Honest words in the Owls camp were had after a forgettable Christmas week and the subsequent response has been exactly what Garry Monk demanded.
Wednesday have picked up back to back wins over Brighton and Leeds on the road but as important as those results were, it’s the heart, performance, character and courage that has pleased the boss.
The Owls moved back into the top six following the 2-0 win at Elland Road on Saturday and reflecting on the past two outings, Monk said:
“We know all about the capabilities we have but I’ve been more pleased with the courage we have shown and the heart we have put on the pitch.
“That’s what our fans expect, it’s what the fans of every club expect. They expect players to crawl off that pitch having given everything.
“If you do that and lose the game, you can accept it, you can live with that. If you lose a game where you have put everything into it.
“But what we can’t live with is that three-game week where we lost those matches.
“So that’s the main thing to come out of those two games, Brighton and Leeds, in terms of lessons for all the players.”
Wednesday return to Hillsborough on Saturday against Blackburn, looking for a third win on the bounce in all competitions and to put right the wrongs from the previous S6 clash with Hull.
“We didn’t get too down about that week,” Monk said. “It’s always important to remain balanced, don’t get too high or too low.
“But I was disappointed with the players after those three defeats and we spoke about that afterwards and there was a need for a response.
“When you step onto a pitch and wear that shirt, you have to put your heart out there. It takes everything you’ve got.”