HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Saturday’s game at Hillsborough by delving into their forums.

“This season was always going to be tougher”, “The Championship will continue to get harder. We have to sprint to virtually tread water. It takes time”, “To sum up, we’re not playing well and most of our top players aren’t performing but we are still within touching distance of the play-offs.”

“If I step back and look at things, I honestly don’t believe we have a Championship winning squad.” Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Derby saw the Owls slip out of the play-off places on goal difference. Many feel that the team has not clicked yet and that they lack the consistency to push for a top-two finish.

“I think promotion is a long shot but possible via the play-offs but we need to start scoring goals”, “Our defeat at Derby showed the difference in class between the top two and the rest. You have to take your chances or you get punished like we have been. Automatics? Not a chance.”

“We will finish in the play-offs. After that it’s anyone’s guess”, “We are way off a top-two finish and it will be a battle for fifth or sixth. If we don’t stop conceding poor goals like the first one at Derby we could easily miss out on the top six and it’s looking more competitive than last season.”

Many Owls are simply happy to enjoy the ride for now. “Remember where we were two years ago”, “We do have the type of players who will entertain though”, “We play damned good football and it’s a joy to watch”, “I am absolutely loving being a Wednesday fan after so many years of misery.”

Carlos Carvalhal

“I feel we are moving in the right direction under Carlos. His footballing philosophy is the way ahead both for now and in the future if we win promotion any time soon”, “He won’t abandon his high-pressing style”, “The footballing philosophy we have will stand us in good stead for the future.”

“The best manager we have had in years.” Owls have welcomed the fluid passing style of football which the Portuguese 50-year-old has instilled since arriving in summer 2015. “He is one of the most tactically sound managers in the league. We will click soon enough”, “We are lucky to have him.”

“Carlos was having a pop at the ‘sacking’ nature of the Championship and how it takes months for managers to get across what they want from their players. We want to avoid this and stay patient with him. If we do, I am confident we will get to where we want to be sooner rather than later.”

“I wish Carlos would pay more heed to making us a little more difficult to beat at times but it’s not his way”, “He struggles with the more pragmatic side of the game and can over-complicate things”, “Carlos is a very good coach who has got us playing the best football I have seen us play in years.”

A Strong Squad Flattering to Deceive

“We have been far more dominant in games and have had more of the ball this year”, “The squad is stronger than this time last year and there are several gears to go up”, “Our perpetual movement is great to watch but ends with the strikers doing too much outside the box and not enough inside it.”

“Entertaining, but not perhaps the stuff of title winners”, “I’m not sure we have got it in us to grind out enough grim 1-0 away wins to challenge for promotion”, “We’re a very open team this season. We can be irresistible going forward if everything clicks into place but can look woeful defensively.”

“The sad reality is that we have let in more goals than we have scored. For a squad of this talent, no matter how you dress it up, that isn’t good enough.” The theme of being nearly men has regularly repeated itself. “We have improved technically this season but struggle to break teams down.”

Tinkering About

“I love Carlos but find some of his decisions on player positions confusing”, “Carlos doesn’t yet know his best side or formation and seems to chop and change for different sides that we meet”, “I always think he gets his starting XI wrong but he seems to be able to get it right with strong substitutions.”

“We have to put players in their best positions.” Owls have grown used to their manager’s habit of placing one or two players out of their strongest roles. Saturday’s starting XI (above) at Derby was no exception with central midfielder Barry Bannan starting on the right in their preferred 4-4-2 shape.

“We have seen Almen Abdi or Kieran Lee out on the left, Bannan on the right and Adam Reach up front, what is Carlos playing at this season?”

Many want Carvalhal to play his best team rather than shoehorning in the best players. The squad has sufficient strength in depth to allow this to happen.

“We look suspect too often when opponents drive at us through central midfield.” Holding player Sam Hutchinson has moved into central defence with new arrival David Jones replacing him. Many believe that the engine room lacks Hutchinson’s tenacity and needs cover from wider midfielders.

“We lack muscle.” This lack of a physicality is a wider concern among Owls. “We have been bullied by some teams since Carlos arrived”, “We seem to be overloaded with neat footballers and lacking in the beast department. I admire Carlos’s Barcelona blueprint but will it get us out of this division?”

