It will take more than just ability for Sheffield Wednesday to complete the job - Alan Biggs
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It’s that extra that will define their season over the last seven - hopefully ten - matches.
Because having the most quality and depth is, of itself, not enough. Not for a club of Wednesday’s standing in the third tier.
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Hide AdIt ought to be for a smaller outfit. But Wednesday have to drag themselves out as much as play themselves out because of the equalising factor of always being a team to beat.
Jordan Storey, consistently impressive on loan from Preston, recently became the latest of many of Darren Moore’s team to say that a squad of this calibre would have failed if it doesn’t go up.
He’s right in my view and in many ways those players have enlarged a target already on their backs. That said, they have been positive in facing up to their responsibilities.
This, I feel, is a much better squad than the one that came down from the Championship. Win promotion and keep much of it together, with the odd addition, Wednesday should do a lot better than survive at that level.
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Hide AdBut actually getting back there is a new experience for many of the incredible 21 players at Hillsborough who have operated higher than League One.
It’s going to take more than just ability to complete the job after a slow start and I think that both individually and collectively they have become attuned to the task.
Take last Saturday’s Hillsborough win over Cheltenham. It took some digging out despite a somewhat misleading 4-1 scoreline. The key was they finished the game strongly.
Could be the same again this weekend even against desperately struggling AFC Wimbledon, who forced a 2-2 draw in the reverse fixture back in October.
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Hide AdIt might be a tired old cliche but it’s true that other teams raise their game against the Wednesdays of this world.
I see players taking no liberties in full knowledge of that and showing the resolve required to nail down a play-off spot, as well as creating the momentum to bring the season to the climax everyone wants.