"I blame myself, I blame the players" Sheffield Wednesday man honest about failings in turbulent season
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Because the two-week break from league football set out ahead of Darren Moore his players has been all too rare an opportunity in recent months.
The bulk of the Wednesday squad returned to full training at Middlewood Road yesterday ready to get down to work ahead of nine matches that will stand to define the club’s short and medium-term future.
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Hide AdAnd while some are describing the break in schedule as an opportunity to take a breath, there will be no such thing, with The Star understanding that players have been told any time off will be few and far between.
It’s been a turbulent season of course, with the players having been taken by four managers – five if you include Andy Holdsworth’s cameo in the FA Cup – and the fortnight will be Moore’s chance to put his stamp on things.
Speaking at the weekend in-form forward Josh Windass Wednesday’s joint-top scorer this season, spoke highly of his new manager and refused to make an excuse out of the conveyor belt in the dugout this season.
The former Rangers man said: “He’s brought a new style of play and a new confidence to the players and we’re all buying into it. We all have respect for him and we’re tying to implement that on our game.”
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Hide AdAsked about the changes in management, Windass said: “It’s been a massive challenge, but the reason it’s been like that is that we as players haven’t been good enough. If we had been good enough, we wouldn’t have had different managers.
“I blame myself, I blame the players for how we’ve been performing. This group of players has got a lot of heart and a lot of talent and hopefully we can start showing that on a more regular basis.”
Young midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru was pictured back in training with the Owls on Tuesday, with Moore hoping a number of senior players will make their way out of the treatment room before the season restarts at Watford on April 2.