“Our lack of goals is certainly a worry”, “Defensively we are very good. It’s further forward where our problems lie. We don’t score enough goals”, “We have plenty of possession but don’t take our chances when they appear”, “We would be doing very nicely now if we had last season’s finishing.”

Derby 2 — 0 Sheffield Wednesday

“A big let-down today, I really thought we would get something. Derby are a good team but we had a great chance to pick up points with their current form”, “Absolutely gutted we lost that game. The ‘decision’ early on clearly shaped how it played out. We need to take it on the chin and go again.”

The Rams picked up all three points last Saturday courtesy of Cyrus Christie header from a corner on 17 and a finish from Adam Pearce on 67 from eight-yards out. The ‘decision’ which left Owls feeling bitter taste was a goal-saving handball by Rams defender Richard Keogh with the game scoreless, which referee James Linington failed to spot.

“Nobody shone through on a frustrating day.” Many fans felt that they never controlled the game. “Our midfield was OK but played very narrow and it didn’t pay any dividends. We need to be more dynamic in this area and seemed to lack any conviction to get to the byline or turn defences.”

Sheffield Wednesday 1 — 0 QPR

“Nice one, three more points in the bag”, “We could have made it easier for ourselves but I can’t complain with three points and another clean sheet”, “It shouldn’t have been that nervy, QPR were a poor side”, “If QPR had taken anything from that game, we would have been kicking ourselves.”

“Yes, super Hooper!” Wednesday’s winning goal came when Gary Hooper latched on to a David Jones volley five minutes before the interval. Many Owls felt that the margin of victory should have been greater. “Once again we have dominated but were not able to convert enough chances.”

“Carlos, Bannan is not a right winger and you are turning him into the next Almen Abdi.” Owls were baffled by the decision to play the former Palace man on the right in the starting line-up (above). The hosts were comfortable winners and their overall quality was too much for the Londoners to handle.

Cardiff 1 — 1 Sheffield Wednesday

“A good point”, “That will do. We were unlucky to go a goal down to a top freekick but we did well to get back in the game”, “We totally dominated Cardiff for practically the whole second half”, “A good performance with tidy possession and quite a few chances created, a well-earned point.”

“Have we scored yet?”, “No, but they have.” The Bluebirds took the lead from a Peter Whittingham freekick in the ninth minute but the visitors rescued a point from Daniel Pudil’s low strike 10 minutes after the interval. “Any struggling side playing at home under a new manager will be tough to beat.”

“I love Carlos but the starting XI [above] should have been stronger.” Both Fernando Forestieri and Bannan were rested for this midweek game, with out-of-form Abdi starting in his preferred role behind the striker. With the side trailing, Carvalhal moved to a 4-4-2 shape with several men out of position.

This irked many fans. “This is ridiculous. What is the point of playing Abdi, Lee and Reach all out of position?”, “Abdi or Lee on the left wing and Reach playing up front, I’m staggered at that.” The introduction of Forestieri up front for Abdi at half-time saw the side regaining its attacking balance.

Goalkeepers and Defenders

“Cameron Dawson looked very good after early nerves against QPR.” The 21-year-old youth product has started the last two league games in goal with Keiren Westwood having been injured. “Well done, a clean sheet on your first start”, “He looked very good after some early nerves and excellent for his age.”

“Dawson had a couple of dodgy kicks and one late flap but that’s the norm with most keepers”, “It was noticeable that Hooper was giving Dawson’s kicking a thumbs-up”, “A brilliant shot-stopper but a work-in-progress with high balls and crosses”, “He has done a good job twice put in the deep end.”

“Keiren Westwood is expected to be in contention for the Ipswich game after his back injury.” The 32-year-old ex-Sunderland man “can pull off a save like no one else”, “One of the best performers in the league when he isn’t injured”, “His injury record is a joke”, “Not again, he’s so injury prone.”

“Westwood has been poor this year by his standards. He has pulled off some great saves but also cost us a few goals”, “He has made several blunders this season and has been a liability. Injuries are affecting his form”, “We are still lucky to have him, one of the best keepers we have ever had.”

“Jack Hunt has lots of energy and endeavour but his crossing and decision-making in the final third are unacceptable.” The 25-year-old former Terrier “also gets repeatedly caught out under the ball and loses a lot of normal challenges”, “He brings pace to the side but many of his forays are wasted.”

