Sheff Wed threatening long-awaited top flight return — Interview
Monday, 22nd Feb 2016 22:05 by Clive Whittingham

Sheff Wed have rarely threatened to return to the Premier League since their relegation in 2000, but season ticket holder Jon Hore says there might finally be some light at the end of the tunnel.

This all seems to be going very well! Why the improvement this season after so many fallow years?

JH: The whole mood around the club changed just over a year ago when the new owner took over and we've not really looked backed since. It's quite useful becoming loaded overnight but, as QPR know better than most, having money is one thing, not spending it on dross and overpaid mercenaries is another.

We've not spent an extravagant amount in transfer fees but the increased wage budget has allowed us to target better players and credit has to go to the chairman and manager for their excellent recruitment. They've put together a squad that has quality and depth all over the pitch. This team is so different and so much better than any in recent years that it's not really fair to compare, but I think the biggest difference has been having goalscorers in the team. The signing of Fernando Forestieri kick-started our season after a slow start, and Gary Hooper has scored ten in his last ten games which has been a massive factor in our recent good run. When you've got two players who are going to end up with 15-20 goals each you're going to win a lot of games.

Our home form which has been pretty dire in the seasons since we returned to the Championship has completely turned around and Hillsborough is becoming a bit of a fortress - we're unbeaten in 15 games there.

A few months further on than when we last spoke, what more can you tell us about manager Carlos Carvalhal and the style of play he's got Wednesday working to?

JH: I've been impressed with how quickly he has adapted to the challenges of the British game. He identified early on that it was important to have a strong core of British players and players that had experience of the Championship. When his preferred 4-2-3-1 shape wasn't working at the start of the season he was quick to change it to a 4-4-2, and he has shown an ability to change games with his tactics and substitutions. Off the pitch he speaks a lot of sense and it's clear that the players have responded to his way of working and from the outside there seems to be a great spirit and togetherness.

For me the most impressive feature of the team is the work rate; without the ball they never let up and the pressing and closing down from our front six is outstanding. In possession we have a high tempo style and quite a fluid shape with the wide men often roaming inside allowing the full backs to push on and create the width. In midfield wee Barry Bannan is given the freedom to hare around the pitch, get on the ball and set the tempo. Carvalhal has definitely put more of an emphasis on attack than defence and we've already scored six goals more this season than in the whole of last. And to think we nearly ended up with Mark Cooper in charge, thank Christ that went tits up.

Are you going to do it?

JH: Up until the win over Birmingham I would have said no, but that late comeback win and then the hammering of Brentford last weekend has made everyone dream a little bit only for the optimism to then be punctured by the weekend defeat at Preston.

We are playing with so much confidence at the moment and the team is growing game by game so I can't see any way we won't make the playoffs. It'll be very tough to make the top two - I reckon we'll need something like 30 points from the last 15 games - but if we can keep our key players fit it's not impossible. Being fifth and just seven points off the top at this stage has exceeded everyone's expectations so in some ways the pressure is off a little bit, we can just play, try and keep winning games and see where it takes us.

Hull and Boro will be feeling the pressure of expectation a lot more than us, and Derby's hilarious annual meltdown has started early this season. Hopefully we can just float along under the radar for a bit longer and if we can keep up our home form and turn some away draws into wins we'll be right up there. Our home run in looks decent on paper with five out of seven against bottom half sides, so it will be our away form that ultimately decides where we end up. If that's in the playoffs then we've as good a chance as anyone. It's just nice to be looking up rather than down for a change.

If you don't, presumably the owners would invest again and make you a bigger threat next season, or does FFP start to come into play then?

JH: The owner's stated aim from the minute he took over has been to get promotion by the end of next season in time for the club's 150th anniversary so I'm certain there'd be further investment to work towards that goal. One of the many things that's really impressed me about him so far has been our recruitment. We've done a lot of shrewd business and managed to build a quality squad without throwing extravagant amounts around, so I'm sure we'd continue this policy to ensure that FFP doesn't become an issue. We've brought in a fair few players from lower-half Prem teams - Hooper, Forestieri, Bannan, Pudil, Hunt - and shopping in this market has shown to be good value for money compared to buying from within the Championship where similar quality players tend to be stand out performers for their clubs and demand inflated fees. We got Forestieri and Hooper for a combined total of £6m which is an absolute steal when you see players like Gray, Afobe and Rhodes going for more than that on their own. We wouldn't need major changes but I'd expect a couple of permanent additions - possibly a centre back and winger - supplemented by a few loans to bulk out the squad.

If you do, how do you rate you chances of making a decent fist of the top division for the first time in 20-odd years?

JH: I'm sure with Carvalhal in charge we'd give it a good go. There's loads of examples in recent years who've gone up and stayed up, and Watford and Bournemouth both look like they're going to do it this season. We'd clearly need to invest more heavily in the squad but we have a core of players who I think could hold their own the top division given a proper crack at it.

Will the manager stick around regardless of what happens? Doesn't seem to stay in many jobs for more than a year.

JH: Who knows, he signed a one year contract last summer and there's not been much talk about a new deal yet. But I really hope he does and would like to think he will try and finish what he's started. He's been a breath of fresh air in terms of his approach to the game and the football he's got the team playing, and speaks a lot of sense off the pitch. The players have obviously responded to his way of working and he's forged a great relationship with the fans. We've got a real identity about our game now with a high tempo, pressing, attacking style and it could be really damaging if he does leave and someone with a different philosophy comes in. I reckon if we don't go up this year he'll probably give it another go next year and then see what happens after that. There's a feel-good factor around the club at the moment that hasn't been there since the early 90's and hopefully he'll stick around to make sure it continues.

Strongest players and weakest links in the side? It's a weird and wonderful collection, who are the players we should be looking out for we perhaps haven't heard about?

JH: The buzz is all about Gary Hooper at the moment because of his amazing run of goals but the player that really makes us tick is Barry Bannan. I can't believe we got him on a free because he looks Premier League class to me. Sam Hutchinson has also been exceptional this season. He's spent most of the season in a holding midfield role but has arguably looked better as a centre back when he has been asked to fill in there. In terms of players you won't have heard about I can't think of too many, I seem to bang on about Kieran Lee every time I come on but I'd think he is one of our lesser known players and is definitely a bit of an unsung hero. We've got a young Portuguese striker Lucas Joao who will probably feature off the bench against you, he's had a bit of a lean time recently but when he's on form he can be a real handful. Our main weakness has probably been the lack of a settled centre back pairing because we've had loads of injuries in that area. But Tom Lees is back now after two months out so that should help things, it's just a question of settling on a regular partner for him now.

The Twitter @J_ho9, @loftforwords

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