The Warning Lights Are Flashing, We’re in Absolute Freefall — Notes for Sheffield Wednesday Monday, 5th Mar 2018 11:23 by HarryFromBath HarryFromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Tuesday night’s game at Hillsborough by delving into their forums. “What on earth is going on?”, “We are only heading one way at the moment”, “We seem to be on a slippery slope and we just can’t stop sliding. At the moment we are completely awful”, “I’m seriously worried about dropping into League One”, “We’re definitely fighting a battle against the drop now.” Owls may be sitting five places and seven points clear of the drop zone but their fans are worried. Many fear getting dragged into a relegation fight with the side on a run of four straight defeats in all competitions, including a poor 4-0 loss at Ashton Gate on Saturday, and one win 15 league games. “Scary times”, “How on earth are we going to get the nine points or so that we need to get safe?”, “The next two home games against Ipswich and Bolton will go a long way in terms of deciding if we stay up this season”, “If we lose at home to Bolton next Saturday I believe we will be all but down.” “This is the poorest I have seen us in nearly a decade”, “It depresses me watching Wednesday, it seriously lowers my mood”, “It makes me angry that we are so bad. We are like a pub side at times”, “Our 150-year anniversary has not exactly gone to plan. Please season, end. The white flag is flying.” Jos Luhukay“Does anyone know for certain if Jos in contracted until the end of the season?”, “There is absolutely no excuse for what is currently on show”, “He looks like a rabbit in the headlights and thoroughly out of his depth. He doesn’t know the league and is picking some disorganised and very random sides. The 54-year-old Dutch-born manager replaced Carlos Carvalhal in early January having managed a number of German sides, most recently VfB Stuttgart in 2016. Owls were reassured by a reputation for building fit and tactically disciplined teams but confidence is ebbing away as the weeks have passed. “Who is telling the defence to try and play out from the back when they are incapable? Who selects a side with no strikers in a winnable game? Who told the defence to slow the game down and play the ball among themselves when losing in the last 10 minutes at Swansea? It’s not working, is it?” “When Jos came in with a reputation as a disciplinarian I was happy but the displays get poorer with every match and he just stands emotionless on the sidelines”, “He started out playing defensively and we looked snappier and tighter despite restricted personnel. This seems to have disappeared.” “It makes you wonder about the thought process that went into appointing the manager. Two years out of work, never managed in English football before and inheriting a team severely depleted in numbers through injuries and sliding down the league. It’s currently a cocktail for a total disaster.” Injuries“This is not a normal situation.” It’s worth detailing the current injury list to highlight just how badly Wednesday have been hit lately. The defence has lost keeper Keiren Westwood (groin), centre-half Joost van Aken (hamstring) and full-back Jack Hunt who injured his hamstring at Swansea last week. Midfielders Sam Hutchinson (hernia), Kieran Lee and Barry Bannan (both hip), winger Ross Wallace (knee surgery) and strikers Fernando Forestieri, Marco Matias and Steven Fletcher (all knee injuries) and Gary Hooper (hernia) have also been unavailable and are unlikely to feature on Tuesday night. Unbalanced Selections“Jos Luhukay was seen as a safety-first coach. He started that way but was panned for negativity in last month’s defeat at Millwall. He then switched formation and we have conceded 10 goals in three games”, “It feels as it the Millwall selection was his death knell. It was a ridiculous line-up.” WiedwaldVenancioLoovensThornileyHuntJonesPelupessyFoxStobbsWallaceBoyd
Having beaten a good Derby side in the previous league game in February, Luhukay then shook fans’ confidence when he named this ultra-defensive line-up (above) for their game at Millwall. It had two holding midfielders, full-backs as wing-backs and winger Ross Wallace playing as a lone striker. “Horrific”, “No strikers, bloody hell Jos”, “Are we going for 0-0?”, “I bet that [Millwall manager] Neil Harris is scratching his head as much as us”, “A nice defensive line-up to protect us from Millwall”, “If we are shutting up shop at Millwall with a squad that beat Derby, questions have to be asked.” WildsmithPalmerVenancioPudilFoxPelupessyClareReachStobbsNuhiuJoao
