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SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY: Simek glad to miss date at the Palace
FRANK SIMEK was spared a head-on confrontation with his demons at a wet and wild Selhurst Park last Saturday.
The American defender would have been forgiven for inwardly shuddering when he saw the Crystal Palace trip on the horizon – with the quirk of the fixture calendar such that his return to the first-team fray following a long-term ankle injury pretty much coincided with the south London mission.
Simek damaged ankle ligaments in last season's 1-1 draw against the Eagles last December and after making his first-team return as a second-half sub' in the 1-0 midweek home loss to Plymouth, he was busy steeling himself for last weekend's clash.
The Missouri-born full-back was promoted to the bench following loan ace Tony McMahon's dismissal at Barnsley, which sidelined him for the clash at Birmingham and the Argyle game, with boss Brian Laws requiring cover for Lewis Buxton.
But in the event, Laws elected to hold back Simek from the fray last Saturday and stayed true to his softly-softly policy of easing the 24-year-old back into the action, while perhaps mindful of his painful experiences at Selhurst Park.
Simek admits it was probably a wise move all around and is now focusing on pouring all his energies into putting almost a year of injury hell firmly behind him by virtue of claiming back the right-back jersey which he had previously nailed down since arriving at the club in the summer of 2005.
The US international, whose performances attracted Premiership interest from the likes of Everton prior to his injury, said: "It's a bit ironic, I guess. I start on my comeback and we play Crystal Palace away.
"I actually ended up commenting on the radio, but I did the warm-up on the pitch with the boys. I tried not to go anywhere near the part of the pitch where I injured my ankle.
"I'm glad that game is out of the way and I can look forward now. It's been a long 11 months, I've had to be very patient with the injury but things are looking brighter.
"I'm getting my fitness and sharpness back and I played my first 90 minutes (in the reserves) last week.
"I wish there had been another reserve game this week to get another full game under my belt, but I'm not too far off and I am doing pretty good.
"There was no point in rushing me back before, but I feel fine now and I'm raring to go. It was good to taste some first-team action against Plymouth. It was a bad result, but to finally come back and play for the first team after so long out was a good thing for me personally."
On his injury woe, model of consistency Simek – who had hardly missed a game for the Owls prior to last December – added: "When I first did it, the initial diagnosis was six to eight weeks.
"But I tried to come back and it wasn't really happening for me. I ended up having an operation.
"I knew it was a bad injury and that it was going to take time.
I didn't think it would take this long, but that's the way it goes.
"It's easily my worst ever injury and hopefully this is the one bad one of my career and I can just forget about it now.
"It's tough keeping going when you are just in the gym. But I'm back out with the boys now, involved in games and travelling with the team once again. I'm a much happier man now."
Wednesday players received headlines for deciding to pay the rail fare to Palace out of their own pockets and Simek insists it was worth it.
With memories of hellish coach trips to Reading and Plymouth in their minds – games in which the Owls lost 6-0 and 4-0 respectively – the players collectively decided to let the train take the strain to ease their pre-match preparation.
And while the move failed to fully cure their travel sickness on the pitch, which has seen Laws' troops win just once in eight attempts on the road, it paid off of sorts with the Owls claiming a hard-earned point to end a run of three successive defeats.
Simek said: "We've had some absolute nightmare trips down to London in the past.
"To be fair, the train was a lot more comfortable than the bus.
"We were in first class and had room to ourselves and could get up and walk around, so it was worth it." I didn’t think it would take this long, but that’s the way it goes.
“It’s easily my worst ever injury and hopefully this is the one bad one of my career and I can just forget about it now.
“It’s tough keeping going when you are just in the gym. But I’m back out with the boys now, involved in games and travelling with the team once again. I’m a much happier man now.”
Wednesday players received headlines for deciding to pay the rail fare to Palace out of their own pockets and Simek insists it was worth it.
Strain
With memories of hellish coach trips to Reading and Plymouth in their minds – games in which the Owls lost 6-0 and 4-0 respectively – the players collectively decided to let the train take the strain to ease their pre-match preparation.
And while the move failed to fully cure their travel sickness on the pitch, which has seen Laws’ troops win just once in eight attempts on the road, it paid off of sorts with the Owls claiming a hard-earned point to end a run of three successive defeats.
Simek said: “We’ve had some absolute nightmare trips down to London in the past.
“To be fair, the train was a lot more comfortable than the bus.
“We were in first class and had room to ourselves and could get up and walk around, so it was worth it.”
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
