AFC Bournemouth v Sheffield Wednesday: A first away win would be cherry on cake for Owls’ Neil Thompson

Until the former York City and Scarborough manager took temporary control of the first team late last year, the Owls were the side that could not win at home – their victory over Bournemouth in November was their sixth and last under Garry Monk at Hillsborough, with Tony Pulis only breaking his duck in his final attempt.

Thompson, by contrast, has a 100 per cent record at the home of the Owls, but now needs to add a first away win from the dugout. Bournemouth would be a great place to start tonight.

“You always get challenges in football,” said Thompson, who has taken nine points out of a possible 12 in the Championship thanks to that home form but who had to sit out the only away victory since he took over, at Exeter City in the FA Cup third round, because like a number of players and coaches, he had Covid-19.

“There is always stuff you have got to prove,” he added.

“Everyone is always asking questions of you whether you get beaten, perform badly, a player gets left out or a player gets dragged off the pitch because he has not performed.

“(Saturday’s was) an important win but we can’t get carried away. We’ve got two tough away games next against Bournemouth and Millwall. Are they going to be any easier? I very much doubt it.”

With his knowledge of the Owls’ youth ranks having worked on that side of the club for nearly a decade, Thompson has been able to bring through the best of their emerging players in a way his predecessor Pulis often seemed reluctant to, not especially convinced there were many able to help the team in its battle against relegation.

Held back by injury problems, Osaze Urhoghide, who had a season of real highs and lows after breaking into the side midway through last season, made his first appearance of this campaign under Thompson at Everton in the FA Cup, and followed it up with an impressive performance in Saturday’s 1-0 Championship win over Preston North End.

Monk used the now-20-year-old at right-back, but Thompson has utilised him as one of three central defenders. Now he must decide if the youngster is ready to play twice in a week.

“Osaze had a good game at Everton,” said former full-back Thompson.

“We were worried about midweek (leaving him on the bench for the 2-0 defeat at Coventry City) because he has not played a lot of first-team football but I thought he was immense on Saturday.

“What you get with Osaze is a whole-hearted performance. He is tough and diligent in what he does. He has got a bit of pace about him and he wants to be a footballer. He wants to play football and that’s really refreshing for me.

“But like anyone, he’s got to put that (Preston performance) to bed, look at what he did right and get his body in shape for this week, whether it is Tuesday or Saturday.

“He has shown in the two games against Everton and Preston he has got the qualities to perform at this level without a shadow of a doubt but that’s not to say he won’t get used elsewhere as we have seen with other players.

“He’s tough and he attacks the ball.”

Meanwhile, Paul Cook has hailed the “outstanding” job Thompson has done since taking the reins in late December.

The former Wigan Athletic, Portsmouth and Chesterfield manager applied for the vacant job when Monk was sacked in November, but said he did not get a reply despite being a popular choice with supporters.

He claimed to have been approached to replace Pulis despite having not applied that time. Owner/chairman Dejphon Chansiri denied reports Cook had been offered the job until the end of the season.

Cook also said he had been spoken to by Cardiff City, who appointed former Barnsley centre-back Mick McCarthy last month instead.

There were reports the Merseysider had reservations about both posts because of concern about how much control he would have.

“On both of those jobs, I had contact from the clubs,” reiterated Cook.

“Where that contact went to obviously wasn’t where I would have liked it to go to.

“Certainly in Cardiff’s position, appointing Mick McCarthy until the end of the season as they’ve done, in my opinion is a very strong decision, a very safe pair of hands.

“Sheffield Wednesday as we speak have got a caretaker manager in, Neil Thompson, who is also doing an outstanding job,” said Cook.

January was the third month of the pandemic where the Owls failed to pay their players in full and on time, having not done so in June and November, but it was quickly rectified ahead of yesterday’s transfer deadline.

Last six games: Bournemouth LWLLDW; Sheffield Wednesday WLLWWW

Referee: A Woolmer (Northamptonshire)

Last time: Bournemouth 2 Sheffield Wednesday 2, April 18, 2015, Championship.

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