“Hunt is confident on the ball at right-back and willing to make runs and take men on but his final ball is lacking”, “A player with definite ability but he needs to be more consistent with his crossing”, “He had a decent game against QPR, giving us pace, width and great energy when on the front foot.”

“Liam Palmer is a neat and tidy player having a decent season. He is not the most gifted and there are better right-backs in the division but you cannot fault his effort.” The 25-year-old youth product “is a better defender than Hunt and the commitment is there, but he is not as good going forward.”

“My only criticism of Palmer is that I wish he was more positive in attacking positions. There are plenty of time he can make a cross or have a shot but prefers to make a safe pass”, “He must work on crossing under pressure, and be more calm and composed when approaching the final third.”

“It seems like Daniel Pudil is struggling with Tom Ince at the moment.” The 31-year-old ex-Hornet “was never closer than 20 yards to Ince and had a 10-yard first touch”, “He was given the runaround by Ince and was an easy pick to be substituted”, “Cyrus Christie out-jumped him and it was 1-0 to Derby.”

“Pudil defended well and got forward more often than he has of late against QPR.” The left-back had a better game against the West Londoners. “It was a solid display and he should have scored”, “He was our main outlet with QPR’s right winger not tracking back, getting into some great positions.”

“We need younger, faster legs but the leadership qualities of Glenn Loovens are second to none.” The 33-year-old ex-Celtic and Cardiff centre-half “is a decent leader but there comes a time when you will be beaten by younger quicker strikers”, “He lacks pace and struggles with quick attackers.”

“Loovens has been a very good player for us but parts of his game are quite limited such as his pace, passing and a tendency to dwell on the ball which started to creep into his game last season”, “His general play is slow and deliberate and impacts on our ability to break quickly, playing sideways.”

“Tom Lees has had a bad run of form.” The 25-year-old ex-Leeds centre-half “is under pressure as we have no big stopper at the back for crosses”, “He has been disappointing this season but superb for the previous two seasons. He benefits from having the calming influence of Loovens beside him.”

“Lees needs to cool down under pressure and apply these same game management techniques in stoppage time”, “He is strong and commanding although he must stop giving silly passes and letting players past him”, “He has been better defensively but I wish he would cut out the rubbish passes.”

Sam Hutchinson

“Hutchinson tackles like his life depends on it and is a real driving force. It must be great to have him alongside you on the pitch.” The 27-year-old ex-Chelsea man “gives the ball away needlessly but his desire, leadership, tackles and reading of the game more than make up for it”, “A defensive rock.”

“Sam is better with he doesn’t overcomplicate things with his distribution”, “His sloppy passing is balanced by great tackles, headers and interceptions”, “He never learns with his diving in”, “I’m a big fan of him playing centre-back but it is having a big negative effect with our lack of steel in midfield.”

Central Midfielders

“We are going to ruin Almen Abdi.” The 30-year-old summer addition from Watford “has been a waste of money because Carlos refuses to play him in his best position. He’s not a winger”, “He is being constantly played out of position then subbed”, “He’s the quality central player we need.”

“The Abdi situation is a farce”, “He’s a very expensive enigma”, “Time will tell but he might just not be suited to our team.” Some Owls suspect that his passing game is less suited to their style than Forestieri’s pace and energy. “Abdi needs to be the main man but we are moving on without him.”

“How many times? Barry Bannan cannot play on the right.” The 26-year-old ex-Palace and Aston Villa man “is better centrally alongside Jones. He can focus on what he is good at, being creative rather than having to worry about defending”, “He can be that difference playing that killer ball that only he can see.”

“Bannan is a fabulous player but seems to go weak in a few tackles here and there. If he is playing centrally in a 4-4-2, he needs a defensive midfielder with him”, “When on the right, he hasn’t been playing that God-awful quarter-back role. He covers every blade of grass playing with great energy.”

David Jones

“I really hope Jones retains his place in the team as we first and foremost must be defensively solid”, “He pulls the strings, defending brilliantly in front of the back four. He plays cross-field balls as if they were five-yard passes”, “He breaks up play around the centre circle and plays it well and simple.

“Jones holds everything together.” The 31-year-old former Burnley midfielder, who played for Mick McCarthy at Wolves, “does the simple things without fault. He is always looking for the ball and the quick pass”, “He’s very disciplined when he needs to be and he uses the ball extremely well”, “We aren’t so easy to score against when he is in the side.”