Having then played with wing-backs and two up front in the next two games, Luhukay switched to a back four with wingers (above) at Ashton Gate. This was an attacking formation but a lightweight midfield gave Wednesday’s fragile back four little protection and they were 3-0 down by half-time. “Sean Clare and Joey Pelupessy were battered by Bristol City’s midfield”, “There was no pressure on the ball, we got worse as the game went on”, “We looked better with 3-5-2 but rather than keep that system and get players comfortable, which they were showing signs of doing, Jos changed it again.” A Team of Strangers“No fight, no determination, no bottle”, “We pull out of 50/50 challenges and we are five yards too slow”, “There’s a definite lack of bravery from a lot of our players, not a single pressurised attempt to tackle”, “No challenges, no effort and we are unable to pass to team-mates five yards away.” Owls have regularly highlighted their inability to build passing tempo in possession along with an inability to harry and disrupt opponents out of possession. Their lack of confidence is highlighted by a lack of composure when being pressed and a habit of constantly taking safe passing options. “Which way are we kicking?”, “Sideways and backwards”, “It’s frightening how frequently we give the ball away”, “Can our players not control a ball without it going five feet in some direction?”, “We are so bad. We can’t string three passes together”, “A passing virus has swept through the team.” “Why on earth do we keep trying to play out from the keeper when he can’t pass accurately enough and are being pressed out of the game?”, “When we do get the ball on the ground, we don’t pass it forward.” Fans believe that they just don’t have the players capable of playing out from the back.” “Awful footballers”, “We can’t play football. Jos has got them trying but they are not good enough”, “It requires old-fashioned football to get us out of this situation”, “We haven’t got the players to play football. Our only shot at avoiding relegation is lumping it up front and hoping something sticks.” All areas of the pitch have struggled lately. “Calamitous statuesque defending”, “There isn’t much bite in midfield”, “Our front players are static, jinking around on the spot”, “We are not firing when we have the ball and the lack of movement around the ball carrier is the single biggest issue.” Bristol City 4 — 0 Sheffield Wednesday “Deary me, Wednesday”, “On the way back and one of the worst performances ever. No one seemed to know that they were supposed to be doing. I’m still not convinced I could tell you the formation. I am seriously worried Jos is out of his depth”, “It was a truly dreadful performance.” “An absolutely pathetic display.” Bobby Reid struck for City with low shots on 13 and 35 minutes and Josh Brownhill added a third on 43 to confirm the Robins’ total dominance of the first half. Reid then completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot on 62 minutes after Marlon Pack had been fouled. “Bristol City were closing us down all over the pitch and the panic was unreal”, “There were pressing, marking tight and winning every 50/50 ball. We were standing around as though it was a practice match”, “We need a beast of a ball-winning midfielder who won’t be bullied by the opposition.” “What a total mess we are”, “Does anyone know why you go with an attacking formation against one of the league’s highest scorers? It beggars belief”, “Our organisation at the back was terrible. We had nine players behind the ball for two of Bristol’s goals but they stood there doing nothing.” Swansea 2 — 0 Sheffield Wednesday (FA Cup Fifth Round Replay) “This has been one of the most tedious and depressing games of football I have ever seen”, “It was probably one of the most boring games I have ever suffered”, “Every Swansea player appeared to have so much time on the ball”, “I am absolutely well and truly fuming at that performance.” “Blow the whistle please referee. Make this end.” Jordan Ayew opened the scoring for the Swans on 55 minutes after Tom Carroll’s powerful shot rebounded of both posts and Nathan Dyer confirmed victory for the hosts with a close-range shot with 10 minutes left of what was a lacklustre encounter. “I’m sat at the game with a mate and literally embarrassed”, “Swansea were awful, we would have won this game with a bit of composure on the ball”, “We looked tired after 10 minutes and had no energy or urgency whatsoever, we should have got in their faces and shown some aggression.” DawsonLoovensVenancioPudilHuntButterfieldJonesReachBoydJoaoRhodes
The starting XI (above) included a number of fringe players. Keeper Cameron Dawson was praised for a composed display, but midfielder Jacob Butterfield was widely criticised for the latest in a run of weak performances. Jordan Rhodes has also been a peripheral figure in recent league games. Sheffield Wednesday 2 — 4 Aston Villa“A harsh result”, “Hard to take, that”, “This is utterly sickening. We deserved the points today”, “As well as we played in the first half today, the fact is that we are not winning games. It’s very worrying. We played well in parts but again we capitulated”, “This club really does my nut in at times.” “What a half, we played very well and looked dangerous every time we attacked.” Sean Clare put the hosts in front with a fine finish on 14 minutes but