WAWAW

Hi Guys He was very competent on loan for us last season. He didn't play many games due to the excellent Pudil and then he got an injury. However, when we play weekend then midweek then weekend Carlos likes to rotate his full backs. He played in some tricky matches away at Hull and away at Brighton and we kept clean sheets in both of them and Bennett played well (against Snodgrass and Knockaert). I don't think there will be many better back up left backs at Championship level and he certainly looks a better player than your left back on Sunday (admittedly just one match). But if he isn't your first choice full back it could be a good move for both parties. As the season goes on I suspect that you will realise that quite a few players are decent in this division that you considered not to be up to it in the PL. Its just that this is their level. I am convinced you will find this with Gestede. Look at Jerome at Norwich, every time he scores goals in this division and looks out of his depth in the PL.

One more thing, Gestede will be good for you have patience. The reason being that in this division you will have matches where the opposition are camped in their own area and you have 65% of the possession. In those scenarios, sometimes the only route available to you is to put it into the box. That is where Gested will thrive. In games you dominate and hurl umpteen balls into the box. Not playing on the counter versus Man City, Chelsea etc.

Hi Guys i thought Wednesday were the better team first half, you were the better team second half. The match was basically decided on two clear cut chances. McCormack missed, Forestieri scored. If you show that attitude and play like that all season you'll be challenging at the right end of the table. i hope you do well and come just one place behind Wednesday. :-) You are a terrific club, good luck. Up The Owls!

You've made it on Owlstalk :-) http://www.owlstalk.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/243721-ready-for-villa-fans-invasion/&page=1

Wallace is the most likely person to start I didn't mention. Due to the late purchase of Abdi, he could remain sub. Otherwise, Forestieri could start upfront with Wallace coming in for Hooper. Wednesday play 4-4-2 although the midfield is very fluid with all four midfielders allowed to interchange. Therefore, we will almost certainly start with two strikers. I haven't seen much of Fletcher but I don't see him and Hooper as similar at all. Hooper often drops into little pockets to receive the ball into space, otherwise he occupies himself with playing on the shoulder of the opposition defence. Whereas Fletcher appears to run the channels, feed off crosses due to his aerial strength and if the ball is played to him he likes it into him with the defender being held off or on his head for the flick on. The early signs are that they work well as a pair and compliment each other nicely.

We're not Barcelona. Your players are worth more than ours. but we played 27 league and cup matches at home last season - we won 17 and lost 2. but we have a few new signings and a few more to come so maybe it's a good time to play us. Then again, I suppose we could say the same. Toss if a coin job. in my experience, the first match of the season rarely indicates what is to come for the rest of the season.

You won't learn much about Villa on Sunday (unless you capitulate). There is a gap in quality between the PL and Championship (despite what you think Gestede is a good striker at this level). But it is a hard slog, every match will be like a cup final for you. you easily have the quality to be top 6 minimum. The question marks are over character and attitude. Your players will have no problem being up for the first match of the season, in a big stadium, with 30,000 fans, in front of the Sky cameras, playing on a carpet. Therefore, even if you win, it will take a few months for those question marks to be answered. I suspect a decent August might be vital.

Agreed. Mitrovic will add a different option.

We're All Wednesday Aren't We! :-)

A lot of the stadiums are surely better than Bournemouth, Watford, Burnley, Palace etc? And its that sort of attitude that can lead to a very lengthy stay. Believe me I know. Your players need to go to Burton, Rotherham, Barnsley and Brentford. In small stadiums, on rubbish pitches, in changing rooms no better than your local school and they can't moan - they need to roll their sleeves up and fight. All this whilst the opposition fans chant "Your not famous anymore " at you. All their players will give an extra 5% because like Leeds, Wednesday and Forest before you they want your PL scalps. Then when you've got through that battle you need to do it again on Tuesday, then again in Saturday then again on Tuesday. its tough, really really tough. And any thoughts that this league is below you will bite you in the arse every single time.

Yes, a Wednesday fan. looking forward to a good match on Sunday.

Newcastle will still win this if they bring Armstrong on and go 4-4-2

Boom, as Newcastle are finding out there are no easy games in The Championship.

For those of you interested our team is likely to be:- Westwood - voted into The Champ PFA team of the year twice. There isn't a better keeper out of PL in our opinion. Hunt - attacking right back. Great going forward can be exposed defensively. Pudil - on loan with us all last season. Purchased from Watford for £2.5m this Summer. Attacking left back and again better going forward than defending. Lees - signed on a free transfer from Leeds a few seasons ago. He's been brilliant. Burnley have reportedly earmarked him as Michael Keane's replacement if Leicester get their man. Hopefully we'll keep him. Hutchinson - Chelsea thought he was going to partner and then replace Terry. A glittering career awaited. Unfortunately dodgy knees forced him to retire early. He trained Chelsea's kids for a few years and noticed his knees weren't hurting anymore. Made a playing comeback and Wednesday are the lucky beneficiaries. Not many better players than Sam but he still has biscuit knees. If he plays 30 matches this season we'll be happy. Abdi - signed from Watford for £4m last week. Played 32 PL matches for Watford last season. A technician that was always good for double figures in the Champiinship with Watford. Lee - The midfield engine. He's everywhere, chipped in with 8 goals last season. Bannan - you know as much as me. Our playmaker and worked his socks off last aeason. Seems to like being loved and he certainly is at Hillsborough. Forestieri - our talisman. Scored 15 goals last season, mainly from the left wing cutting in. Hooper - out and out goalscorer. He'll be hoping for 20 goals this season. Fletcher - again you'll know more than me due to his PL career. His aerial strength gives us an option we didn't have last season. In general, we have a team full of goals. CC has us well organised and drilled. The team spirit and bond with the fans is a very special one at the moment. One you rarely get in football. Weaknesses? We are definitely not a big team and therefore sometimes get exposed from crosses or set pieces. Also think our full backs can be exposed by goid wingers, especially with pace.

