Without a full-time manager after the sacking of Henrik Pedersen, Liam Cooper has called on Sheffield Wednesday's players to take responsibility against Cambridge United.

Matt Hamshaw will step up as caretaker manager, a job he has done for Derby County and Rotherham United, in Tuesday’s game at Hillsborough.

Unless he can force the issue with results, it seems likely the Owls will turn away from their former player – more highly regarded as a coach than a manager, where his only job ended with the sack in very difficult circumstances at Rotherham in March as the next full-time boss.

Having worked successfully with sporting director Simon Wilson, won promotions with all four clubs he has managed and never having finished below the play-off places, the out-of-work Dave Challinor seems an obvious choice to be asked to deliver the results and football Wednesday crave, but they appear keen to examine their options.

So experienced centre-back Cooper has called on his team-mates to grasp the nettle themselves after last week's consecutive away defeats cost Pedersen his job.

"For a few young lads in there, probably this is their first experience of it," said the former Hull City defender and Leeds United captain before Pedersen's dismissal on Sunday afternoon. "It's about rallying around them, giving them little bits of information.

"It's just pull your sleeves up, pull your socks up and get stuck in.

"I know it sounds cliched, but that's what's going to get you out of it.

RESPONSIBILITY: Sheffield Wednesday centre-back Liam Cooper (Image: Steve Ellis)

placeholder image — RESPONSIBILITY: Sheffield Wednesday centre-back Liam Cooper (Image: Steve Ellis)

"And it will turn, 100 per cent. It always does. But the quicker the better.

"If you start feeling sorry for yourself, you're going to get eaten up.

"We all have to stay together when you have a challenge. Now we have two (home) games and we have to stay all together and deliver.

"We have to fight to come into the fight. It's a real fight. And here we have to be stronger in this battle, in this dogfight.

CARETAKER MANAGER: Matt Hamshaw (Image: Tony Johnson)

"Right now we have a problem in games where you (must) take this battle, this dogfight from the beginning. We have struggled here and this is primarily where we have to step up.

"The manager doesn’t go on there and play. We do all the analysis. The video we get is top. We’ve got to rally around.

"It’s us as lads who go out there and play. We do have to take more responsibility, especially when you go away from home in this league.

"You need to be men. You need to be at it every single moment and every single game.

Asked where it has gone wrong for a team who were unbeaten in nine matches in all competitions only a week ago, Cooper said: "It's hard to put my finger on right now.

"It's a tough league. It's an unforgiving league.

"If you're not at 100 per cent and you're not switched on, this is what this league can do to you.

"You pay the price. It's tough, it's a slog. You need to come out and stick your chest out and have a good go. That's what the message will be for Tuesday.”

The Owls will not lack support, with the club expected to record a seventh successive home league gate of over 30,000 for the first time in more than 70 years.