Sheffield Wednesday: Why Carlos Carvalhal is paying little attention to the Owls' recent record against Huddersfield Town

Boss Carlos Carvalhal claims Wednesday's impressive recent form against Huddersfield Town is irrelevant ahead of their Championship play-off semi-final showdown.
Carlos CarvalhalCarlos Carvalhal
Carlos Carvalhal

Carvalhal takes his Owls side to the John Smith’s Stadium tomorrow for the first leg of the tie, having won all four of his previous meetings with the Terriers.

Wednesday are on a seven-match unbeaten run versus Huddersfield. You have to go back to November 2013 for the last time the Terriers beat their South Yorkshire counterparts.

Carvalhal said: “We will not play with medals tomorrow because we win or we have done this in the past.

“Tomorrow is the game and we must be ready and focused on that game. It is not important what has happened in the past. It is important what we do tomorrow.”

The Owls are aiming to go one better this season, having lost 1-0 to Hull City in the Play-Off Final at Wembley last year.

Carlos CarvalhalCarlos Carvalhal
Carlos Carvalhal

Carvalhal said: “It (the experience) helps a little because we have lived that situation before but I don’t believe it will be crucial.

“The reality is it will be 11 players v 11 players on the pitch with a referee and one ball.

“We are completely focused on this game.

“We must try to be efficient to win the game.”

Carlos CarvalhalCarlos Carvalhal
Carlos Carvalhal

Huddersfield have been handed a fitness boost with the news top-scorer Elias Kachunga (calf) is poised to return following a spell on the sidelines.

David Wagner’s team finished fifth in the standings below Wednesday on goal difference.

“We are completely focused on the game tomorrow, nothing else,” stressed Carvalhal.

“We know it will be a tough game and we respect Huddersfield a lot. They’ve had a fantastic season. In part of the season, they were in the fight for automatic promotion.

“We have played against them this season and those matches were very tough to us.

“It’s a good time to act and not talk too much. We are focused on the game. We will try to be efficient and win the games.”

The second leg takes place on Wednesday but Carvalhal is refusing to look that far ahead.

“The play-offs are the start of a new competition,” he said. “We are there because we have had a good season and Huddersfield are there because they have had a good season also.

“Our main target is the game tomorrow and what we must do,” he said. “We are completely focused.

“Huddersfield have a good team. They have a lot of strong points which we will try to block. They have some weak points we will try to exploit.

“We will try to play our football.

“We are workers and to run and fight a lot. We will be ready for the game. We respect them and we know they are a threat.

“They are not an easy team to play against. But we know when we play solid and compact and when we play our football we are not an easy team to play against.”