Laws salutes Owls faithful May 06 2008
Jose Mourinho could not have done a better job of keeping Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship this season, according to Owls manager Brian Laws.
Laws has been forced to deal with more hardship than most managers in English football this season and is now looking forward to a well-earned break in the sun after watching his side overcome early jitters to secure a must-win 4-1 success over Norwich on the final day.
Laws, visibly relieved after his side eventually came good in front of a sell-out 36,208 Hillsborough crowd, said: "Under the circumstances, and I'm not patting myself on the back, but if Mourinho was here I don't think he could have done any better.
"That's the truth. We've had everything thrown at us and yet everybody has stayed calm and very focused. We could have thrown the towel in weeks ago but we didn't.
"That shows the camp is united and certainly the glue to it all is certainly the support we have had.
"The fans have been magnificent and would have been forgiven for turning on us all, the players, manager, because the results haven't matched their drive."
The Owls have been decimated by injuries to key players this season, while boardroom disquiet - chairman Dave Allen and long-serving director Keith Addy both departed - and never-ending takeover speculation have done little to steady a lurching ship.
Two goals from Deon Burton, one a penalty after referee Mark Clattenburg's dubious decision, and one each for Ben Sahar and Leon Clarke gave this nerve-jangling encounter a lop-sided scoreline after Darren Huckerby's superb opener gave the Canaries a flying start.
Laws said: "Gordon Bennett I'm glad that's over! This week feels like a month, waiting for the game to come about, knowing we were going to have a sell-out.
"The nerves, particularly in the first half, were there for all to see. We had young players out there and they looked very nervy and were panicking on the ball."
Laws, who revealed he had dreamed his side would concede an early goal before hitting back the night before, insists his squad is capable of mounting a promotion challenge next season.
He added: "We're going to learn a lot from this year. We've had to put up with a lot, on the field and off it, you name it, it's been thrown at us and we've had hurdle after hurdle to climb and we've got over every one.
"We've come out the other end. We've got a good squad of players here, if everybody's fit, and if we can add one or two to bolster that I believe we will have a much, much better year next year."
Norwich manager Glenn Roeder believed his side should have been out of sight in the first half and blamed poor finishing and referee Clattenburg for allowing Wednesday back into the match.
An angry Roeder, who kept his players locked in the dressing room afterwards, also promised changes during the summer after a second half which saw his players lose heart.
Roeder said: "I actually think Mark Clattenburg is one of the best referees in the country, but he's human like everyone else.
"Fortunately we didn't need all three points today, but you could see our intentions in the first half - we were here to win.
"We have to change the culture at Norwich. There's too many players used to losing too many matches and there's going to be a big change around in the summer.
"The hard work started back in November when we had eight points. Not many teams with eight points in the last week of November survive, they go down.
"So it's been a hell of an achievement and everyone involved at the club needs a pat on the back, but that doesn't let them off the hook for that second-half performance.
"It was totally unacceptable. It was the Norwich I don't want and I won't have.
"The players have been left in no doubt as to how angry I am. Some of them need to look at themselves to see if they have a future here next year."