Kieran Lee

“Kieran works like a dog and is dangerous going forward”, “He has become key to everything we do and is always at the heart of the action. He has good movement, his positional play is excellent, he has technical skill and a great engine on him”, “He is the most underrated player in the division.”

“Lee’s cardio is insane.” The 28-year-old ex-Oldham man “is the best box-to-box player I have seen play for us”, “He is so difficult to stop playing, popping up everywhere, breaking-up play and pressing constantly”, “He can float out of position and that can cause some problems in a two-man midfield.”

Wide Midfielders

“Ross Wallace is best used sparingly.” The 31-year-old ex-Burnley winger “is still a good player but we are starting to have better options. He’s just another one-paced player who slows down our attacks and struggles to get back. He can still offer plenty from the bench”, “He is slow and predictable.”

“Wallace’s inability to use his right foot is so pronounced now it is obvious to even the most basic right-back”, “On the left wing, his delivery into the box is exceptional with his cultured left foot. On the right, he’s too predictable. He always cuts in on to his left foot and floats the ball into the box.”

“I cannot for the life of me think why Will Buckley doesn’t get a run.” Owls want to see more of their loan signing from Sunderland. The 26-year-old “has pace, strength and can take a player on”, “He likes to run and get at his full-back”, “He isn’t a fancy dan winger, but a player who works hard in a system.”

Adam Reach

“Reach is starting to show signs that he could be a very good player. He looks so comfortable on the ball, almost effortless at times.” The 23-year-old ex-Middlesbrough left-sided player “gets into great positions and makes killer passes but he is just not clinical enough at times”, “He isn’t a striker.”

“Another five games and Reach will have played in every position.” He has also played at left-back and up front. “He still has not fully found his rhythm yet but it’s close”, “I have been struck by his work-rate”, “He’s a real creative pulse, firing in exquisite crosses from behind defensive lines.”

Strikers

“Atdhe Nuhiu is better off the bench.” The 27-year-old former Rapid Vienna target man has been used as a substitute option this season. “He is skilful and can hold up the ball well. He’s the perfect man to bring on to see a game out. We need to play it into his feet”, “I hate it when he fancies a goal.”

“I like Nuhiu. He offers a real contribution in the last 20 minutes”, “It cracks me up that he looks completely shot to bits within a minute of coming on”, “He makes me chuckle when he goes on one of his dribbles”, “He’s a donkey but a very useful one, and we generally improve when he comes on.”

Steven Fletcher may feature on Saturday despite picking up and head wound at Derby on Saturday. The 29-year-old ex-Sunderland striker had to be substituted having arrived on from the bench. “His hold-up play is a cut above. His headers are pinpoint and his movement off the ball is intelligent.”

“Fletcher’s dribbling, shooting and hold-up play are all quality and its little wonder he has played all his career in the top flight”, “He gives the team drive in the same was Forestieri does, albeit with a different playing style”, “His touch is superb and he has the vision to spot run before anyone reacts.”

Fernando Forestieri

“There is such a buzz around the place when Forestieri is one-on-one with a defender”, “With him you know he will get the ball, turn and commit players; He adds that missing injection of pace”, “His movement causes problems to well-organised defences”, “He is the absolute linchpin of the attack.”

“Are we too much of a one-man team? I wanted him to find last season’s form but it isn’t happening. If he was his old self, we would be right up there.” The 26-year-old ex-Hornet “is our playmaker, our stand-out player. Without him firing on all cylinders we have really struggled to create or score.”

“Great player, wrong position”, “Fernando is a truly outstanding player but he is not a striker”, “He was a phenomenal success last season but he tore teams to shreds playing wider and deeper on the left”, “He is getting the ball into the same areas but with his back to goal and bodies around him.”

Gary Hooper

“Hooper works hard and well with not a lot of support.” The 28-year-old former Canary is regularly praised for his industry. “He is excellent holding up the ball and linking play and his movement is top notch”, “He runs himself to a standstill, linking up play well and is as good as anyone in the squad.”

“Gary may be lacking in pace but his runs are a joy to watch”, “He is constantly breaking the lines, playing like a real poacher. That’s the Hooper we need to have week-in, week-out”, “He can end up doing too much ball-work, dropping deep with his back to goal, something that has got to change.”

