Laws On Top In Early Exchanges

The verbal jousting has begun ahead of tonight's crucial clash with our cross-town rivals, and once again Owls gaffer Brian Laws is proving a master of the pre-match mind games.

For Kevin Blackwell, it's all about the big picture. He'd prefer to lose if it meant promotion at the end of the season, and accuses Laws of 'building his season on the derby game'. He told the Yorkshire Post: 'I build my season on trying to get promoted and if I lost this game and got promoted I would be very happy.'

Not sure your fans will be 100% in agreement with that statement, Kevin, surely the objective is to crush us AND get promotion?

The deluded Blackwell also believes last season's Owls derby double was a bit of a fluke, reckoning Wednesday got the breaks in both games, which conveniently ignores sparkling winning goals, plus superior commitment and desire from the blue and white wizards on both occasions. A momentous feat such as the first derby double win in 95 years is not achieved purely by luck, as any fool knows.

But Blackwell is no ordinary fool, and goes on to list his record in tedious fashion. Two defeats in 21 games, three or four defeats in 30 games (OK, which is it, Kevin, three or four?), 19 or 20 clean sheets last season.. yep, and for all your 'big picture' consistency, it was one single vital game you lost, against Burnley, that brought your season crashing down around your ears.

Funny how one game matters in those circumstances, but doesn't matter to you right now, eh?

Big games matter. Laws knows.

'I respect the job Kevin Blackwell has done. He doesn't lose many games - it is the ones against us that he usually loses!'

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