Sheffield Wednesday can take the momentum built up last season into Friday’s big Championship curtain raiser and beyond,
according to defender Reece James.
The Owls achieved a club-record points total last time out under Darren Moore, winning promotion via the play-offs.
A new playing style and new methods are being instilled under new boss Xisco, but there are huge swathes of how
Wednesday went about their battle to climb out of the third tier that they must carry through to the Championship, James
said.
Wednesday achieved much of their success with a grit of character – something that was questioned the last time the club
were operating in the division.
Southampton, relegated from the Premier League last time out, will be Hillsborough’s first visitors of the league campaign
on Friday night.
There has been a request of patience delivered by the new manager, who has made clear they will require time to sho the
best of themselves given the changes that are being implemented at the club.
James, who has re-joined the Hillsborough club where he spent last season on loan on a permanent basis, said: “We’ve got to
keep building on where we were, we were getting success with everything we set out to do.
“We showed that, even though we had a blip – and sometimes those things can happen in football, for us it came at the
wrong time.
“To come back like we did and show just how good a team we actually were shows a massive grasp of what we’ve got and the
sort of characters and experience that we’ve got here. Hopefully that can stand us in good stead for this season.”
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Ex-Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham man on trial at Stoke City considered by Sheffield Wednesday
A former Sheffield Wednesday loanee has been discussed as a possible transfer option at Hillsborough, The Star
understands, though they may have to move fast if they have designs on signing him.
Josh Onomah made 15 appearances on loan at Hillsborough from Tottenham Hotspur in the 2018/19 season. The 26-year-
old midfielder is a free agent after his release from a short-term stint at Championship rivals Preston North End.
Sources suggest the former England youth international is a name that has been considered as part of an ongoing wave of
new transfers in the first weeks of Xisco’s time as Wednesday manager – though it is not yet clear whether a decision has
been made as to whether to make an official approach.
Wednesday are currently down on last season in terms of numbers after the release of Dennis Adeniran, though new signing
Juan Delgado can deputise in a central attacking midfield option.
Onomah is currently on trial with the Owls’ second tier colleagues Stoke City, who are taking a close look at him but have not
yet been reported to have tabled a contract offer.
The former Fulham man offered a star turn in the Potters’ friendly win over Burton Albion last week, prompting manager
Alex Neil to suggest he had done his chances of earning a place in the Stoke squad no harm.
“I thought he was excellent tonight,” said Neil. “I thought he used his power, I thought technically he was good, I thought he
went into spaces well and he had a good understanding tactically in terms of how to get the ball back.
“Yes, I thought he had a good performance. He’s done himself no harm at all tonight.”
Work goes on to swell the numbers at Xisco’s disposal as they head towards Friday’s curtain-raising opening fixture at home
to Southampton. The Owls have brought so far in three new faces to the club, with Reece James having made last season’s
loan spell permanent.
Widespread reports in Europe suggest AC Milan’s Colombian goalkeeper Devis Vasquez could be brought in on a season-
long loan.
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