Wilkinson lauded for assistance in squad building

Brentford v Sheffield Wednesday

league one

SHEFFIELD Wednesday manager Alan Irvine has hailed Howard Wilkinson as ‘Chairman Fantastic’.

Eyebrows were initially raised this summer when the man once known as ‘Sergeant Wilko’ took charge at Hillsborough following the departure of Lee Strafford.

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But the former Owls and Leeds manager has been an inspired choice, according to Irvine, who says his experience at the top level of the game has proved invaluable in building a new team.

“I honestly don’t think we would have been able to build the squad we have without Howard’s help,” said Irvine, ahead of tomorrow’s televised trip to Brentford

“He has let me make all the decisions while he has worked hard to try to make sure I got the players I wanted. He has always given his support and has never interfered or passed an opinion on any of the players that were targeted. He has never said ‘go for him’ or ‘don’t go for him’. He is fantastic.

“I don’t think you could ask for anything more in a chairman,” Irvine added. “And that’s with all due respect to the other chairmen I have enjoyed working with – Lee Strafford, Derek Shaw and Bill Kenwright.”

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Wilkinson, now 66, originally returned to Hillsborough two seasons ago as an unpaid technical adviser but was installed as interim chairman in May.

He had been scheduled to step down at the start of this season but, in the absence of new investment, was persuaded to stay on by the rest of the Owls’ board.

Talks are still on-going with prospective investors and Wilkinson is juggling his role at Hillsborough with that of chairman of the League Managers’ Association.

Irvine said: “I would love to continue working with Howard but I understand the situation and, if someone takes over, they will have their own ideas about who should be appointed chairman.

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“Howard will also have his own ideas, too, about how long he is happy to stay in the role. The longer he does it, the better as far as I am concerned – but I fully understand that it probably won’t be long term.”

Irvine never worked under Wilkinson as a player but was an admirer of his coaching ability and had been offered a job as a regional coach when Wilkinson was technical director of the Football Association.

“We go back quite a while,” said Irvine, who spent over a decade working on the coaching staff at clubs including Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and Everton before getting his break in management with Preston North End in 2007.

“Howard was one of the people I always tried to see when coaching demonstrations were on – along with people such as Don Howe, Dave Sexton and Dario Gradi.

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“I talk to him in a slightly different way because I seek his opinion more than I would do of other chairmen. Howard has that extra ingredient because he understands my job. He knows exactly what the problems are that face a manager and has had to rebuild squads before.”

With four games gone, the Owls are the early front-runners in the League One promotion race and are only missing one player, Jermaine Johnson, due to injury.

One of the biggest problems to hamper previous Owls managers has been a string of crippling injuries but Wilkinson helped tackle that issue by recommending major improvements to the club’s physiotherapy department.

“You look at our injury record this season and we only have one injury after a really tough pre-season,” said Irvine. “Our medical department is excellent with staff who are very hard working and highly qualified.

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“They deserve an enormous amount of credit. The easiest thing for a physio to do is say that a player is not fit to train or play but they see it as their job to get players back out on the pitch.”

Tomorrow’s opponents Brentford are bottom of the table with only one point but Irvine says it is far too early to read anything into league positions.

“You can’t say that a team is going to do badly this season just because they are bottom now,” he said. “It is too early for the league table to carry much credence.”

Irvine’s biggest selection dilemma centres on who to play in midfield with James O’Connor pushing for a recall after scoring two goals against Notts County in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

The manner of last weekend’s 5-0 victory over Hartlepool United, however, is likely to prompt Irvine to stick with last weekend’s line-up.

ian.appleyard@ypn.co.uk