Owls boss Brian Laws is braced for whatever tomorrow might bring – and that includes 25,000 home punters roaring the Canaries ever closer to the finishing line.
Ten points from the last 15 coupled to the heart and spirit that City boss Bryan Gunn has installed into his troops will find another Carrow Road sell-out crowd in fine voice for tomorrow's return to Championship action.
And while victory will still leave the Norfolk side with one, last ridge to climb over the remaining five games, the feeling will grow that the Canaries can now at least see the mountain top.
Hence, why Laws heads into tomorrow's game in wary mood.
“They always have a great home crowd,” the Wednesday chief told the Sheffield Star this week. “They're fighting just as hard as anybody else for points – we have to be prepared for that.”
Wednesday – as City new-boy Alan Lee noted when he made his decision to head for Norfolk and not Hillsborough – are all-but safe already. With 51 points already in the bag, it is going to take one unforeseen miracle for The Owls to be playing third tier football next season.
But with the play-off places now, too, over the horizon, the fear from Laws' point of view will be that his players have spent the last two weeks looking forward to their summer break. Their job this season is now done.
“You sometimes see players switching off; no player will allowed to switch off at this club until the season is over,” he vowed.
Team-wise and Wednesday may yet give a start to a former Canary strike target in the shape of Luke Varney – once of Charlton and ?17,000-a-week fame.
Francis Jeffers and Marcus Tudgay could yet keep their starting roles; Varney being handed the gig out wide.
In fairness to the Wednesdayites, they are travelling in numbers for a game that means very little to them.
“I think they've got 1400 of the 26,000,” said City boss Gunn, speaking ahead of tomorrow's latest six-pointer.
“So, hopefully, they'll inspire our 24,500 to make it a cracking atmosphere.
“It normally is when we play Sheffield Wednesday so I can't see there being any difference in the atmosphere for this game,” said Gunn, whose remarkable turnaround in Norwich's fortunes would all-but be complete if City can add to their recent points tally tomorrow.
If. After Lord Mayor's Procession; gift horses looked in the mouth – we've all been there before.
“We've got another 90 minutes to put up a performance – have thoughts in our mind like we did against Cardiff City and Plymouth. Those were the standards we [need to] get to at home – and we saw the reaction from the fans and, obviously, the reaction in the dressing room afterwards.
“So if we can replicate that, that will certainly help us in terms of the momentum building again for the last six games.”
Team-wise and much will depend on Lee Croft's fitness and how David Carney feels after his round-the-world flights to do not a lot for Australia.
Minus Wes Hoolahan for in every likelihood the rest of the season, Gunn might have to look to Alan Gow to fill one of the wider roles with David Mooney – now officically here till the end of the season – partnering Lee.
With Darel Russell sitting out the second of his two-match suspension, Simon Lappin is likely to get the gig again alongside Sammy Clingan. His return to the first team fold and managerial favour will – you suspect – earn him one of the warmest cheers of the afternoon from the home faithful.
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