A proper club.

Oh and I missed who will cause you most issues. We have a good team, Forestieri is the talisman and will either play as a number 10 or from the left wing. If he plays well, Wednesday play well. Hooper and Fletcher are a good Championship pairing. We have signed Abdi from Watford who was their main man when they got promoted. Keiran Lee is the midfield engine and Barry Bannan the playmaker. Most Villa fans don't seem to rate him but he was excellent for us last season. Villa and Watford fans tell me that Bannan and Forestieri are lazy. Carvahal must therefore have something because last season they are two of the hardest working players I have ever seen in a Wednesday shirt, their work rate was phenomenal.

I like Villa. A bit like Everton, Man City, Leeds, Forest, Sunderland and Wednesday I see you as a 'proper club'. But I don't think I'll ever forgive you for Big Ron. The season before he left we got promoted and beat Man Utd in the League Cup final. The season after he left we came 3rd in the top division and the season after that we lost to Arsenal in both cup finals. Obviously, we'll never really know, but in my mind, if he stayed we would've won the league title and the following season beat Arsenal both times. For a drink, it depends what you are wanting and how you are travelling up. The Sheffield Tap is right next to (actually in it) the train station. If you like your real ale start there and then go around Kelham Island which has a load of real ale pubs to choose from. Then make your final pint The New Barrack Tavern on Penistone Road about a 10 minute walk from the ground. As long as you are well behaved away fans are fine in there. Sheffield really is the best city for real ale drinkers. In general you should avoid Hillsborough corner, you are likely to run into our idiots and the bouncers probably won't let you in those pubs anyway. For those not bothered about the real ale head for West Street and Division street (parallel to each other). Two big universities keep these pubs very busy most of the time and even on a Sunday you'll get a decent crowd. If any of you are stopping Saturday night it will be packed, although the Universities are shut at the moment so it won't be as busy as other times in the year. With that in mind, those of you that are stopping Saturday night might prefer it down Ecclesall Road which is busy every Friday and Saturday night. With regard to the relegated clubs, I think most of us didn't want to see Norwich come down. They are set up for going back up and it is a certainty that they will be there or thereabouts. Of the other clubs I didn't want a Sunderland to come down because I thought Allardyce would stay and definitely get them back up. I thought you and Newcastle would be in disarray but then Newcastle unexpectedly kept Benitez and you got taken over which now makes the division look extremely tough. You haven't been down here for a long time and I think some of you might be surprised at how difficult it is. 46 matches is a long slog and if some of your players don't fancy an away trip on a cold Tuesday night at one of the lesser clubs you soon get found out. That said, I'll be surprised if the three promoted clubs don't come from Newcastle, Norwich, Villa, Brighton, Derby and Wednesday.

The ticket prices are generally unpopular. Last season our average attendance was only 21,000 which taking into account our performances was low. We'd have expected 24-25,000. However, it does seem to have made people realise that if they want to go at a reasonable price they need a season ticket. 20,000 season tickets is good and even they are one of the most expensive in the division. The ticket prices for Sunday are ridiculous really. Especially as it is on Sky. Villa fans are understandably unhappy about £42 but that is also the cheapest ticket for Wednesday fans. £42 on the kop, £45 on the North, £49 on the South. It looks like there will be 30,000+ which for a Sky match with those prices is a reasonable effort. The disappointment is reasonable prices would have produced a sell out no problem. Personally, I see these prices as a consequence of parachute payments and FFP. No offence intended but parachute payments were not designed so that a relegated club can spend £12million on a striker. They have created an uneven playing field and FFP further compounds it. Therefore, to spend money to compete whilst complying with FFP, high ticket prices seem like the only option for the clubs with no parachute payments. Whilst it is not good for visiting fans, Wednesday fans bear the brunt as we have them every week. Therefore, whilst understanding the sentiment when fans say they should charge Wednesday fans the same in the return match, it seems awfully unfair on us. As for the badge, I loved our badge. I might be biased but I thought it was one of the most widely recognised badges by other clubs. Dont even get me started on the removal of stripes from the home shirt.

Hi Everybody I am a Sheffield Wednesday fan and I noticed that in the section regarding Sheffield Wednesday there was a thread where some of your members were going to ask questions about Wednesday on Owlstalk but you were having issues joining. ANyway, I thought I would join here so that I could give my feedback and some advice on the best bars etc for your fans to visit. See you Sunday!