Liam Cooper sends direct message to Sheffield Wednesday fans - Barry Bannan reacts | OneFootball

The Owls defender has a defiant message for fans after their defeat to Bradford City

Sheffield Wednesday's return to competitive league football at Hillsborough was always going to be a significant occasion following David Storch's takeover.

Pyrotechnics, fireworks and a pre-match tifo greeted the Owls as they emerged from the tunnel, with the atmosphere and occasion also catching the attention of former Wednesday favourite Josh Windass.

The optimism surrounding the club could not quite translate into a positive result, however, as Wednesday fell to a 1-0 defeat to Bradford City.

Aden Baldwin's second-half strike settled the contest after the Owls had dominated large periods of the opening 45 minutes but failed to make their pressure count.

Liam Cooper has now delivered a direct message to supporters following the frustrating result, with Barry Bannan among a number of senior Wednesday players to publicly react to the defender's comments.

Liam Cooper sends message to Sheffield Wednesday supporters after Bradford defeat

Action Images

Cooper took to social media after the final whistle to acknowledge Wednesday's shortcomings while urging supporters to remain patient with a new-look squad.

“A game of two halves. We have to be better and we will be better. Stick with us, this team is only going to improve. Little man loved his pre match cameo. Onto the next one,” he wrote.

The message was subsequently liked by several of the Owls' senior players, including Barry Bannan, Liam Palmer, Jamal Lowe and Ricardo Santos.

Cooper's comments come after a frustrating evening at Hillsborough, where the Owls were the better side for much of the first half but failed to capitalise.

Bannan twice threatened to open the scoring, first sending an effort wide before forcing a save from Jon McCracken, while Jamal Lowe and Louie Barry also went close.

Callum Slattery was another to test Bradford, with the Owls entering the interval without reward.

Bradford responded immediately after the restart, however, with Baldwin converting from close range after Ibou Touray's corner was flicked into his path.

Wednesday struggled to reproduce their first-half performance after falling behind and, although they pushed for an equaliser, McCracken was not seriously tested.

Lowe had a late opportunity to rescue a point but fired wide from close range.

Sheffield Wednesday have plenty of reasons for optimism despite Bradford loss

Action Images

There is little doubt Wednesday will have been frustrated by the defeat, particularly given how strongly they started the game.

Henrik Pedersen's side were aggressive without the ball and looked capable of moving Bradford around when in possession during the first half.

The issue was ultimately their lack of cutting edge.

Pedersen admitted afterwards that the second half was not good enough and that his players must learn how to respond when matches change.

That will be an important part of the learning process for a squad which has undergone significant change this summer.

Patience will be key for Sheffield Wednesday this season

Action Images

Wednesday have assembled an almost entirely new-look squad, with 14 new signings arriving during the summer, meaning expectations will need to be tempered with patience.

Bradford also provided a reminder of the level of competition Wednesday will face in League One.

The Bantams are an established side who were able to withstand pressure, remain organised and take advantage when their opportunity arrived.

Cooper's message reflects the belief within the dressing room that improvement will come, and the senior players will be crucial in keeping supporters on board during that process.

There is a long season ahead, and one defeat should not define a campaign which is only two games old.