Bethany Patrick is a football writer based in Manchester, UK.  

Her work focuses on the EFL, with particular interest in football governance, supporter culture, and fan experience and access.
 

Bethany is a director of the award-winning Sheffield Wednesday Women’s Supporters Group, where she works on fan engagement, strategy and campaigns for greater inclusion across the game.

She regularly represents supporters in governance spaces across Europe, including government panels and discussions around football regulation and the supporter's voice.
 

She has previously worked as a researcher for The Stretford Paddock and is a regular contributor to The Wednesday Week.

Sheffield Wednesday suffered another damaging League One defeat on Saturday afternoon as they were beaten 2-0 by Doncaster Rovers - and Leeds United loanee Harry Gray was among those left disappointed after being omitted from the matchday squad.

The young forward had started each of the Owls' three League One fixtures since the international break, but Henrik Pedersen was forced to make a difficult decision after naming six loan players in his League One squad.

With only five permitted on a matchday, Gray was the man to miss out.

While the decision was understandable from a selection perspective, Leeds will surely have hoped their promising youngster would receive regular opportunities at Hillsborough.

With Wednesday enduring a miserable week, his absence will only add to the frustration surrounding the club's current direction.

Leeds United will be disappointed with Harry Gray's Sheffield Wednesday omission

Leeds sent Gray to Wednesday to gain valuable senior experience, with regular first-team football an important part of his development at this stage of his career.

The forward had seemingly established himself in Pedersen's plans, starting the three matches following the international break.

However, the rules surrounding loan players forced the Wednesday boss into a selection dilemma ahead of the trip to Doncaster.

Explaining his decision, Pedersen told The Star: "One had to be let out and we have a lot of offensive players out. For me, it was difficult."

The Dane pointed towards Kieran Morrison's start on the left, Jaden Heskey's importance in away fixtures and Gray's recent run of appearances as factors behind his decision.

While there is little suggestion Leeds will be openly furious with Wednesday over one omission, the situation will hardly be ideal from their perspective.

Gray cannot develop through senior football if he is regularly watching from the sidelines.

Wednesday's immediate priorities will naturally come first, but maintaining productive relationships with parent clubs is also important.

Leeds will want to see Gray given opportunities to develop, rather than finding himself caught up in a numbers game.

Sheffield Wednesday's miserable week has put Henrik Pedersen under pressure

Gray's omission was ultimately a sideshow to a deeply disappointing afternoon for Wednesday, who followed Tuesday's 2-0 defeat at Notts County with another loss by the same scoreline.

The Owls were two goals behind inside the opening 16 minutes against Doncaster, with Owen Bailey punishing their woeful defending from set pieces.

Although Wednesday improved after half-time, they could not find a way back into the contest.

The result leaves Wednesday with just one win in their last six league matches, having slipped to eighth in League One.

That represents a considerable drop in standards following their emphatic 5-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon just last weekend.

Sheffield Wednesday must decide whether to stick with Henrik Pedersen

There is a growing tension among Wednesdayites over whether Pedersen deserves more time or whether a change is now necessary.

Some will argue that the Dane needs patience, particularly given the challenges of rebuilding the club following its turbulent recent history.

Is it time for David Storch to part ways with Henrik Pedersen? Comment your opinion below!

Others will point towards the inconsistency of the performances, tactical uncertainty and back-to-back away defeats as evidence that things are not improving quickly enough.

Pedersen himself acknowledged the poor week, admitting he shared the anger felt by supporters.

Tuesday's home fixture against Cambridge United now carries added significance, with a sizeable Hillsborough crowd expected and the pressure firmly on the Owls to respond.