Discussing Sheffield Wednesday's draw with Leganes on Saturday
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00:00Hello, it's sunshine, it's warm, it's pre-season, Sheffield Wednesday have just played out a goalless draw with plenty to be encouraged about, I'd say, against La Liga side La Ganez.
00:11Joe Crown, what have you taken from that one?
00:15I was very buoyed by that. I think the result is what it is, isn't it?
00:23Wednesday haven't scored enough goals in pre-season, I think that's very obvious. Danny doesn't seem overly concerned, I wouldn't say he's not at all concerned, but they seem to have really settled into the way he wants to play.
00:36They've been zipping it about nicely, the movement was good, they seem assured of what they're doing, they look confident on the ball and I think that's the main thing at this point.
00:44You want to be able to see that they are able to play the way that Danny wants them to, and based on today, and especially the second half against Werder Bremen, I'd say that's the case.
00:55There's a couple of conversations in the press box about the fact that this looks like a very different team to the one that finished last season.
01:01The movement's there, there's a lot of intelligent movement, they are zipping the ball about nicely, particularly in the first half an hour I thought.
01:08Plenty to be excited about, encouraged by.
01:13Yeah, I think encouraged is the right word. You don't want to get carried away and get to a point where you go, wow, this is a La Liga team, we'll be absolutely fine.
01:23But no, I think there is a lot to be encouraged about, I think there were some good performances out there today. I don't think there were any bad ones, I don't think there's anyone you can look at and go, they struggled today.
01:34But for me, Barry Bannon was, once again, the best player on the pitch. I've seen it many, many times over the years. I thought both the lows were very good, I thought Akin Fumewo was brilliant today.
01:45But yeah, Jan Valery was strong again. They just seem to be very cohesive, don't they?
01:51They certainly do, and I think the two full-backs have come in for praise again, as you say, Fumewo. Really important, and they just look like a team.
02:00If you look back at the early games that we saw, even just a few weeks ago, they're growing in every game. But the concern, the slight concern, is the goals.
02:10Obviously, they're playing high-level opposition. We gather there might be some more business to be done in that front line, which we spoke to Danny a lot about, and you can read about on the Star already.
02:22But yeah, it would have been nice to get a goal in front of the fans and kick things off on that front.
02:27I think if you'd said whether you want it today or on Sunday against Plymouth, then we'll take that one.
02:33But no, you're right. I think it's the only thing that's really been lacking. I think you look at the shape that Wednesday have been doing, the things they've been doing in training, the way they've been trying to break through.
02:44There was one moment today when, I think it was Jamal Lowe, it was the end of a really nice move. It was well saved. But it was the goal, the first goal against Werder Bremen.
02:54That was a sort of carbon copy of what they're after. They're going to need to do that more.
03:01But I think there was a lot of good balls into the box, a lot of promise shown from Wednesday today, and it feels like it's one of those where it will come.
03:12Obviously, UK Ugbo is the one that everyone's hoping to get in the door. Danny's making no secret about that. He offers something a little bit different to what Jamal Lowe does.
03:21But I thought Jamal Lowe was really good today. I thought his movement was good, the way he plays on the turn and all that kind of business.
03:29And I just think there's a lot to be said for the progress that Wednesday have made.
03:35Today was about one man in a lot of ways. Liam Palmer, club stalwart, I think, between the two of us. We've covered an awful lot of how he is with us and around the club and so much that is unseen by the wider public.
03:52What does he mean to Sheffield Wednesday? What does Sheffield Wednesday mean to him?
03:55I think he's exactly the sort of person every football club wants to have. I think there's a lot said about Liam Palmer as a person and the work that he's done in the community and what it means to have come up as a genuine child at this football team.
04:14We're not talking academy 15, 16 year old. He's been here since he was nine. And you only have to listen to the way that everybody talks about Liam and the things that he's done at this football club.
04:25But I think he does get undersold a little bit, just what a quality footballer he is. He's shown that over the last few years, what he can offer on the pitch.
04:33And Danny was very quick to point that out today as well, wasn't he? He said it feels like the end of it, but it's not. He's very much part of our squad.
04:41How much of a role he'll play in that, whether he'll be a starter every week remains to be seen. But he's very much a part of this side and I think Wednesday are lucky to have a person like Liam Palmer around.
04:54And that goes for on the pitch and off the pitch because on the pitch you can play 150 positions. So it's always helpful.
05:02Joe, I won't call this our last post-match video because I very much doubt it will be. But we've had four years together doing these things.
05:10Yeah, sorry about that everybody. Most of them have been nonsense.
05:15A few really stick out for me, certainly after the Peterborough game we spoke about.
05:20Which one?
05:21Well, both of them. I can see the spot over there where I think we covered what will forever be the best evening that we'll ever cover as football journalists and our walk down Wembley Way.
05:37That was a long one.
05:38It was a long one. But yeah, that season in particular, we've had some ups and downs covering this club. It's been an absolute pleasure. So for the final time, as a regular video.
05:54Yeah, don't do this or you're going to make me cry, mate. No need for it. But yeah, no, it's generally been a pleasure and we'll be doing more of these next ones at the Derby.
06:03Yeah, yeah. Joe's coming back for the Derby. Glory supporter and all that. But yeah, we're going to leave it there. I'd like to personally thank Joe for the last four years working together.
06:14Who knows, there might be someone new at some point standing next to me doing these videos. Don't hold your breath too hard. But yeah, we will see how it all goes.
06:25But yeah, a very worthwhile, very encouraging run out from Sheffield Wednesday today. A big day for Liam Palmer. And yeah, the show rolls on to Plymouth now next weekend and the start of the season proper.
06:36As ever, keep it locked to thestar.co.uk.