The Owls face Cambridge at Hillsborough this evening for the first game since Pedersen’s departure on Sunday, with Matty Hamshaw taking his place in the dugout as interim manager at a stadium where he played plenty of football as a player.
It’s sixth vs eighth at S6 as these two lock horns in League One, and Harris is expecting a tough challenge against a side with ‘good players’, a ‘good spine’, and a ‘cracking guy’ in charge of them.
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“Sunday was spent preparing for Sheffield Wednesday,” the U’s boss said ahead of the game. “I got up early on Sunday morning, and was watching a lot of football, and then you get the news in the afternoon that they’ve parted ways with their manager! You think, ‘Well, was that a waste of time?!’ It wasn’t, because I learnt a lot about their recent games, and I’ve not seen a lot of them this year - so it was good to see them and take stock.
“You feel for the manager who has lost his job, but I also understand the expectations at that football club - it’s very high and very demanding. What does it mean for us? We focus on ourselves…
“Matty Hamshaw has taken over, and he’s a cracking guy, we know him very well. We know he’ll be wanting to fill the void until somebody else steps in, and wanting to win for the team…
“It’s a big football club with a big crowd who support their team, and we look forward to the challenge. We just prepare the best we can, and focus on ourselves.”
He went on to add, “They’ve got good players, as you’d expect. They’ve got a good spine of the team, good wingers, and experience in the backline… They’re a big football club for this level, and we’re respectful of that. I need to get my team selection right.”
Tonight’s game gets underway at 7.45pm, with Hamshaw and the Owls hoping to bounce back from consecutive defeats at the hands of Notts County and Doncaster Rovers.
The visitors could be without striker, Gassan Ahadme, due to injury, while Dom Ball and Shane McLoughlin are definitely unavailable.
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