Lewis Grabban levelled for Villa seven minutes later from close range. Joao headed home to restore the Owls’ lead in first-half stoppage time. “The pace of the second half seems slower”, Come on lads, don’t forget about the tempo.” Glenn Whelan scored Villa’s second on 67 and the visitors secured victory with two late goals. Conor Hourihane fired powerfully home on 87 and Robert Snodgrass added a fourth from a stoppage-time penalty. “Lead twice and fold, not good enough”, “Villa were much better in the second half. They closed down Daniel Pudil and Morgan Fox and stopped the ball out. We went into defensive mode”, “We have played well but the defending has been wanting”, “I absolutely hate football sometimes.” WildsmithVenancioPudilFoxHuntPelupessyClareReachBoydNuhiuJoao
Owls felt that the line-up (above) was well balanced but rued their team’s inability to maintain their good tempo for a full 90 minutes, thus allowing Villa back into the game. “’Nearly’ and ‘what if’ are becoming a regular feature that get you relegated. I remember the same things from years ago.” Goalkeepers and Defenders“Joe Wildsmith is a good shot stopper, but his distribution at the back is woeful, constantly putting defenders under pressure.” The 22-year-old youth product “puts us under pressure too often with his awful kicking. He doesn’t move off his line and he clearly isn’t trusted with the ball at his feet.”  Joe Wildsmith“Wildsmith makes good saves but he lacks a presence at the back. He loses concentration but worse than that he lacks confidence on the ball”, “His confidence will be hit behind a car crash of a defence week in week out”, “Gordon Banks wouldn’t have made a difference at Bristol with our defending.” “Morgan Fox had the game of his life in our win over Derby. He gets too much vitriol and this needs to be tempered.” The 24-year-old ex-Charlton left-back and one-time Town schoolboy “doesn’t have the bottle to take risks and bomb forward. He will pass the ball safely backwards when he has space to sprint into with the ball.” “I would love Fox to try and take players on, knock it past someone and take a shot”, “He always will show for the ball and he doesn’t hide even when he’s having a bad game”, “I don’t rate him but he gives his all”, “His biggest weakness is his unwillingness to get forward and make things happen.” “Liam Palmer has turned in the worst 45 minutes known to man at Bristol.” The 26-year-old right-back and youth product “is one of the worst crossers I have ever seen. He’s weak and doesn’t tackle so he gets bullied by most halfway decent wingers and his positioning is dire. A shocking player.” “Palmer is good as a back-up but not good enough to start regularly”, “Each time he got the ball at Bristol he turned backwards or inside, refusing to pass to his winger”, “It suits him to play as a wing-back as he has less defensive responsibility. Let’s face it, getting back has never been a strong point.” “Frederico Venancio is decent on the ball and has been quietly effective.” The 25-year-old August arrival on loan from Vitoria Setubal “has grown into a solid and consistent centre-back and he does seem to be an organiser, but he doesn’t dominate his striker”, “I like the look of him as a footballer.” “With the tight set-up and a couple of capable defenders alongside Venancio, he could well become a regular”, “He’s good in the air and on the ground and he’s decisive with his passing. He’s a very good defender”, “He is calmer and more in control when he’s not playing alongside Glenn Loovens.” “Glenn ‘Timebomb’ Loovens needs to retire.” The 34-year-old one-time Celtic and Cardiff centre-half “is so slow it’s painful”, “He reminds me of an over-40s five-a-side team I played in. All we could do was chase shadows and put the occasional Loovens-style challenge in”, “His legs have sadly gone.”  Glenn Loovens“Loovens is making every defence weaker when he plays, he has forgotten how to tackle”, “It does my ticker no good when he goes to ground in the penalty box”, “He seems to have aged about 10 years in the last six months. He was a good servant but I’m afraid that he’s far too slow nowadays.” “It’s a shame that Daniel Pudil has lost his pace because his deliveries into the box can be decent and he might have been a good wing back options. He’s more reliable as a centre-half.” The 32-year-old former Watford left-back “clearly has a football brain and has found himself a role more centrally”. “Pudil is a warrior with a ‘none shall pass’ look about him”, “The best reader of a game I have seen in a long time in our backline”, “He can’t tackle. He’s flat-footed and this shows up when anybody runs at him. As a full back he could shepherd an attacker wide but this is not an option as a centre-half.” Tom Lees“Getting Tom Lees 45 minutes under his belt in the second half of the Bristol game was one benefit. He brought calm to the chaos.” The 27-year-old ex-Leeds man returned after a groin problem and many Owls want him to start on Tuesday. “His heading ability will be needed against Joe Garner.”  