Irvine doing his homework but Owls fail to remember lessons learned

ALAN IRVINE is hoping Sheffield Wednesday can make progress in the transfer window during the coming few days after revealing the club have missed out on a couple of targets.

The Owls, who lost 1-0 at Huddersfield Town yesterday to slip out of the League One play-off places, are keen to strengthen now the transfer window is open.

Milan Mandaric's takeover last month means funds are available and the club are understood to be in talks with several players.

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Click here to read Richard Sutcliffe's match report from Galpharm Stadium >>

Irvine, however, has warned that patience may be required due to the often complicated conditions which apply to transfers in the modern game.

He said: "I am hoping to be busy (in the window). We have been working hard behind the scenes since the takeover.

"We want to do things quickly but don't want to do them in so much of a hurry that you haven't done all the work in terms of making sure you get the right players.

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"All these things take time. You are also in a situation where other people can come along and scupper the deals.

"That has happened in one or two instances. But we are working away and I hope to be able to bring some players in sooner rather than later.

"Deals don't happen quickly nowadays. So many people are involved. It is not as it was in the past where one manager phones another and says, 'Fancy buying him? How much?'

"Now it goes back and forth between managers, chairmen, chief executives and agents.

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"There are so many steps where it can go wrong but we are working on it, that is all I can say."

Wednesday were beaten at Huddersfield by a wonder goal from Anthony Pilkington, who was allowed to cut inside off the right flank before unleashing an unstoppable shot.

Irvine said: "It is maddening to be beaten by a goal like that. It was something we had identified as a threat before the game.

"We showed (the players) it in a video and had worked on it in training. We talked about it at great length. There is no question from the lad's point of view it was a fantastic goal. But when you have spent as much time talking about nullifying the threat and not doing it then it is extremely annoying. I have let the players know that in the dressing room."

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Town's win brought to an end a damaging run of three games without a win since Christmas that had yielded just one point – and even that had come at Carlisle United last Saturday after the Yorkshire side had let slip a 2-0 lead in the final quarter.

Before that, Hartlepool United had triumphed 1-0 at the Galpharm Stadium on Boxing Day and the trip to Southampton two days later had ended in a 4-1 defeat.

Terriers manager Lee Clark, who confirmed Lee Croft and Joe Garner have returned to their parent clubs, said: "I wasn't as downhearted as some have been (with Town's form since Christmas). We took one point out of nine before this win. But, in all honesty, we should have beaten Hartlepool and it could have been 3-3 at half-time against Southampton.

"And when you are 2-0 up after 70 minutes away from home then you expect to win. I certainly hadn't stopped believing and, more importantly, the players had not stopped believing."

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Town's win was enough to return – albeit briefly – to the automatic promotion places, leapfrogging over Wednesday in the process.

Clark did, however, take issue with the sponsors awarding the man-of-the-match award to goalkeeper Alex Smithies.

He said: "Sometimes, those people are enjoying a pint and want to see one of their favourites. I always took it with a pinch of salt. There were a lot of outstanding performances all over the pitch. I thought Kevin (Kilbane) did very well. He has desire and authority. He also has lots of energy. "