Carlos Carvalhal: Wolves are best Championship team in years

The Sheffield Wednesday boss enjoyed his first two seasons in English football, guiding the Owls to the play offs in successive campaigns (losing in the final to Hull City in 2016 and in the semi-finals to Huddersfield six months ago).

Year three, though, isn't going to well.

Inconsistent Wednesday are struggling down in 15th place, winless in five and with an increasing number of fans calling for Carvalhal to go.

A lengthy injury list which still includes star man Fernando Forestieri hasn't helped – and neither has seeing their fierce rivals Sheffield United come from League One and overtake them to become promotion contenders (not to mention beating them 4-2 at Hillsborough).

But either way Carvalhal, whose team are 10 points off the play-offs needs results quickly.

If reports are to be believed then he needs them extremely quickly, more specifically a win against league leaders Wolves tomorrow, otherwise he'll be sacked.

The Portuguese head coach was in fighting form today, starting his pre-match press conference with a fierce defence of his record which lasted for almost 10 minutes, defiantly stating he was 'absolutely confident' in the work he was doing.

He knows he'll need to see a big improvement from his team if Wednesday are to end Wolves' seven-game unbeaten run, with Carvalhal praising Wolves as the best team he's seen at this level since taking charge at Hillsborough in 2015.

"We play against the best team I've seen in the Championship in two and a half seasons," Carvalhal, who is banned from the touchline for tomorrow's game after being sent to the stands against Hull last month, said.

"Not just because they have individuals, but because they have quality.

"Individually they have very good players and also they have good organisation, which makes them the best team I've seen (since joining)

"We have a big, big challenge.

"We can win the game and (have to) be very concentrated about the opponent because they have some players that don't belong to the Championship, they are top level.

"I like (Ruben) Neves and (Diogo) Jota a lot and others are really good.

"We (need) a big commitment, a big fight and let's try to put the fans on our side to do a good result."

Former Wolves midfielder David Jones is likely to start in midfield but another ex-Molineux man, striker Steven Fletcher, is a big doubt with a knee injury.

Jack Hunt, Tom Lees, Sam Hutchinson, Kieran Lee, George Boyd and Forestieri are all ruled out through injury.

"Of course I'm frustrated about this," Carvalhal said of his absentees.

"I'm happy with the players we have and I must give confidence to them.

"But if you ask me if I wish to play with everyone fit with high intensity, high tempo and have internal competition, of course I wish."