Tom Lees“Lees has not been at his best this season but he’s still our best header and tackler at the back. It’s a real boost having him back in contention”, “He started the season poorly and played with an injury. He will make a big difference to our defending but he’s not the player that he was two years ago.” Central Midfielders“Jacob Butterfield has no passing ability, creativity, goal threat or defensive ability.” The 27-year-old loan signing from Derby “misplaces so many passes and he does nothing all game”, “He has offered absolutely nothing since coming here and doesn’t deserve to be anywhere near the first team.”  Jacob Butterfield playing for former club Huddersfield“Almen Abdi is a good player but we haven’t had the chance to see it yet.” The 32-year-old former Watford attacking midfielder has made a couple of substitute appearances with muscular problems having been the latest setback in an injury-blighted time at Hillsborough. “He can boss a midfield.” “A three-man midfield would suit Abdi, although he isn’t the highly industrious type preferred by Jos”, “He was always offering and making things happen at Watford and could be very effective in behind a runner like Joao”, “He suits a free role in the final third with his clear incisive passing.” “We need a commanding physical presence in front of the defence. Joey Pelupessy isn’t one.” The 24-year-old January acquisition from Dutch side Heracles “hasn’t adjusted yet to the speed of the Championship and is currently surrounded by players lacking confidence and scared of the ball.” “Pelupessy looks off the pace”, “He loses the ball easily in midfield which exposes our centre-halves. He treats the ball like a hot potato”, “too small and lightweight He was weak at Bristol, passing to a red shirt time and again”, “Most of the time he looks like he trying to do everything on his own.” “Get Sean Clare on a long-term contract. The lad is the future of the club.” The 21-year-old had a terrific game against Villa. “It’s great to see players with the ability to run forward at opponents”, “I like those runs and we could have found a fantastic box-to-box midfielder. He is absolutely superb.” “We are going to have to be patient with Clare.” He struggled at Ashton Gate. “He looked completely lost and kept running into trouble and giving it away every time he had the ball”, “Bristol outfought him. They targeted him with tight marking and rightly so. He will have to work hard to create space.” “I’m not a great fan of David Jones but there is a case for him playing.” The 33-year-old ex-Burnley man, who played for Town boss Mick McCarthy at Wolves “will never be a fans favourite but he does an excellent job of reading the game, shielding the defence and breaking up play”, “He’s far more aggressive in the tackle than any current midfielder.” “Our defenders aren’t good enough so they need someone like Jones in front of them. It’s currently far too easy for the opposition to breeze through our midfield”, “He lacks creativity, but a three-man midfield will suit him where his lack of mobility is less of a problem with team mates closer to him.” Adam Reach“At the moment Adam Reach is our best provider.” The 25-year-old ex-Middlesbrough left-back or left-midfielder “tries to be positive but he doesn’t have another midfielder to pass to”, “He has come on a lot this season and has tried to be positive. He’s our most consistent player by a country mile.”  Adam Reach“Reach’s passing can be poor, his final ball is non-existent and we all know he can’t tackle a salad sandwich”, “His end product is often sloppy and telegraphed and his decision-making can be poor”, “He could do with being a bit braver in the tackle but he’s the least of our problems right now.” Wingers“I have not been particularly impressed with Jack Stobbs. He looks lightweight but he will run around and give us some energy.” The 20-year-old youth product spent the first half of the season on loan at Port Vale. “He hardly played when at Vale but starts for us here. It shows how desperate we are.” George Boyd“Boyd is a grafter but he doesn’t seem to read the game well. Anything that isn’t played comfortable into his path seem to completely bypass him.” The 32-year-old ex-Peterborough and Burnley player and one-time Blues target “has always been more about stamina than pace. He covers far more distance than anyone else.”  Adam Reach“I always thought Boyd was a poor player who put the effort in but he wanders about aimlessly. If you want a long ball down the line, no problem, but a quick flick inside and he’s caught flatfooted”, “He is full of energy but has absolutely no idea what to do when in possession and loses the ball.” Strikers“Atdhe Nuhiu’s physical presence is the reason he plays.” The 28-year-old Kosovo international and ex-Rapid Vienna man “provides a focal point for an out-ball from defence. He works hard, defends from the front and he is excellent at getting a head to a ball from set pieces in both penalty boxes.”  