SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY SACK HENRIK PEDERSEN

Sheffield Wednesday have sacked head coach Henrik Pedersen after successive League One defeats to Notts County and Doncaster Rovers. Saturday’s 2-0 loss at Doncaster followed a 2-0 defeat at Notts County on Tuesday. Doncaster scored twice in the first 17 minutes, and Wednesday supporters called for Pedersen to leave. Pedersen had led the club for less than 15 months and won one of his final six league matches. Wednesday failed to score in four of those six games.

Wednesday sit eighth in League One, two points outside the play-off places after 11 games this season. The club left the Championship last season after a campaign affected by financial problems, supporter protests and an 18-point deduction. Wednesday finished that campaign with 18 points and secured their first home win on the final day against West Brom. US-based consortium Arise completed its takeover on the same day, and the club brought in 18 players for this season. Pedersen had worked as an assistant to Danny Rohl before taking charge.

Matt Hamshaw will lead Wednesday’s home match against sixth-placed Cambridge United on Tuesday while the club seeks a new manager. Hamshaw joined Wednesday’s coaching staff in August after Rotherham United sacked him last season. Sporting director Simon Wilson thanked Pedersen for his work during what he called an “exceptionally challenging period” for the club. “Although we have accumulated points, we haven’t seen enough progress in those areas,” Wilson said, referring to the club’s expected style of play and consistency. Wilson said the change would give Wednesday an opportunity to establish those foundations for the second half of the season.