Sheffield Wednesday faced Derby County at Pride Park on Sunday afternoon, and we picked up on five things Danny Rohl should take away from the encounter, for better or worse.
Following their victory over Hull City on Tuesday night, Sheffield Wednesday wanted to generate momentum by winning another away game.
Danny Rohl’s side were second best throughout the first half, and in many respects, they were the architects of their own demise, falling behind at halftime.
However, a superb second-half recovery, highlighted by goals from Barry Bannan and a late winner from Jamal Lowe, secured all three points for Wednesday in an important away win.
Sloppy passing cost Sheffield Derby County led 1-0 at halftime on Wednesday, but this was not due to any exceptional performance by the Rams.
In truth, Wednesday was trailing primarily due to their own inability to piece together a series of passes, with so many unforced errors costing them possession time and again.
You’ll always struggle to have the majority of the ball away from home, but throwing it away makes the challenge even more irritating.
Thankfully, it improved considerably in the second half, with Sheffield Wednesday eventually turning the tide, but Rohl will want to make sure that kind of sloppy play does not come back into their game.
Sheffield Wednesday are short on center backs.
Dominic Iorfa filled in for Di’Shon Bernard, who was suspended for the Derby County game, however he only played 45 minutes.
Iorfa’s departure provided Rohl with a difficult option, prompting the Sheffield Wednesday manager to reshuffle his defensive lineup to a back-four, with Shea Charles serving as a temporary centre-back.
Obviously, that is not ideal, and it demonstrates how limited Wednesday’s defense choices are right now, with Akin Famewo out injured until March.
The January transfer market is approaching, and Rohl will undoubtedly consider purchasing a replacement centre-back so that he does not have to use Charles there again, as his presence and creativity will be severely missed in the middle of the field.
Sheffield Wednesday are short on center backs.
Dominic Iorfa filled in for Di’Shon Bernard, who was suspended for the Derby County game, however he only played 45 minutes.
Iorfa’s departure provided Rohl with a difficult option, prompting the Sheffield Wednesday manager to reshuffle his defensive lineup to a back-four, with Shea Charles serving as a temporary centre-back.
Obviously, that is not ideal, and it demonstrates how limited Wednesday’s defense choices are right now, with Akin Famewo out injured until March.
The January transfer market is approaching, and Rohl will undoubtedly consider purchasing a replacement centre-back so that he does not have to use Charles there again, as his presence and creativity will be severely missed in the middle of the field.
For the majority of the game, the Owls’ front three provided little.
Rohl went with a rotational front three of Anthony Musaba, Djeidi Gassama, and Michael Smith, but that gamble did not pay off.
Both Musaba and Gassama provided little down the channels and were unable to find a killer ball or create an opportunity for themselves.
Meanwhile, Smith fought hard as the target man but was unable to register a single shot in his 79 minutes on the field.
It wasn’t until Josh Windass and the game-changing Jamal Lowe were added that things began to open up for Wednesday, and Rohl will undoubtedly consider starting the duo against Preston North End next weekend.
Barry Bannan has still got it!
Barry Bannan may be 35 years old, but he is still a high-quality player who consistently delivers for Sheffield Wednesday.
With the Owls behind, Bannan scored in the 64th minute from about 25 yards out, lofting the ball over the Derby defenders on the line following a bad clearing.
Aside from his goal, the Wednesday skipper took the game by the scruff of the neck, directing the flow of play in midfield and playing a key role in his team’s eventual victory.
Sheffield Wednesday has finally won two consecutive games.
Sheffield Wednesday stole the win in the dying stages of the game thanks to some excellent play from Callum Paterson and a nice finish by Jamal Lowe.
The Owls have now won two games in a row away from home, achieving something they had previously failed to do all season: win consecutive matches.
Ultimately, Sheffield Wednesday deserved the three points after their dramatic return, demonstrating once again that Rohl has a team with amazing heart that is slowly but steadily climbing the Championship table.
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