Atdhe Nuhiu“Nuhiu retains possession well but seldom finds anyone ahead of him to play in”, “He is not really a finisher. Clinical he is not, but he’s a trier”, “He often gets penalised for being big and for standing his ground and being bounced off”, “He’s not great with the ball at his feet and easily gives it away.” Lucas Joao“Apart from Joao we have no attacking threat.” The 24-year-old Portuguese former Nacional winger or striker “drops deep and links play, but he’s also the most likely player on the pitch to score”, “He has a yard of pace and the ability to beat a man and run at people, he has looked consistently good.”  Lucas Joao v Lloyd Isgrove (Barnsley)“Keep getting Joao on the ball, he’s looking confident”, “He doesn’t stop trying and he’s is the only one who looks halfway comfortable with the ball at his feet”, “He makes space and gets shots away. He creates time for a breather with his ability to travel and he is vital for playing on the counter.” Jordan Rhodes“Does anyone get the feeling that Rhodes would be a different player anywhere else?” The 28-year-old one-time Town striker “isn’t making the runs in behind that have produced lots of goals for him in the past. He is playing in front of the defence”, “Something isn’t right with him at the moment.”  Jordan Rhodes“Rhodes seems strangely weak and although he was never the quickest he seems to have lost any pace he did have”, “He’s like a valuable heirloom left out in the shed, going rusty and losing value by the minute. Worst of all, he’s clearly desperate and wants to make it work and not just for himself.” “The problem with Rhodes is service. He gets none and he isn’t the type of player that will create a goal. While we have no creativity in midfield he’s going to seem useless”, “He needs a quick partner and others to do the graft and give him chances, but it’s not happening given the way we’re set up.” Owls’ Views on ITFC and the Game“We will see what happens against Ipswich”, “A draw with Ipswich and a win over Bolton isn't beyond the realms of possibility” “I think we will lose to Ipswich but draw with Bolton”, “Ipswich are in fine form last four away games. Joint-third in form table with two wins and two draws.” “We will struggle and lose.” Owls don’t run a prediction league but most of them would happily take a point against us if they could beat Bolton on Saturday. “We desperately need to win against Ipswich on Tuesday but don’t hold your breath. Our record against them at Hillsborough is awful.” “Ipswich probably think they have a mad chance of sneaking into the play-offs so they kind of still have something to play for”, “What will happen is that Wildsmith and the defence will nervously under-hit back passes between themselves until an Ipswich player strolls through and scores.” “Ipswich will be well up for this. Expect them to go all out in the first 20 minutes to try and rattle us. It could get very ill-tempered if we concede early”, “I have a feeling the crowd may be on the low side”, “And angry if we get off to a bad start”, “If we go a goal down it could get very poisonous.” “Mick is a down to earth Barnsley lad who tells it exactly how it is, doesn’t suffer fools and doesn’t look for weird scapegoats”, “Reports have linked us with Mick McCarthy taking over for next season. I wouldn't mind that at all. He's a Yorkshire bloke and one thing he does know is the Championship.” A recent Daily Mail story linking our manager with the Owls was picked up by their supporters. “He has had Ipswich around the top half for years with a squad budget less than what we paid for Jordan Rhodes”, “He did a great job to get them anywhere near the play-offs in previous seasons.” “I like Mick. He's pretty good at picking out a player or two in the market as well. I have seen Ipswich quite a few times over the last few seasons and he has had the likes of Ainsley Maitland-Niles in on loan and blooded youngsters, notably Jason Dozzell's young lad.” “The best thing he does is organise a defence behind a solid keeper and Bialkowski was a real find for them. There would be some murmurs of discontent but I'd absolutely love to see him here”, “His celebration of Ipswich's goal v Norwich last week is the best thing I've ever seen on a football pitch.” “He has still not signed a new deal though he's said he's prepared to.”, “It would be a big mistake for Ipswich not to tie him down to a new deal, they won’t get anyone better. He has got a reasonable track record at this level but I’m not sure he plays the kind of football our fanbase would love.” “Considering the amount of money Ipswich have spent during his time as manager they should be thankful that they aren't one of the clubs that have slipped into League One in recent seasons. They should be careful what they wish for.” WebsitesThe very busy, friendly and knowledgeable OwlsTalk is the most active Wednesday message board.
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