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

“The play-offs scare me. Failing to get into the play-offs scares me more. Completely new territory for a lot of us, this”, “I don’t feel down but do feel stressed and nervous about the remaining games. This season has been a cracker but it has been emotionally exhausting and there’s more to come.”

“Get in Fulham!”, “Take note now, Wednesday. You played your ‘get out of jail free card’ today. No more shocks please.” The Owls’ four-game winning run ended with Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at Ashton Gate, but relief was at hand in the form of Fulham’s late winner against play-off rivals Cardiff.

The South Yorkshiremen go into Saturday’s game with a five-point margin plus goal difference advantage over the seventh-placed Bluebirds, still believing that their destiny is firmly in their control. “Never has such a comprehensive defeat felt more like a win, cheers Fulham”, “Damned decent of them.”

“It’s in our hands. We would all have taken that at the start of the season”, “I never thought I would see us get close to the top flight again”, “I don’t think we’ll get promoted but what a fantastic season it has been regardless, a joy to watch at times and beyond anything we have seen for over 15 years.”

Carlos Carvalhal

“Sometimes it would be nice to vote Carlos man of the match”, “He has got to be the best manager in this division at this time. He started from scratch with us and has taken us from lower mid-table no-hopers to the play-offs”, “The way he reads the game and changes things is very impressive.”

“Carlos is too canny to let us bottle the play-offs.” The 50-year-old Portuguese has been praised for his tactical planning and adjustments both before and during games. He has developed a fluid style of play with his strong squad but some fans feel that he over-rotates the starting line-up at times.

“Too many changes”, “I fear that Carlos doesn’t appreciate that it’s best not to mess around with the defence”, “He loves making changes. It’s a European thing”, “People can criticise his rotation policy but it’s a big reason why we are where we are”, “The squad rotation is keeping the players fresh.”

“I really like Carlos and think had has done a great job but our league position is more a reflection of our budget that the fact that he is some kind of miracle-worker.” Some believe that squad strength has been the key in this campaign. “Sixth place is where we should be with the players we have.”

“I wouldn’t say this is a better season solely down to having more money. Clubs like Forest in recent seasons have spent big and not done as well as expected. I would say that having money is the main reason we’re doing well but Carlos has done well to gel the team quickly and get us a play-off place.”

A Flexible Formation

“This is the best squad we have had since we had half the England team turning out”, “Our squad is absolutely frighteningly full of strength and depth”, “I have no idea how to select our best line-up any more. Usually I say that because we are rubbish. Now I’m saying it because we are amazing.”

“At times this season, even when we are clearly playing 4-4-2 we have transitioned into a 4-3-3 in attack and back to the solid blocks of a 4-4-2 for the defensive work. Fluidity has been the name of the game”, “Flexibility regardless of our set formation will be our biggest strength going forward.”

Saturday’s starting line-up at Ashton Gate (above) was missing keeper Keiren Westwood, centre-half Glenn Loovens and striker Gary Hooper but kept its flexible 4-4-2 formation. Fernando Forestieri and Barry Bannan have been the talismen in a mobile side playing stylish possession-based football.

Aiden McGeady and Ross Wallace are the squad’s natural wingers although central midfielders Barry Bannan or Kieran Lee have played out wide with the freedom to operate more centrally when on the attack. They have also played strikers Lucas Joao, Forestieri or Marco Matias in wide attacking role.

The starting XI at Huddersfield (above) highlights the squad’s strength in depth with six established players featuring who weren’t in Saturday’s line-up at Bristol City. Wide men McGeady and Wallace played in natural roles with striker Joao replacing McGeady out wide in the last quarter of the game.

“Let’s be honest, all of our full-backs aren’t that good.” Owls have highlighted concerns especially over their right-back options while the lack of physicality in central midfield has also been regularly flagged. “Whatever division we are in next season we need a beast in midfield who can play a bit.”

“We cannot cope with teams that come out of the blocks flying.” Another concern is their habit of starting games slowly. “We have struggled to start games well all season”, “Our pathetic first half performances will get us slapped in the play-offs. Why do we play poorly in the first half of games?”

Bristol City 4 — 1 Sheffield Wednesday

“Just one of those games”, “Absolutely disappointed that we got torn apart like that but our form over the past five games has been top-notch and kept us in a favourable position”, “A rough day but it could have been worse for us”, “Hopefully we’ll get back to it next week against Ipswich.”

