Sheffield Wednesday manager Garry Monk calls for perspective after three straight defeats

Manager Monk goes into Saturday's Championship trip to Wycombe Wanderers on the back of three consecutive defeats which have put his job under pressure, particularly as the last match in the sequence was the club's biggest defeat to Rotherham United, a 3-0 loss he felt the need to say sorry for.

Monk was also keen to preach perspective, but his critics argue the bigger picture does not look pretty either.

He has won 17 and lost 24 of 55 matches in all competitions since taking the job last September.

The only sides with fewer Championship points than their 25 in 30 matches since Christmas Day are Hull City and Charlton Athletic – relegated in July – and the sides new to the division this season.

This season the Owls have collected eight points from eight matches, taking their tally to minus four once the deduction for breaking financial fair play rules is applied. Monk had a clearout of senior players in the summer and recruitment was made harder by financial constraints, and the knowledge new players were almost certainly signing up for a relegation battle. He is trying to change the Hillsborough culture, which will take time.

Monk signed seven players in the summer, made Josh Windass's loan permanent and brought two back from loans. But only four of them started Wednesday's 3-0 defeat at Rotherham United, with Windass coming off the bench

“My overall record, I'm not happy with it. I want it to be a lot better,” conceded Monk.

“I said judge me on my overall record but I don't think it's fair to judge this team on the season before.

“People talk about two wins in eight but I think you've all seen up to the Birmingham game (the Owls' last win) how well this team has performed. I have to put perspective on it and all the way up to the Birmingham game it was perceived as a really good start, performances were very good. This week we haven't performed well and we're very unhappy about it.

“Of course the last two games, especially the last game, a derby, we apologise for that.

“There's no one more unhappy than me when we lose a game because I know how hard we prepare but perspective means we have a chance to put it right at the weekend and that's what we have to do.

“I feel that determination from the changing room to put it right at the weekend and if we do we'll go back to that feeling that it's been a good start. This is the life of football, this is the life of the Championship.

“Our job is to stay balanced and not get too high when we win or lose.

“What we do know is we have performed well up to the Birmingham game, everyone was talking well of us.

“The Brentford game was a difficult game but a competitive game but of course the last two games haven't been good enough.

“It changes like the wind. We have to stay balanced and focused.”

As Saturday's game is at Wycombe, the Championship's only winless side and the nearest to Wednesday in the table, a win is unlike to assuage the doubters, but any points dropped with increase the concerns.

Aden Flint misses out with a hamstring injury, although there is no prognosis yet on how long he will be out for, and fellow centre-backs Tom Lees and Joost van Aken are suspended after red cards.

Dominic Iorfa has trained all week and should be ready to return in the heart of defence, and the same is true of creative midfielder Izzy Brown.

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