' ALL EYES WILL BE ALSO ON THIS TONIGHT '
Tue Apr 19, 2016 6:05 am
Sheffield Wednesday v MK Dons: Owls steeled to hold off late surge from Cardiff
By LEON WOBSCHALL
Tuesday 19 April 2016
SHEFFIELD Wednesday’s Championship fate is not quite decided, but captain Glenn Loovens is sure that if the sixth-placed Owls should surrender their place in the play-off positions at the end of the regular season, they will never forgive themselves.
The odds on Wednesday – who host relegation-threatened MK Dons tonight – dropping out of the top six appear slender with four games to go, with Carlos Carvalhal’s side holding a five-point buffer over nearest challengers Cardiff City, who they welcome in their final home match of the season on April 30.
Bluebirds’ manager Russell Slade has admitted his side have no margin for error and must win all of their remaining games to have any chance of gatecrashing the play-off party.
But he is equally mindful that the Owls can take a giant stride towards booking their place in the end of season lottery with three points tonight.
Wednesday not be short of support from one traditionally partisan South Yorkshire rival with near-neighbours Rotherham United mindful that victory for the Owls will be enough to confirm mathematical safety if the Millers draw against Huddersfield Town.
But the Owls – who have not been out of the top six since early February – have their sights set on more lofty business.
Loovens said: “We know we have it in our own hands. With four games to go and a gap of five points, we should never give this away.
“We will have to take it game by game as it will be hard enough. But I will be very disappointed if we gave it away now. In the last couple of years, with the last games here, sometimes it is hard to motivate yourself.
“But now we have everything to play for and it keeps you sharp and on your toes.”
Tonight is the 50th match of the tenure at Hillsborough of the Portuguese head coach Carvalhal, who yesterday penned a contract extension, but in keeping with his grounded persona, herhe remains steadfastly focused on maximum points tonight and is not concerning himself with any kind of milestone.
While Carvalhal has helped orchestrate an impressive renaissance at S6, the 50-year-old is acutely aware that Wednesday still have work to do to confirm their participation in the play-offs – and is also minded of the reverse fixture at MK Dons when his side lost 2-1 in December.
Such setbacks have been few and far between this term for Wednesday, with Loovens full of admiration for the job that Carvalhal has done in his debut English season.
Loovens, who admits that the Owls owe tonight’s visitors a bit of payback for their pre-Christmas defeat at stadium:mk, added: “He (Carvalhal) is a good manager and a nice guy to work with.
“He loves the style of football which I like playing and he has done a good job.
“Hopefully, we will keep him on for a few more years.
“I think he deserves it. He has done a great job at Sheffield Wednesday so far. It is not up to me, but if you ask my opinion, I think he deserves it.
“Of course, he likes attractive football, but he likes good organisation too.”
Wednesday – beaten only twice at home in the Championship this term – may be overwhelming favourites tonight against a side who have won on just two occasions on their league travels, but Carvalhal is preaching caution.
He has called on his side to be fully conscious of the fact that Karl Robinson’s side will be fighting for everything on a night when defeat will effectively relegate them if they lose and the Millers, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers all pick up a point.
If the Owls achieve that, you suspect that only then will Carvalhal start to derive a touch more pleasure from his landmark 50th outing at the helm.
Carvalhal said: “It is nice.
“Playing 50 games sometimes seems two seasons in some countries.
“But we haven’t finished yet and it is nothing more than a number to me.
“It is more important to me what we are doing all this month and how the team and my players are growing up this season. We are still fighting until the last second of the competition.”
On tonight’s opponents, Carvalhal, who could have Gary Hooper and Aiden McGeady back in the fray following injury, added: “I know they are not an easy team and are a tough team.
“It is nothing new to us.
“In the last game, Ipswich knew that they must win the game to still be inside the fight for the play-offs and we are playing in most of the games against teams (with something to play for) as it is the time of the season for decisions.”
Last six games: Sheffield Wednesday: WWWWLD; MK Dons DLLLLD.
Referee: P Bankes (Merseyside).
Last time: Sheffield Wednesday 0 MK Dons 0; January 5, 2013; FA Cup.
By LEON WOBSCHALL
Tuesday 19 April 2016
SHEFFIELD Wednesday’s Championship fate is not quite decided, but captain Glenn Loovens is sure that if the sixth-placed Owls should surrender their place in the play-off positions at the end of the regular season, they will never forgive themselves.
The odds on Wednesday – who host relegation-threatened MK Dons tonight – dropping out of the top six appear slender with four games to go, with Carlos Carvalhal’s side holding a five-point buffer over nearest challengers Cardiff City, who they welcome in their final home match of the season on April 30.
