Sheffield Wednesday have been adhering to Government policy to cease training and go on lockdown amid the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Owls have been trying to keep in shape at home, using any gym equipment acquired to ensure their fitness levels don’t spiral in the off-period, but the club are also keeping close tabs on their progress too.
Garry Monk wrote a message to supporters on Wednesday’s official website, revealing how players are on daily tailored schedules and have been in constant contact with the club by telephone. The Owls manager is pessimistic about the season resuming any time soon but cites the importance for players to stay in peak condition.
He wrote: “We finished normal training just under two weeks ago and immediately formulated a plan setting out the home fitness programmes for the players and the importance of following them on a daily basis.
“They have all been given individual schedules which are monitored daily through the technologies at our disposal, so we have a very accurate idea of their fitness levels. We were very well prepared with the input of Tony Strudwick and the club doctor, Richard Higgins.
“We are continuing the analysis side of things in preparation for the return to normal. We are in constant touch with the players by telephone and conference calls as it’s equally important to talk.
“Obviously it is impossible for us to train as we normally do and the physical conditioning that brings. But we are covering every possible angle we can to make sure the foundations for the players are as strong as possible for when we can return.”
Before the season was postponed, Wednesday were sitting 15th in the Championship with 48 points from 37 games. The Owls were in freefall in 2020, having won just two league outings since the turn of the year, so they can’t afford to be off the pace if the season is resumed in the coming weeks or months.
Monk added: “I think we are all in agreement that we would like to finish this season properly but as with a lot of things right now it is still unclear how and when that will be possible. So we will have to wait until the governing authorities give us all the clarity. I am in touch every day with officials from the club on various matters but as I write, there is no likelihood of coming back on the near horizon.
“As much as we all miss it, it is absolutely right that we cannot even begin to think about resuming normal training and playing again until the threat to health has gone. It has to be a completely safe environment for everyone and these decisions will be left to those who are qualified to make the calls. I’m hungry to get back, the players are hungry and I’m sure you are too but we have to be guided by those who know best.
“My hope is if we are to take any positives from this situation it’s that we will appreciate the little things we all take for granted in our lives and take that forward when we return to normality. So in the meantime please take good care of yourselves and everyone around you.
Finally, Monk called on people to do their bit in helping others amid an uncertain time. He said: “This whole situation feels strange and unique to anything we have all experienced before. Something that none of us really thought could or would happen in modern society. Someone said to me it’s like a war but we’re facing an invisible enemy which kind of sums up how we are all feeling.
“With the pandemic taking hold around the world, my overriding thought is that the biggest priority by far at the moment is the health and well-being of our families and friends and the wider communities – people who you don’t even know but who perhaps we can help in any small way.
“We are all living within the guidelines of the lockdown and I can only echo the key messages that we are all familiar with because it’s only by following these measures that we can ultimately help save lives, which is everything.”
