against Blackpool as the club wait for him to recover fully from a bruised heel sustained while in pre-season for Rochdale.

And with a tricky trip to Bournemouth coming less than 48 hours after tonight’s Carling Cup tie, Megson may have to use some players in both games, hence the reason why O’Grady will not to be his final transfer dealing of the window.

“We’d still look for another striker, and even if we get that we’d still look to improve every department we’ve got, both to make the club’s prospects better and to keep other people on their toes to ensure they know there’s consequence to the performance they put in,” said Megson.

“I could have brought maybe another 20 centre forwards in that cost nothing, but we wanted to bring quality players into this place. That’s why we’ve got a small squad.

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“And there are players in that squad at the moment that I will chop and change. You’ve always got to err on the side of quality not quantity.

“There will be deals between now and the end of the window, and there may be deals out as well because if I can utilise finance to bring somebody else in, I will do.”

Making room on the wage bill has been made harder by a response from certain players over the summer who Megson had initially deemed not good enough.

He said: “Nothing is ever set in stone, we’ve still got players here that I decided in May that if an opportunity came we would move them on.

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“But sometimes players respond differently to different things that you’re asking and become different players. All I’m ever looking for is committed players, honest players, good players working hard.”

Those who have changed the manager’s opinion during the off-season will get their chance tonight to prove not only to Megson, but to a national television audience, that they are worthy of the blue and white shirt.

Ascension into the first team for league matters is the goal, with the Carling Cup a competition Megson greets with the same indifference as many of his fellow managers.

And with both clubs expected to chop and change tonight, he offered empathy towards opposite number Ian Holloway who came under intense scrutiny for changing all his outfield players for a Premier League game last season.

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“People were saying it was out of order and he shouldn’t have done it,” said Megson.

“That’s a ridiculous claim. When you’re the manager and you’re told the finances for staying in the Premiership is £140m and yet if you can get to the Cup semi-final you can make £300,000 then there’s no decision to make is there?”

Megson has already made one tough decision this season – agreeing to a Thursday game just hours before departing for the south coast for a league fixture, because the television coverage means the club net £100,000.

But on whatever day they played their first-round tie, the way the Carling Cup has been shoe-horned into the early-season schedule has provided a source of frustration.

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Megson said: “I’m sure there are reasons for it and you cannot do a great deal about it. Poor old Hull had six players on international duty on Tuesday.

“The people who organise these fixtures aren’t stupid, it’s just trying to get a quart into a pint glass and something has got to give. Hence we are playing this competition a little too early.

“We would love a cup run but not at the expense of anything else.

“This is a difficult cup because it’s midweek. The FA Cup being played in place of a league game makes that no different, but this is more difficult.”

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Megson hopes to have midfielder Giles Coke and winger Jermaine Johnson available for selection within a month.

Last six games: Sheffield Wednesday WDWDLW; Blackpool DDDWLW.

Last time: Sheffield Wednesday 2 Blackpool 0; February 9, 2010; Championship.

Referee: E Ilderton (Tyne and Wear).

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