Henrik Pedersen's Sheffield Wednesday comments spark fan reaction after Bradford loss | OneFootball

Henrik Pedersen's analysis of Sheffield Wednesday's 1-0 loss to Bradford has received a strong reaction from supporters

Henrik Pedersen has claimed that his Sheffield Wednesday side weren’t good enough in the second half in their defeat to Bradford City on Thursday night.

The Owls were back at Hillsborough in front of a packed crowd, but were unable to make it two wins from two to start the new League One campaign.

The Yorkshire outfit fell behind in the 47th minute through an Aden Baldwin goal, and were unable to get back into the contest, with it finishing 1-0.

Sheffield Wednesday had 13 shots to the Bantams’ 10, creating an expected goals (xG) of 1.36 compared to 0.62, but were unable to make the most of their best chances.

It means Pedersen’s side now have three points from their opening two fixtures, having beaten Leyton Orient away in the opening weekend.

The third division side have won just once at home under the Danish coach, which came against West Brom on the final day of the previous campaign.

Henrik Pedersen explains Sheffield Wednesday defeat to Bradford

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Pedersen believes that the team dropped in confidence after going behind early in the second half, but that they were able to get back into the game and create chances.

However, he criticised the overall performance in the second 45, suggesting that his side just weren’t good enough to get a result against Graham Alexander’s team.

“I think we dropped down a little bit of [confidence and belief] in the second half, to have more of a vertical mindset, to speed up the game,” said Pedersen, via Sheffield Wednesday on X.

“We had less situations where we sped up the game, and when we did it we could also create something, and we started to win more second balls, and started to play more forward than them.

“We worked our way back into the game, and had three, four longer phases in the second half where we created something, also we had some chances.

“But the second half was not good enough today.”

Sheffield Wednesday finished bottom of the Championship table last season, but are hoping to return to a competitive level in 2026/27.

New owners Arise Capital have overseen a major overhaul of the first team squad, as they hope to return the club to the second tier as quickly as possible.

How Sheffield Wednesday fans reacted to Henrik Pedersen’s criticism

Sheffield Wednesday fans have not responded well to Pedersen’s comments following the Bradford defeat, with many suggesting performances should be better.

Supporters have highlighted his lack of leadership qualities, claiming he has to do more to inspire the team.

Fans are frustrated with the tactical decisions with an improved squad, and believe he could be out of the club by December.

Sheffield Wednesday’s new owners have been warned that football isn’t a sentimental game, and that a change could be needed in order to restore a winning mentality.

Sheffield Wednesday return to action on 25 August in an EFL Cup clash at home to Wolves.

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Henrik Pedersen doesn’t have the time he did last season

Pedersen’s position is immediately under pressure now after the club invested in the first team over the summer.

The new owners will want to see results straight away, but the fans too are already showing their impatience after losing just the second game of the campaign.

A defeat at home is disappointing, but it’s clear that the team created enough chances to get a result, so it’s still far too early to suggest a change in the dugout is needed.

But it does go to show that Pedersen is working under a completely new environment compared to last season, and he won’t be afforded nearly as much rope as he had in 2025/26, so results have to be consistent.