City opened the scoring on 10 minutes when Owls’ keeper Joe Wildsmith, a late replacement for the ill Keiren Westwood, deflected a Lee Tomlin shot into his own goal. A Bobby Reid snapshot doubled the lead three minutes later and a Tomlin penalty killed the game three minutes before the break.

Jonathan Kodjia stretched the hosts’ lead to four with a second spotkick on 52 minutes. The Owls pulled a consolation goal back on 61 when the Robins’ keeper deflected a freekick into his own net. The real consolation came from Fulham’s late winner against Cardiff at Craven Cottage.

“Reality check”, “It’s like the old Wednesday again”, “That was pathetic, getting thrashed by one of the worst sides in the division, what an absolute embarrassment. Some of these players need to take a good long hard look at themselves in the mirror after today’s match. What an absolute joke.”

“We are getting hit on the counter. Bristol are targeting our full-backs and getting some joy”, “We were taken apart.” Many Owls felt that the Robins minimised any threat they could generate from midfield by pinning them back on the flanks and forcing their creative players to man the barricades.

“We got hammered here”, “All season we have generally played our midfield narrow. To quote Carlos, if we ‘lose control of the ball and game’ then it allows space for opposition full-backs to bomb forward. This happened at Bristol and it would be my plan if I was an opposition manager.”

Sheffield Wednesday 2 — 1 Blackburn

“Wahoo, the first time this season that we have won four games on the trot”, “In previous seasons we would have ground out a 1-1 draw against 10 men. Instead we took quick control and strangled the game”, “A professional performance, good game management, squad rotation, job done.”

“What a game of two halves. The first half was dire and the second a lot better.” Rovers took the lead just after the interval when Craig Conway headed home a Darragh Lenihan cross but the hosts equalised six minutes later when Adam Henley deflected Ross Wallace’s cross into his own goal.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men two minutes later when Conway was dismissed for a reckless challenge on Alex Lopez, and Wallace scored the winner on 62 minutes latching on to a Forestieri cross. “We got the job done without being brilliant but three points is all that matters right now.”

Huddersfield 0 — 1 Sheffield Wednesday

“Priceless, priceless win”, “A simply brilliant performance masterminded by King Carlos”, “Three wins and three clean sheets on the bounce, happy days”, “It was a scrappy game with a right dull first half. We just started to get a hold of it late on”, “Substitutes win games, well done Carlos.”

“Oh, Fernando!” The Owls won this game with Forestieri strike at the far post seven minutes from time following a bursting run and good cross by substitute Lucas Joao on the left flank. Owls quickly praised their manager for the game-changing introduction of Joao and regular bench-option Atdhe Nuhiu.

Goalkeepers and Central Defenders

“The biggest worry for me is Keiren Westwood. Any length of time out for him is a disaster.” The 31-year-old ex-Sunderland keeper missed Saturday’s Robins’ defeat through illness. His replacement Joe Wildsmith “was hard to fault that much”, but Owls felt their defence missed Westwood’s leadership.

“Westwood is the best keeper we have had in years. How anyone can not feel confident when he is between the sticks is bizarre”, “Not only is he safe as houses but doesn’t stand for any rubbish from those playing in front of him”, “He sent a cracking ball down for our second goal against Blackburn.”

Owls are a good deal unhappier with centre-half Michael Turner. The 32-year-old Norwich loanee “is useless. Slow, clumsy and injury-prone”, “We always look like we are going to concede with him in the team”, “He should have been a seasoned pro to step in when needed but has been very poor.”

“Turner is a steady enough player who is experienced and understands the physicality of the league, but his performance at Bristol was one of the worst by a centre-back I have ever seen”, “He’s too slow and his positioning leaves a lot to be desired”, “He has been pretty much been a wasted wage.”

“Vincent Sasso might not be as good in the air as Turner but is 100 times better on the ball and adds much needed pace to the back.” The 25-year-old Braga loanee “can play it out from the back and is a good tackler. He needs to get streetwise and add steel to his game to impose himself on strikers.”

“Glenn Loovens is a great leader with class and composure on the ball.” The 32-year-old one-time Celtic man “is not having to chase after forwards as we keep possession better these days and his positioning is wonderful”, “Communication is sorted with his reassuring presence at the back.”

“Loovens’s pace can let him down but his reading of the game more than makes up for it. He seems to have dallied on the ball more this season but is still a class act”, “He rarely looks flustered and his calmness has a huge influence on the defence”, “Mr Consistent, Loovens and Lees are so reliable.”

