Wednesday run out at Selhurst Park on Saturday to resume hostilities with an old foe and Brian Laws is relishing the battle ahead.

Erstwhile Blades boss Neil Warnock stands between the Owls and three points, a return with which Wednesday would leapfrog the Londoners in the table.

Laws noted that Palace are a much less cavalier outfit under the guidance of Warnock, who took the Eagles' reins when Peter Taylor was sacked in the early throes of October.

But he also warned the Selhurst side will almost certainly prove a tough nut to crack.

Laws said: "Palace have changed under Neil, there's no doubt about that. They are much sterner, not as flamboyant and very resilient. They don't take many chances and while it might be a case of not scoring many goals, they don't concede many either."

While Laws prepares to lock horns with Warnock on the pitch, the Owls chief has revealed nothing but admiration for SWFC's ex-nemesis off it.

He continued: "I like him. He's a great character and there are not enough of them in the Football League. Real characters are few and far between, they are refreshing and football needs them.

"You can have the strait-laced managers who say the right things at the right time but sometimes you need to freshen things up with maybe a little controversy along the way. He will never duck or dive a question and he's probably a media's dream."

Despite that glowing reference, Laws will have no qualms in hitting Warnock where it hurts on Saturday - namely the Palace points tally.

During Warnock's time in charge at Bramall Lane, the Owls garnered a meagre six derby points from a possible 24, bleak statistics that are far from lost on Laws, who declared:

"I want three points on Saturday. I want Sheffield Wednesday to take something from Neil Warnock for a change - and I'll tell him that before the game."

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