Wycombe Wanderers v Sheffield Wednesday: Owls holding their tongues as they let football do the talking

As far as Sheffield Wednesday are concerned, it might ring true.

Heading into today’s key encounter, the Owls are unbeaten in their previous eight matches and are a ‘form horse’.

Their last defeat came in a 3-1 loss at Lincoln City on March 5, a game which followed a fair bit of euphoria after a 5-2 blitzing of Burton four days earlier.

Some bullish player pronouncements spoke of Wednesday going unbeaten for the rest of the season and targeting the top two before that setback to the Red Imps dampened their ardour.

It also ensured that they have been noticeably quieter in their declarations. It has been no bad thing as recent results can testify.

On that timely reminder, Darren Moore, someone who never wavers from his one-game-at-a-time mantra, said: “Even though you don’t want to feel that (defeat), you still think they can realign and refocus and I suppose when you look back on it, you can probably say that with the run of results that we have had (since).

“Sometimes after a game, there is emotion and you can get players saying things because of the emotion. We have just settled down and got back to work on the training ground.

“I eat, live and sleep for the training ground as that’s where the work is done. We always look for continual improvement and don’t stop, irrespective of the result.

“For me, I have never had a good result and thought: ‘I don’t need to work this week.’ There’s always room for improvement.”

Suspension today rules out ex-Owls player Lewis Wing, whose loan was cut short in January to allow him to move to Wanderers on a permanent basis. That said, the two clubs, in theory, could meet again in the play-offs.

On the decision to let Wing leave, Moore added: “I just believe it was the right thing to do for all parties and the opportunity came for him to go and I felt it was right.

“Lewis wants to play games, rightly so. Which player doesn’t? Lewis is a good man and we thanked him for his contribution for the first part of the season. Credit to him and this move looks like it has worked out well for both parties.

“Lewis has settled down there quite well and been playing some good football and we know what he can do.”

Today’s game represents a contrast of styles with Wycombe’s direct approach contrasting with the Owls’ most patient, possession-based approach, but Moore is fulsome in his respect of today’s opponents and certainly is no footballing snob.

He said:“It doesn’t surprise me where they are (in the table) because they are efficient and effective at what they do. They have got some good players.

“However they see fit to win games, that is what they have been doing. There is no right or wrong way of doing it.

“We have got to be prepared. We have got two teams going head-to-head with two contrasting styles.”