Jamie Smith will be back in charge of Wednesday when we take on Nigel Pearson’s Bristol City at Hillsborough tomorrow lunchtime.
With manager Darren Moore having contracted pneumonia following his recent absence through COVID-!9, Smith steps up again as we look for a near miracle in the coming fixtures to avoid relegation to division one. He will be supported by first team coach, Paul Williams, following the latter’s own period of COVID-19 isolation.
After Tuesday’s defeat to Swansea and other midweek Championship results, we sit eight points from safety with just five games remaining and, realistically, need to win all those matches to have a chance of survival.
We have no new injury problems for the game, which sees Pearson back at S6, just a few days before the 30th anniversary of him leading Wednesday to that famous Rumbelows Cup Final win over Manchester United at Wembley.
Smith said of Moore: “The gaffer, being as he is, he’s still on the phone and wanting to know what is going on, he is still putting his input on things for tomorrow – it’s just how he is.
“But, yes, our thoughts are definitely with him and hopefully he can recover and be back with us as soon as possible.
“I keep telling him, gaffer you need to rest up, stay calm but 10 minutes later the phone will ring again. That’s just the way he is, he is so committed and right into it and he is gutted he can’t be here in and around everything.
“But his health is the most important thing.”
Speaking after training today, Smith added: “The lads have responded really well this morning, obviously they are all thinking of the gaffer and want to put on a performance for him tomorrow.”
Here at the London Owls, we also send our very best wishes to Darren for a full and speedy recovery.
The game, which kicks off at 12.30pm, will be preceded by a minute’s silence on the day of the funeral of His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The players, coaching staff and match officials will wear black armbands as a mark of respect.