Tom Lees

“Blackburn didn’t have many chances but that was largely down to Lees dominating their strikers. He reads the game well and relishes the physical part too.” The 25-year-old former Leeds man is “solid as a rock and leads from the back with our play, winning everything in the air, making great tackles.”

“Lees is a proper old-school centre-half who looks irreplaceable in the team”, “The best defender in the league”, “He is rock sold, certainly more striking than Loovens in terms of his defending but they are a brilliant pairing”, “A sound player though his clearing headers can often give possession away.”

Full-Backs

“Liam Palmer shouldn’t get a starting role for the rest of the season.” The 24-year-old youth product and right-back “was torn a new one by Bristol in the first half”, “He wasn’t helped by having Kieran Lee as a makeshift wide player in front but did himself no favours. His distribution was laughable.”

“What was Jack Hunt thinking for the Blackburn goal?” The 25-year-old right-back and former Terrier was criticised for allowing Craig Conway steal a march on him at the back post for Rovers’ headed goal. “Poor going forward, he never got his cross past the first man and was shocking for their goal.”

“Hunt can neither jump nor tackle but he can go on good runs forward. He should probably play as a winger”, “He is always up and down and has excellent energy”, “He works hard and is always available for the overlap but his crossing is weak”, “First position to be improved next season is right-back.”

“Joe Bennett has looked assured on the ball.” The 26-year-old left-back and Villa loanee “hardly ever bombs on and is a solid, dependable and energetic defender”, “He has been very quick and has been a better defender than Pudil, but Pudil probably gives us more going forward”, “No worries there.”

Daniel Pudil

“Daniel had an average game against Bristol. He struggles against pace but his delivery of the ball is very good. He makes intelligent runs to open up space for his winger.” The 30-year-old Watford loanee “has done a good job but many of the goals we are conceding are cheap ones from his side”.

“Pudil got the run-around early on at Bristol, mainly due to McGeady not covering”, “He relies on his winger to help cover and was short of help with McGeady not covering”, “He has looked lethargic lately, neither getting up nor down with any real purpose although he has been great this season.”

Central Midfield

“We lack a bit of physicality in midfield without Sam Hutchinson”, “We will need him back to deal with Ipswich’s physical game.” The 26-year-old former Chelsea man has been sidelined with illness but would be welcomed back on Saturday. “We are a much better side with him in midfield.”

“Hutchinson takes too much away from us as an attacking side because he plays so deep. It puts a huge onus on his midfield partner to take control of the centre”, “I hold my breath when he tackles in midfield”, “He may not be the best when we need to break down poorer sides who will sit in.”

“Alex Lopez is a very clever footballer”, “His reading of the game is superb and is becoming more and more influential with each passing game.” The 28-year-old Celta Vigo loan signing “is a really classy player given time and space on the ball”, “The kind of player you don’t notice until he’s not there.”

“Lopez filled the void left by the suspended Bannan at Blackburn, he was composed on the ball and spread the play well”, “Watch how he uses the ball. He never wastes it”, “He had some nice touches and a few decent passes at Bristol but played too deep and he went missing when he was needed.”

Kieran Lee

“When Kieran Lee plays, it is like having two midfield players on the pitch. He’s both a holding and attacking one at the same time.” “Other midfielders are happy to just sit but he is all over the place supporting the attack and covering when they break down”, “Busy”, “He pops up all over the place.”

“Wherever the ball is, there is Lee. No-one else covers that amount of ground”, “He never concedes possession, killing the ball with a perfect touch, laying to a more creative player and getting forward to support the attack”, “He breaks up play and can score, but only as long as it is with his right foot.”

Barry Bannan

“Lopez has played well but Bannan offers more.” The 26-year-old ex-Villa man “is having the season of his life”, “I know we won three games this month with him suspended but we have not looked the same team. He makes our football scary”, “Our most influential player with his vision and creativity.”

“Bannan has to play”, “If we play Bannan on the left, we need to make sure the full-back does not get exposed when he drifts inside”, “We know he will not stay there if played on the left”, “We need his attacking creativity and energy”, “The team lacks fluidity and becomes too static without him.”

“The difference with Bannan and the rest is sheer speed of thought. The pass happens when it needs to, it’s not choreographed and it’s usually more precise too”, “We play better fluid football with him making us tick”, “He worked tirelessly through the Bristol defeat but nobody really helped him out.”

Wide Midfielders

“I don’t understand why Ross Wallace hasn’t started against Bristol. We have been poor in every game without him.” The 30-year-old former Burnley winger “is always showing for the ball, positive, hard-working and was involved in both of our Blackburn goals”, “He’s a quality player and a work horse.”

