Nothing to lose – Henrik Pedersen backs Sheffield Wednesday to end goal drought

Henrik Pedersen insists Sheffield Wednesday will end their record goal drought sooner rather than later after drawing another blank at Swansea.

The Owls failed to score for a ninth consecutive league game in Sunday’s 4-0 defeat at Swansea – extending a barren run in front of goal that totals 14 hours of football and stretches back to Boxing Day.

Owls boss Pedersen said: “In training, we start to score goals. To bring it from the training to the match, it’s still tough for them. But we are working on it.

“We are pressing with more players higher up when we want the ball. This is the most important message I gave to the players before we went to the pitch.

“Go out and express yourself. Go out and when you are one with one, take this risk to bring extra man into the box. I know it will be there.”

Wednesday failed to manage a single shot on target in sliding to their second heaviest defeat of the campaign.

They remain on minus seven after having 18 points docked after going into administration and then breaching EFL regulations over payment obligations, and could be relegated as early as next weekend.

Asked if relegation would take pressure off his beleaguered players, Pedersen said: “I don’t think so. I don’t think it’s the pressure.

“More it’s they have not won some games. Not to relegate or not right now.

“We can only control the (next) game against Millwall. We have nothing to lose.”

Swansea were in full control after Goncalo Franco opened the scoring after 19 minutes.

Zan Vipotnik’s second-half double – the Championship’s top scorer now has 15 league goals – and a late fourth from substitute Malick Yalcouye moved Swansea up only one place to 15th.

But Swansea are within five points of the play-offs in an extremely congested division.

“What’s most important is what I said since the first day – the squad has a lot of potential,” said head coach Vitor Matos, who has transformed Swansea’s win ratio from 25 per cent to 50 per cent since his November appointment.

“We needed to make the squad the best possible team to compete. That’s what we are still doing. That’s what we are trying and this is what drives us.

“That’s the championship this season as well. You win one game, you think you are close to the play-offs.

“You lose one game, you think you are close to the relegation.

“So being emotionally stable is quite important. That’s what mindset we need to have.”