Ketchup, intensity and training times: Sheffield Wednesday’s all-change approach ‘will come good’

Wednesday have taken one point from their opening five league matches and were dumped out of the Carabao Cup last week.

But the nature of the point earned at Elland Road and improved performances in recent weeks have allowed for optimism to grow in the Wednesday camp.

The change from nearly two-and-a-half years under Darren Moore and his coaching staff to the continental approach of Xisco has been clear both of the pitch and on it. It’s understood that ketchup and mayonnaise have been lifted from the Middlewood Road cafeteria and that tweaks have been made to diet.

Training sessions have been shorter, sharper, and more intense than before. The set-up of training is different.

They are methods Wednesday hope will pay dividends on the other side of the international break.

“We are training a lot more. The intensity of training is a lot higher,” said senior man Lee Gregory.

“The tactics are different and we are playing differently to how we did last year under Darren [Moore]. We don’t play like that anymore. We play differently.

“A lot has changed and it just takes a bit of time. We are building on something.

“It is hard when you are not getting the results. If we had nicked a win here and there, it would be a bit different. Because we have not got many points on the board, everyone kind of criticises every little thing that happens.

“Hopefully when we get those points it will settle everyone down and we are good to go again.”

What exactly are the aims and expectations of this Wednesday side this season aren’t confirmed. Chairman Dejphon Chansiri spoke at a recent fan forum to suggest an ultimate aim was play-off qualification, though that may have been altered as time has passed.

In press conferences Wednesday players have been lining up in support of their manager in what has been a difficult start, keen to impress their belief that good things are on the way.

“I see what he [Munoz] is trying to do,” Gregory continued. “It will come good. We just need to relax and trust in the process.

“At the moment, the focus is on getting out of the bottom three and building from there.

“I don’t think we need to start looking too far ahead. Let’s take each game as it comes.”