“You can’t drop a striker that is scoring”, “The man has an insane goals to games ratio for us”, “The majority of his goals last season were tap-ins, from rebounds or from punts into the box. He hasn’t had many similar opportunities this season”, “You wouldn’t want a chance to fall to anyone else.”

Owls’ Views on ITFC and the Game

“Ipswich this Saturday can see this being our karma match after the injustice of the Derby handball. I can see us giving them a right tonking, at least 5-0 to the Owls”, “I was thinking this too. We should bottle all of that pent-up anger and aggression and use it to obliterate Ipswich off the planet.”

“Will people never learn?”, “Sadly no. Not having beaten anyone by more than one goal, I can't think of a side less likely to give anyone a tonking, particularly a side with a defence as good as Ipswich”, “We don’t score enough goals to beat anyone 5-0.”

“I can't see beyond a 1-0 to us, three points, a clean sheet and back in play-offs.” Leaving forecasts of five-goal wins aside, 70 per cent of Owls have predicted a home win, most by a 1-0 or 2-1 margin and a mere six per cent have gone for a Blues win. They are confident of a narrow if somewhat dull win.

“Surely Ipswich at home is time to get on the front foot”, “I'd take a scruffy 1-0 but I think the score will be 0-0 or 1-1. We don't score many and we're against a very good defence this week”, “It will be a dreary 0-0 draw, but don't be at all surprised if Ipswich nick it in the last minute.”

“Somebody is due a right old battering and with McCarthy on the back foot, defending pelters about his pending sacking this week I think Saturday's match has all the hallmarks of a dreary 2-0 win to Ipswich”, “We need to start showing we can be ruthless, but I doubt it'll be this weekend.”

“Ipswich are another team we don't beat that often and in any case, how many times have we got the better of a Mick McCarthy side?”, “Have we never really beaten one of his miserable sides*?”, “I remember him getting Frankie Simek sent off [in 2007] with his outburst against his Wolves team.”

*McCarthy has never lost a game at Hillsborough as a manager and his only defeat to the Owls was a 2-0 League Cup home loss while at Millwall in 1995.

Websites

The busiest Sheffield Wednesday message-board is the friendly and very knowledgeable http://www.owlstalk.co.uk/forums/forum/3-sheffield-wednesday-matchday/.

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

Bluebell added 12:31 - Nov 4 Thanks as always Harry. great read. They certainly have some good players there. If we start with the same team as last week, with Knudsen replacing Kenlock, we should stand a good chance of stopping them scoring and maybe getting some goals. Didzy and Sears have been training together so hopefully will now have worked out where the other is. There were several missed passes last week which could have come to something had they each known what the other was going to do. I hate saying it but I would accept a draw bearing in mind Mick will put out a more defensive team which will probably include Douglas.

3

CitrixBlue added 13:44 - Nov 4 “We do have the type of players who will entertain though”, “We play damned good football and it's a joy to watch”, “I am absolutely loving being a Wednesday fan after so many years of misery.” How I wish we could be typing that on our forum.... Thanks Harry :)
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LankHenners added 14:00 - Nov 4 Thanks Harry - we've shown in recent seasons that despite the disparity in budget/transfer fees/wages etc., we can at least compete with this lot fairly comfortably, and I predict a score draw again tomorrow. We're getting to the stage among an ever-growing portion of the fan base that nothing but a win will do, and even that is "papering over the cracks". Pretty much a fully fit squad now, just a matter of rebuilding confidence, which can only grow slowly, but it's this time of the season before where we've found it so here's hoping we can do it tomorrow.

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ericclacton added 14:02 - Nov 4 Good afternoon Harry, so It's Wednesday on Saturday and I think they will have just a bit too much for our nervous team unfortunately, I remember last seasons game against them at P.R.they looked really good going forward. Still you never know we might scrape a draw, but I doubt it. Wonderful piece to read Harry, thank you and of course Up The Town.
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rickw added 14:56 - Nov 4 Lets hope we stay true to history and get a draw there!
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happybeingblue added 16:53 - Nov 4 that kieran lee is a good player we could do with his type in our team a midfielder from the old mould
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runningout added 19:45 - Nov 4 we haven't clicked aswell .. like going to Hillsborough. Will be tricky to get 3 points, but like any opposition whatever league, we are more than capable
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ipswichdj added 20:39 - Nov 4 I'll be there. Need to find a decent pub first! Any ideas?
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