We’re still very much in the early days of Steve Bruce’s tenure as Owls manager.
The experienced boss has got straight down to business at Hillsborough, making three signings on deadline day, posting three points at Ipswich and now preparing for his first home fixture.
With plenty on the short term agenda, Bruce discussed an important part of his role in the months ahead.
Forging a trust and relationship with the players is high on the list for the Wednesday boss, who gave his first pre-match press conference on Friday morning at Middlewood Road.
“I’ve been in football a long, long time now,” he told the gathered media at the Owls’ training complex.
“And it’s very important that I strike up a relationship and strike up a bond where we find a trust.
“Hopefully over the months and years they will find that trust in myself and I’ll get to know them off the pitch as much as on the pitch.
“How they live, how they work - a vital part of a manager’s job is the man-management side these days.
“It’s far more important now than it ever was.”
Ahead of Saturday’s clash with Reading, Bruce continued: “We want the players to be comfortable in the environment. The whole wellbeing of the players is vitally important.
“Otherwise you will not see the best of them so it’s my job and the staff’s job to make them comfortable with their surroundings and given them the platform to succeed.”