“Wallace is possibly not Premier League quality but is very good at this level, a very important player for us”, “He seemed to be involved in near enough everything against Blackburn”, “He actually put the ball into the box which is more than the others did”, “Busy and always alive to opportunities.”

Aiden McGeady

“McGeady must be our worst signing”, “You feel that there’s more to him than we have seen so far”, “All of Bristol’s attacks came down our left with McGeady not tracking back to help Pudil out”, “His work off the ball is terrible”, “A liability who doesn’t play for the team”, “He has been a disaster.”

“Perhaps he doesn’t help the team dynamic.” The 30-year-old Everton loanee “is the type of player who will divide opinion. He can beat his man, can and does score but he also gives possession away too cheaply”, “He has the potential to destroy a full-back, create chances and score wonder-goals.”

“McGeady hasn’t convinced at all since he arrived, little flashes here and there. I hope Carlos doesn’t persist with a player that isn’t doing the business”, “He doesn’t benefit the team, for the odd run and attempted trickery he doesn’t pull his weight when out of possession”, “A bloody show-pony.”

Strikers

“Marco Matias does more damage playing off the shoulder in the channels.” The 26-year-old former Nacional man “has the ability, intelligence and goal threat to cope in this league, not sure about the physical side”, “He probably won’t have time to show it this season but he has something there.”

“Lucas Joao works hard all game and is always a threat with his size and pace but he lacks quality in the final third.” The 22-year-old Portugal international and ex-Nacional man “is excellent on the ball, strong, quick but sometimes takes a step too far. Not deft enough and doesn’t know when to let fly”.

“Very raw and at times classy”, “Joao tries to do too much which results in his doing nothing”, “He could be an absolute nightmare for defences next season if we are still at this level and I can’t wait to see him develop”, “He was unpickable for a couple of months but is becoming unplayable again.”

Atdhe Nuhiu

“Do we need the battering ram bringing on?”, “Big Dave always has the potential to create chaos in the penalty area and shake defences up.” The 26-year-old ex-Rapid Vienna striker was a game-changer against Blackburn yet again”, “Atdhe dealt with Huddersfield’s physicality where Hooper struggled.”

“Some fans think his style allows us to play 20 yards further up the pitch. It’s the opposite, as his lack of pace allows defences to squeeze up and limit space for our midfield passing game. Nobody fears him running in behind. It limits the space for Forestieri to operate in if ‘the hole’ isn’t there.”

Gary Hooper

“Hooper’s career has been scoring sprees followed by quiet spells. Don’t worry, he’s utter class.” The 28-year-old Norwich loan signing “looks a passenger and doesn’t do much but find him in the box and he’ll finish nine times out of 10, but when that doesn’t happen he looks like a passenger”.

“Hooper has great composure”, “His upper body strength manoeuvres defenders out of the way to create space”, “His movement is clever. He’s very good at peeling off his marker by dropping short and linking up play. He isn’t wrestling centre-halves or giving away fouls so fans think he does little.”

“The best finisher at the club”, “Hooper wants the ball played to his feet inside the box. Give him the ball anywhere else and he is less effective. He’s not the type of player capable of picking the ball up on halfway and taking on three or four players like Joao or Forestieri. It’s not his game.”

Fernando Forestieri

“What a player”, “The heart of the team and nothing short of pure brilliance”, “Our best player and we are half the team we are without him”, “He is worth the ticket price alone, the type of player we could only dream about for the last few years, a joy to watch, a level above anyone else at the club.”

“I don’t think opponents realise how much he has improved since leaving Watford”, “Our playmaker, he runs his socks off and always pushes for the ball. He puts tackles in and drops back to defend. He is skilful and has plenty of trickery up his sleeve”, “I admire his skill, effort and sheer determination.”

One Huddersfield fan commented on his match-winning performance against them: “To be fair, Forestieri has not been diving, we have been fouling him. He has been too quick for us, even when we tackle him ha has an annoying habit of bouncing through”, “It’s quite baffling why Watford let him go.”

Owls’ Views on ITFC and the Game

“Have a look on the Cardiff and Ipswich forums if you want cheering up”, “On their forum they were talking about 500 coming as their season is over”, “Ipswich are all but finished this season. It would take a combination of extraordinary results for them to catch the play-offs”, “Ipswich are out of it.”

“Wednesday 4—0 Ipswich. This will be the game that we start to believe we really can do it”, “We need a strong performance to keep the team spirit and fans positive.” Prediction threads have 90 per cent of Owls forecasting a home win and a majority expecting the side to score at least three goals.

