"Embarrassing" - Liam Palmer's brutal Sheffield Wednesday claim after Oldham drubbing | OneFootball

Liam Palmer described Sheffield Wednesday's heavy pre-season defeat to Oldham as 'embarrassing' as they now look to the new 2026/27 campaign.

Sheffield Wednesday have had a remarkably busy summer as they prepare for life back in League One this season.

The Owls’ issues in recent years have been well-documented, and there were fears about the future of the club due to the way they had operated under former owner Dejphon Chansiri.

So, the inevitable relegation from the Championship was the least of Wednesday’s worries, and, pleasingly for all connected to the club, Arise Capital Partners completed their takeover of the club earlier this year.

Liam Palmer sends honest Sheffield Wednesday message after heavy friendly defeat

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That brought fresh optimism at Hillsborough, although the US group were aware of just how much work was needed in the window, and they have brought in a host of new signings for Henrik Pedersen.

On paper, a lot of the signings look shrewd, with Louie Barry, Callum Slattery and the return of Barry Bannan among the new faces.

However, the trio were involved in what was a surprise pre-season defeat for Wednesday over the weekend, as they were hammered 4-0 by Oldham.

As well as the three new recruits, the likes of Max Lowe and Liam Palmer were part of what was a strong Owls XI, but they were comprehensively beaten by the League Two side.

Even though it was only a friendly, some of the away fans that had made the trip could be heard booing the players at the end, whilst many had left before the final whistle.

And, taking to his Instagram story, Palmer issues a brutal assessment of the performance.

“Embarrassing result, pre-season or not. Nowhere near good enough. Huge wake-up call. Work to do. We’ll be ready.”

Liam Palmer and Barry Bannan have big roles to play for Sheffield Wednesday this season

It’s important to stress that this was only a friendly, so you can’t overreact too much to a defeat in a game that doesn’t really matter, but it is a concern.

To his credit, Palmer has fronted up, and he hasn’t tried to downplay things, as he has admitted that it was unacceptable, which the fans will appreciate.

But, it is a timely reminder that patience is going to be required at Sheffield Wednesday going into this season. They may have signed a lot of good players, but it takes time for them to develop an understanding, both on and off the pitch.

That’s where players like Palmer and Bannan will be crucial, as they will be the duo who are setting the standards on a day-to-day basis, and they will be big voices in the dressing room.

Pedersen will trust them to implement the right culture, and that will be starting now as they gear up for the new season.

Now, as Palmer says, Wednesday must use the Oldham defeat as a ‘wake-up call’, and it was proof that they can’t afford to let their standards drop.

So, it will be intriguing to see how they respond when they take on Championship side Bolton at home in the League Cup this weekend.

For Pedersen, the manner of the defeat will have given him plenty of food for thought, and it will also strengthen his belief that further new signings are still needed if Wednesday are going to be in the mix for promotion this season, which has to be the aim given the size of the club.