Garry Monk believes the goalless home draw with Millwall this afternoon provided a platform to build on after recent setbacks.
There was little for the 23,000 fans to enthuse about, with Wednesday managing just two shots on target, However Monk, who had harsh words for the squad after the woeful midweek showing at Wigan, said: “Overall I was pleased. Obviously we wanted to win in front of our fans at home. but I was pleased to see the team with the right attitude and all the way through a team that wasn’t prepared to give up.
“It’s a platform to build from, it was a clean sheet, it was a point.
“Considering the month we have had, I didn’t expect the team to be at its most confident, even though you try to give that to them. But I think they will take confidence from that type of performance and there were a lot of good things today.
“Especially in the second half, you saw a team that went out there trying to win. The first half was very even but in the second half the attitude of the team was to step up and they tried to do that.
“There were little bits missing in the final third, the final pass, the final touch … I thought it was a very even game overall and a draw was probably a fair result.”
He added: “Today was more about the attitude, the desire and the want to go right to the end and I think the team did that.”
Monk felt second-half subs Fernando Forestieri and Alessio Da Cruz had a good influence on the game and added: “We wanted the win so it is disappointing in that sense that we didn’t get it. But it’s definitely a more pleasing attitude that I have afterwards than from some of the games recently and is something that will give the players confidence.”
On the arrival of new loan signings Connor Wickham and Josh Windass, who joined too late yesterday to be eligible to play today, Monk said: “The two new lads will give us added impetus, they are fresh faces in an area we needed to effect since the loss of Steven Fletcher up front. They come with a good attitude, fresh options and will give everyone a boost.”