Bluebirds’ manager Russell Slade has admitted his side have no margin for error and must win all of their remaining games to have any chance of gatecrashing the play-off party.
But he is equally mindful that the Owls can take a giant stride towards booking their place in the end of season lottery with three points tonight.
Wednesday not be short of support from one traditionally partisan South Yorkshire rival with near-neighbours Rotherham United mindful that victory for the Owls will be enough to confirm mathematical safety if the Millers draw against Huddersfield Town.
But the Owls – who have not been out of the top six since early February – have their sights set on more lofty business.
Loovens said: “We know we have it in our own hands. With four games to go and a gap of five points, we should never give this away.
“We will have to take it game by game as it will be hard enough. But I will be very disappointed if we gave it away now. In the last couple of years, with the last games here, sometimes it is hard to motivate yourself.
“But now we have everything to play for and it keeps you sharp and on your toes.”
Tonight is the 50th match of the tenure at Hillsborough of the Portuguese head coach Carvalhal, who yesterday penned a contract extension, but in keeping with his grounded persona, herhe remains steadfastly focused on maximum points tonight and is not concerning himself with any kind of milestone.
While Carvalhal has helped orchestrate an impressive renaissance at S6, the 50-year-old is acutely aware that Wednesday still have work to do to confirm their participation in the play-offs – and is also minded of the reverse fixture at MK Dons when his side lost 2-1 in December.
Such setbacks have been few and far between this term for Wednesday, with Loovens full of admiration for the job that Carvalhal has done in his debut English season.
Loovens, who admits that the Owls owe tonight’s visitors a bit of payback for their pre-Christmas defeat at stadium:mk, added: “He (Carvalhal) is a good manager and a nice guy to work with.
“He loves the style of football which I like playing and he has done a good job.
“Hopefully, we will keep him on for a few more years.
“I think he deserves it. He has done a great job at Sheffield Wednesday so far. It is not up to me, but if you ask my opinion, I think he deserves it.
“Of course, he likes attractive football, but he likes good organisation too.”
Wednesday – beaten only twice at home in the Championship this term – may be overwhelming favourites tonight against a side who have won on just two occasions on their league travels, but Carvalhal is preaching caution.
He has called on his side to be fully conscious of the fact that Karl Robinson’s side will be fighting for everything on a night when defeat will effectively relegate them if they lose and the Millers, Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Blackburn Rovers all pick up a point.
If the Owls achieve that, you suspect that only then will Carvalhal start to derive a touch more pleasure from his landmark 50th outing at the helm.
Carvalhal said: “It is nice.
“Playing 50 games sometimes seems two seasons in some countries.
“But we haven’t finished yet and it is nothing more than a number to me.
“It is more important to me what we are doing all this month and how the team and my players are growing up this season. We are still fighting until the last second of the competition.”
On tonight’s opponents, Carvalhal, who could have Gary Hooper and Aiden McGeady back in the fray following injury, added: “I know they are not an easy team and are a tough team.
“It is nothing new to us.
“In the last game, Ipswich knew that they must win the game to still be inside the fight for the play-offs and we are playing in most of the games against teams (with something to play for) as it is the time of the season for decisions.”
Last six games: Sheffield Wednesday: WWWWLD; MK Dons DLLLLD.
Referee: P Bankes (Merseyside).
Last time: Sheffield Wednesday 0 MK Dons 0; January 5, 2013; FA Cup.
Re: ' ALL EYES WILL BE ALSO ON THIS TONIGHT '
Tue Apr 19, 2016 7:23 am
3 or 4-0 home win easy.
Re: ' ALL EYES WILL BE ALSO ON THIS TONIGHT '
Tue Apr 19, 2016 7:58 am
Tonight will see the end of the play offs for us
Re: ' ALL EYES WILL BE ALSO ON THIS TONIGHT '
Tue Apr 19, 2016 8:02 am
Pointless being concerned about what Wednesday do, more to the point, we aren't able to take the opportunities, even when it's being handed to us on a plate.
Re: ' ALL EYES WILL BE ALSO ON THIS TONIGHT '
Tue Apr 19, 2016 8:27 am
YES AGREE GUYS, speak the truth and you are a weak fair weather fan, Brentford, put us out of our misery tonight, then £34 for a ticket at Sheffield Wednesday will be a no worry, we can rebuild for next season, and I can enjoy some cricket ! 
Re: ' ALL EYES WILL BE ALSO ON THIS TONIGHT '
Tue Apr 19, 2016 2:59 pm
Lets focus on ourselves first. 
Re: ' ALL EYES WILL BE ALSO ON THIS TONIGHT '
Tue Apr 19, 2016 3:05 pm
Mr Moo Cow wrote:Tonight will see the end of the play offs for us
Always the optimist!