Their most pessimistic supporters expect stubborn resistance from us. “Expect a very frustrating 90 minutes against Ipswich this Saturday because any team managed by Mick McCarthy is going to be extremely difficult to break down. It won't be a great surprise if it's a 0-0 draw.”

“I have a bad feeling about this one. We struggle against big physical sides and they will be in our faces”, “It’s going to be a very tough game and we need to be at full strength really”, “We need to toughen up a bit.” Many want Sam Hutchinson starting to counter our perceived physicality.

“Daryl Murphy is out for Ipswich so that is a bonus”, “Good news”, “Ipswich are weakened with Murphy and Bishop having not travelled and Hyam is suspended. Ryan Fraser been injured a while too and he was a massive threat earlier in the season. I’m still wary of Freddie Sears mind you.”

“What frame of mind will Ipswich be in?”, “From an Ipswich point of view there's a minimal chance of play-offs even if they beat us but zero chance if they don't. They should go for the win which suits us better than them sitting back”, “They might not even make the play-offs if they win every game.”

Websites

The busiest Owls’ forum is the knowledgeable and friendly OwlsTalk.

@HarryFromBath

Photo: Action Images

alfromcol added 11:12 - Apr 15 Looks like no one is interested anymore! Great stuff all season Harry, thanks.
4

12th_Man added 11:24 - Apr 15 Well that's cheerd me up reading that (not)
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Lathers added 11:27 - Apr 15 If MM sets us up to try and nick a 1-0 then he can stay in Yorkshire after the game. I'd much prefer us to go at them hard and lose 5-0 than play our usual risk averse away day b*llocks. Come on Mick - last chance to save our season and show the fans that you are not one-dimensional and very arrogant.
0

rfretwell added 11:31 - Apr 15 Thanks again Harry. Miracles can and do happen everyone - look at Leicester.
5

ericclacton added 11:40 - Apr 15 Good morning Harry, lovely notes. It seems no time at all first game this season at home and now a distant memory, I do remember though we could easily have lost, they hit the post after a couple of minutes. They will make the play offs IF they hold their nerve, we are not playing well enough to trouble them in my opinion, but you never know, fat lady comes to mind. Thanks mate.

4

goat_man added 12:34 - Apr 15 To be honest, they actually have nothing to worry about. We never do anything out the ordinary, hence why we've been in this league for 15 years. Humbling 4-1 defeat. I actually think they might do rather well in the playoffs this season, as they are a similar mid table sort of club to us, but will get all the luck that was meant for us last season.
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WednesdayJon added 12:35 - Apr 15 I may not be an Ipswich fan, but your Harry's match preview articles are always informative and a top read! Cheers owd lad.
9

Bluebell added 13:09 - Apr 15 Well done again Harry. What will you do in the close season? I know there is a very faint hope that we can win this and the last games and get into the top 6. I do think it is stretching the imagination to think we can though. Also it is all dependent on the other teams. Still, where there's hope there is a chance although I think this one will be a 0.0 draw.
3

LankHenners added 13:17 - Apr 15 Thanks Harry, they could put us to the sword once and for all and a small part of me almost hopes they do just to end this blasted season. Even with our penchant for pulling out unexpected results at unexpected times, I find it very difficult to see us getting anything more than a scrappy point here - we've just not played anywhere near well enough to suggest we'll do well tomorrow. Their comment about not knowing which team to start due to the all round strength in depth is where we need to be next season - when all our top players are fit we have a frightening starting XI, but beyond that this season has shown our cover just doesn't cut it unfortunately. I remember the home fixture where we played very well indeed to come back to win - mixing up our football excellently and defending solidly. We've just dwindled off very poorly whilst they've gone from strength to strength.

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Mick_Mills_Tache added 20:58 - Apr 15 I see a humbling defeat and wouldn't be surprised to see them put 3 or 4 past us. We're not as big and physical as they think we are and no doubt Mick will set us up with 2 defensive mids and will be hoping for a draw.
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BrettenhamBlue added 05:25 - Apr 16 It looks like MM will be looking to sign McGeady at the end of the season so this gives us a chance to see what he's like.
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Seasider added 12:51 - Apr 16 With Hyam out wonder who Mick will designate to kick Forestieri out of the game. Mind you it didn't work against Brentford last time out Seems like getting bit of a reputation like ' Crazy Gang' once had,not a reputation to be proud of.The Dinosaur has certainly now sadly created team in his own image.
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