Are the Owls finally on the right road?

[BBC] Henrik Pedersen gave the media an insight into Wednesday's first training session [Getty Images] The roads of Budapest are full of potholes. As you drive along, the bumps feel like they're going to last forever. It sort of resembles Sheffield Wednesday's 2025/26 season. Think you've got over the worst of it? Crash. Another thumping drop jolting your back. Surely that's the last one? Nope. This hole's even bigger. Now you've got a headache. At the end of today's journey we reached a state-of-the-art training facility. This in itself is symbolic of the changing fortunes of the club. If the potholes were last season - delayed wage payments, administration, an overmatched squad suffering like no other previously, and drama to conclude a sale - the MLSZ Technical centre highlights the fresh start at Wednesday. This is the kind of place a serious club prepares for a new season. This is where the Hungarian national team train. There's a hotel attached. Two senior teams or four youth teams can train here at a time. There are shirts hung in the corridors, signed by previous visitors, such as the likes of Jack Grealish. This is such a far cry from 12 months ago. The temperature is warm without being overbearing (about 25C). The manager, Henrik Pedersen, generously took time to explain to the gathered media the purpose of today's session. This one was about creating overloads and transitioning into attacking positions. The Owls are going to face the notorious "low block" frequently next year, especially at Hillsborough. It has always been a problem when Wednesday drop into League One. Very few teams set out to attack. They want to frustrate. This session was seemingly designed to help find a way to combat this. There was also talk of the need for speed and quickness - something that was lacking last season, as a young Wednesday squad was pulled apart and stretched to breaking point. There was also a hint at the tactical approach Pedersen will adopt - a back four, attack-minded, working on the kind of technical skills that certain German managers have recently suggested as not being within the "English DNA". It's such a far cry from a year ago, when Wednesday couldn't even use their own training ground at times to prepare for the toughest of seasons. They had no friendlies, they had no camp. What a relief it must be for those who are still with the club to be going through a totally different summer. There are plenty of new faces - many of which will provide huge encouragement to fans. There are players with pedigree who have signed for, or re-joined, the Owls this summer. Yet there's no sense of anyone getting carried away. Internally there very much feels like a desire to avoid any big statement of intent or creation of expectation. As with every facet of the club moving forward, there's no quick fix. But to go back to the potholes analogy, this is a club that feels like it's starting to lay the tarmac to create a smoother drive for the next few years. Latest Sheffield Wednesday news, analysis and fan views Listen to Sheffield Wednesday content on BBC Sounds