Sheffield Wednesday caretaker manager Sean McAuley is in the process of stamping his authority on an Owls team seeking rejuvenation following the departure of Brian Laws.

Laws left the club after Saturday's defeat at Leicester left Wednesday in the bottom three of the Championship and academy manager McAuley has taken charge of first team affairs on a temporary basis.

He told Wednesday Player: "These situations come about when things are not going well and the team is not in a good situation but we're here and we have to deal with it.

"We have to communicate to the players exactly where we want them to be because currently, we are not doing well enough. But the squad of players we have assembled is still a good squad of players.

"We're under no illusions as to where we are at because the league table doesn't lie. From speaking to the staff, we are in a position where if we do make a couple of changes here and there and the momentum can gather, we can pull ourselves from the position we are in and climb the table.

"The players will know where I'm at and that is a two-way street. They need to take responsibility for their performances. I need to remind them where we're at, playing for a very good club and this club should not be in the position that it's in. I will also communicate to them that the team needs to change but the whole club is in a huge process of change.

"There is a tremendous amount of hard work that's being done in every other department to try to make this club succeed and it's time that we joined in and we took our responsibilities on to the pitch and start to succeed.

"All the good work in every other department is moving forward and we need to jump on board. We can't dress it up to being anything else other than the fact that we need wins."

McAuley, of course, does have experience of the caretaker role at Hillsborough after stepping into the breach following the departure of Paul Sturrock back in 2006. He enjoyed a successful stint too, posting three wins and a draw from his four games in charge.

He said: "Yes, I have the experience and hopefully that will serve me well. The game has moved forward since then and will continue to move forward and get better. Now we need to get better as a team."

First up for McAuley is Swansea City at Hillsborough on Saturday and the caretaker boss is urging Wednesdayites to take their token unswerving support into the Swans clash.

He said: "The players are not in a good place at this moment in time and I will try to change that around. They need the belief and I will try and instil that into them. They need to rediscover their form and we will help them to do that. But when they cross that white line, it's the support they get from the supporters that will count.

"That support has been first class so far. I sit and watch our games in the stand every week and I continue to be astounded by the support our players get. What we ask of our supporters is that they continue that and hopefully we can provide a product on the pitch to send them home happy.

"This club is always going to bigger than anybody....the manager, the players, everyone. So let's all support this football club and the team."

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