Time for Wednesday to deliver on the pitch in derby, says Iorfa

The veteran manager is winless after six games in charge at Hillsborough – after draws against Swansea City, Stoke City and Reading, with defeats to Preston, Norwich City and Huddersfield Town.

It forms part of a bigger picture, just one win in 12 Championship outing for the Owls, which sees them sat bottom of the table ahead of today’s South Yorkshire derby against Barnsley.

But Iorfa believes Wednesday have not been rewarded for their performances in their last six outings – with the exception of Tuesday’s night’s woeful display against the Terriers.

First-half red cards against Preston and Reading distorted the picture, while the Owls were only denied victory at Carrow Road last weekend – when they led 1-0, and had two good penalty appeals rejected – by two late goals from the Canaries.

But bad luck stories will not get Wednesday climbing the table, and with three games over the next week against teams in the bottom half of the Championship – after the Tykes today, they travel to Nottingham Forest on Tuesday before Coventry City arrive in S6 next weekend – Iorfa accepts his team must start winning soon.

Wednesday are four points adrift of safety, but Iorfa is in no doubt they can pull away from trouble.

“Definitely, 100 per cent,” he said. “We have no doubts, we are a confident bunch and have belief in what we are doing.

“We know what we can do, but ultimately, it’s time for us to actually do it on the pitch. Hopefully that will start this weekend.

“Since the gaffer came in we have had games where we have deserved more.

“At Norwich, we were 1-0 up, had a few decisions where we could have got a penalty and it’s a different game.

“But all we can do is focus on the future, which is Barnsley, and a win then could kickstart our season. It will be a tough game, they have a lot of energy, a young team, and we have to match their intensity. On Tuesday (a 2-0 defeat to Huddersfield) we were second best in every department, and against Barnsley we know we can’t have that.

“We just need to get a win, ultimately we need results. We have been a bit unlucky in a few of the games. We have been competitive, and while we haven’t won in a while we are not playing bad.

“We all know the performance against Huddersfield wasn’t good. It was the worst we have played since the manager has been here.

“We have three massive games against teams in and around us.

“If we can get good results against them, it will move us one step closer (to safety).

“But we can’t look too far ahead, we have got Barnsley on Saturday, and hopefully we can bring them closer to us (in the table). It’s a massive week and if we can get three good results leading up to Christmas, it will be a big boost to everyone.”

With just nine goals in 17 games this season, it’s not rocket science to identify what area of the pitch Pulis will look to strengthen in January.

The Owls – who have offered new deals to Tom Lees, Barry Bannan and Adam Reach, whose contracts expire next summer – look set for a busy transfer window. “I’ve sat down with Downesy (head of recruitment David Downes) and the recruitment team and spoke to them about what we need,” Pulis confirmed. “There has to be incomings and outgoings in January.

“There are players that we need, that we have to try and get, and that’s my responsibility. It’s my job to convince the powers that be of the situation. I have that on my shoulders.”

Before then, the Owls need to grind out results in 2020 with five league games still to play this month.

“We have a big match this weekend,” said Iorfa. “The main thing (missing) for us all season is goals. Since the manager came in, as a whole, we have created chances but we just haven’t taken them.

“Tuesday was the first time we have come off the pitch thinking ‘we got what we deserved’. There were no positives.”

A positive result today would be a welcome pre-Christmas tonic for Pulis and the Owls.

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