It’s over six months since the madness of May delivered a never-achieved play-off comeback and a night no Wednesdayite will ever forget – that famous 5-1 penalty shootout win over Peterborough United that ensured passage to the League One play-off final. The majesty of a 123rd-minute winner at Wembley further presented the image of a squad that has plenty of scrap.
It is these images that Akin Famewo believes can help inspire a continued resurgence in their quest for Championship survival. A 12-point deficit on the safety places has been cut to eight in the last 16 days and with teams in lower mid-table being slowly dragged closer to the relegation zone, there is growing optimism that they can stay in the division.
Defender Famewo watched the madness of May from the sidelines after an injury cut his season short but saw up-close the fight his teammates showed in achieving promotion from a position described as ‘insurmountable’.
Asked whether the climax of last season can help inspire a successful survival mission from such a difficult position, the Owls defender said: “I think so. The way the boys were going into that second leg against Peterborough, it was incredible just to see the confidence, the power and the desire. That has not changed, we still have all that around the camp.
“We have proved once that we can do things that people don’t think we can achieve as a club, as a team and as a unit. I feel like on that alone, what we did last season was incredible and had never been done before. It all came from a place of belief and desire and this team definitely has that.”
Wednesday will be hoping to bounce back from defeat at Norwich on Wednesday evening with a win against fellow relegation fighters QPR at Hillsborough on Saturday. The wider task is an unenviable one, but there seems to be a confidence that improvements under Danny Röhl can continue to pay dividends.
“It’s achievable,” Famewo continued. “We all believe and know it’s achievable and it’s down to us to make sure we can turn it into a reality. It will be a great feeling because it will mean all our hard work will have paid off, but we have a way to go, we know we have a way to go. We’re prepared to put in that hard work but we know it’s something that is achievable, absolutely.”