Megson pieces it together
Hammering home the message: Set pieces are altering everything, says Gary Megson
WEDNESDAY have been preaching that practice makes perfect as they bid to end their failures at set pieces.
Gary Megson and his staff had the players defending 58 of them in training yesterday and only two resulted in goals.
Megson sees similarly accomplished work in games as being vital to the Owls stepping up their campaign.
“In training we had big lads attacking the ball and we only let two out of 58 set pieces in - and one of those was a wide free kick that trickled past the goalkeeper and was unfortunate.
“You’re not going to keep every set piece out, because it’s difficult to handle, but at Hillsborough the other night we let in one of only two when it really mattered.
“It’s just an attitude of mind. We have to have people who to be first to the ball and want to head it.”
Megson traces the defensive shortcoming back beyond the Exeter and Stevenage defeats: “Out of the last 11 goals we have let in, eight have come from set pieces. It’s shocking. It’s cost us 12 points.
“We’re top of the league for scoring from set pieces, though of late we haven’t scored enough.
“Passing and finishing are important, of course, but you will have to defend against set pieces, and you will get opportunities to attack from them. You have to be good at both.”
Megson has also hammered home the message to the players: “I’ve told them set pieces are altering everything; the way Wednesday are viewed, the number of points we get and the results.”
With Wednesday trailing United and facing the first of two derbies at Chesterfield tomorrow, Megson also takes a fresh look at the promotion issue, saying the Blades would have been his favourites for automatic promotion:
“Anybody coming to this level with a £14m wage bill is going to be favourites. Charlton have brought in 27 or 28 players and are going to be up there. We’re going to be up there because we have so many good things going for us. Huddersfield and MK Dons have done fine, and Stevenage are doing well at the moment.
“Everybody focuses on Sheffield Wednesday, probably more than on any other club in this division. We have to cope with that. We find ourselves having to react to criticism when we’re third. Last year when I came to the club, we were around 16th.
“If other people would deem Sheffield Wednesday not getting automatic promotion as failure, you can’t do anything about that, but we want to keep trying to do it.”
Megson added: “Budgets aren’t the be all and end all, but they will suggest what kind of squad, team and individuals you’ve got. You can’t say if you’ve got the highest budget you’ll finish highest. It’s not how much money you’ve got, it’s how you spend it.
“We have a lot of things going for us and we’ll try to use everything we’ve got to our advantage.”
Megson knows the Owls will come under the spotlight at Chesterfield: “There’s a lot at stake. We’ve lost two on the spin, we’re in third spot. It magnifies it more. We have to cope with that.
“It is a local derby. We have a manager, staff and players who all have a huge amount of pride in working for this club and hopefullly getting it to where we want it to be.
“No stone will be left unturned. We’ll never be accused of lack of effort and we’ll go into this game looking to get three points and get back on track.”
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Thursday 24 May 2012
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Comments
There are 162 comments to this article
Page 1 of 11
North Sheffield
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:53 PMHonolulu VVednesday 1867. We know you're really a Blade !!!
Honolulu VVednesday 1867
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:48 PMMEGSON OUT! Long ball man always has been. we are going nowhere this year thanks to him. MM will be off to Rangers if the price is right and Blades will continue to laugh at us.Its not good!
North Sheffield
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 10:58 PMHow ironic we are struggling to deal with set pieces when most of our goals and play this season come from set pieces...we need another big lad a Kevin Davies-like striker up front, not sure Madine will hack it when we are in the Championship next season... confident if 3 points tomorrow we will batter Chessy. UTO
North Sheffield
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 10:47 PMHow ironic Mego that we are struggling to deal with set pieces when 95% of our Goals come from them, it's only since JJ has returned we really ever look like scoring from open play...we need another Kevin Davies for next season not sure if Madine will hack it when we are in the championship....UTO this city is ours
BM'S DADDY
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 05:45 PMbm daddies lil poppit at 121 will u please come on in your own name and stop with the other name nonsense you are in big trouble cos i banned u from the net cos of u lookin at naughty lil boy stuff. u last 2 home games in league 1 u had 17k and 15k wheres the rest that came to see wednesday? wheres the 11000 gone. why oh why do u come on to upset the wednesday boys u know u dont go to any game u listen on radio with your boyfriends bladessexybhoy - thats wot our calls him and manccuteblunt again not my words its our bms
sliverblade
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 05:38 PMSorry cat I had to go out.... I bet with BM cus it was a cert.. not sure on this one...
BM'S DADDY
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 05:30 PMto all our bms bessie mates, he wont be comin on tonite cos i caught him in his sis room sniffing her knickers again. plus i checked his pc in his room and hes been trawling the net for pics of lil boys again and hes been on here lying about going to matches like most of his bessie mates do on these pagers. he siad just cos he dont go to games but pretend he does it ok it makes him a top fan. i said son its not ok to be something your not h didnt like that he went on and on about his club bein massive and threw and tanturm saying its not fair that there in this league and cant buy anyone anymore and get lil crowds,then he only went and said hes not gay even though hes only ever been with men and never a woman. he just doesnt get it.
manorblade
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 05:30 PM@154 Iv'e seen mel a few times blindo in the monk. A few pro footballers from our neck of the woods but hundreds that thought they were pro's.Some of our footballers actually do come from Sheffield.
The Dukeries Owl
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 05:19 PMYep there were plenty of owls in Darnall, me included (Before I became a country gent) At my Junior school I sat at Len Badgers old desk, as he came from Darnall. (Remember those days Sheffield players came from Sheffield, like Mel "here's mi head mi ar se is cummin Sterland " who came off the Manor.
manorblade
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 04:59 PMDarnall and the manor mixed well most of the time nothing left on here just the monk and that''s terminal .LRB yes they take some getting used too, full on is how i would describe them and i've heard all the stories from Sparta and have been to Amsterdam with them myself ,kids in a sweet shop.
The Cat
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 04:51 PMGotta go guys, cheryl's shouting me, allright love, I'm coming, cant you wait ??
darnallowl
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 04:35 PMManor - bet we have been about same then, used to go in the Fred for a game of snooker but that has been long gone, with the Ball, Meadow, Industry, Duke of York, Rose & Crown & wello ! - only the terminus - Terminal left !
Ldn Rd Blade
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 04:35 PMExactly Cat. Manor I met up with the Darnall mob in Rotterdam when we played Sparta and in Amsterdam after.....never again.....
manorblade
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 04:31 PMDarnall, I've been out with them myself, back in the day when there were pubs like the fiery fred on a Sunday afternoon, then down to the greyhound for a Sunday night booze up didn't matter if you were black white blade or owl just good banter as you say. I stll see them at matches just a bit older and wrinklier .
The Cat
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 04:01 PMdarnall, you can play football ???? ever thought of joining United ??
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