'Mature' Sheffield Wednesday dressing room must not fear mistakes, insists Xisco Munoz

The Owls have begun the Championship season without a win in seven matches.

That ought to have changed on Tuesday when 1-0 up and playing confidently against winless Middlesbrough but the belief seemed to evaporate in the second half and Boro took a 1-1 draw.

"Everybody feels pressure but you need to understand what you need to give and how you can try to help," said Munoz, in his first season as Owls manager.

"I believe in the guys, the guys believe me.

"I don't need to use a psychologist because our captain, (Barry) Bannan, is a top speaker and we are starting to generate some values in the dressing room.

"I'm only sad about the difference between the levels (of performances within games) – it's a problem and this continues.

"We need a mature dressing room. The team is mature about the situation but we need to close the details because they kill us.

"You need to understand when your opponent pushes you how we can change the situation.

"When you don't have confidence you're afraid of mistakes.

"My job is to try to convince them to try more. If we shoot and we miss, try again. Give me five more mistakes. When the cross is bad, no problem –continue."

The game was briefly interrupted when around 30 tennis balls were thrown onto the pitch in protest at the stewardship of chairman Dejphon Chansiri.

"It wasn't important for me," said Munoz. "I have a lot of things in my job, I don't need more!

"I am not thinking about what has happened over the last 10 years, I am thinking about today, tomorrow and the day after.

"We are always very close to winning and very close to losing."