Sheffield Wednesday boss Carlos Carvalhal has offered his views on Leeds United.
Sheffield Wednesday Manager Carlos Carvalhal
Sheffield Wednesday manager Carlos Carvalhal has told the Sheffield Star that Leeds United are far from a one-man team despite Chris Wood’s superb season so far.
The Owls make the short trip to Elland Road this afternoon in search of three points, with both teams keen to cement play-off places.
Wednesday sit sixth in the Championship table, occupying the final play-off spot, level on points with Leeds having lost 2-1 at home to Brentford in midweek.
Having lost in last season’s play-off final, Wednesday will hope to go one better this season, and they can all but assure a play-off spot by winning at Elland Road today, with Fulham six points behind them in seventh.
However, they will come up against a Leeds side who have impressed under Garry Monk this season, and whilst they have had a minor wobble recently with three wins, three defeats and a draw in the last seven games, they remain a tough team to face.
One of the key players in Monk’s side this season has been Chris Wood, who had a mixed campaign last season with 13 goals in 37 appearances.
This term though, the New Zealand international has racked up 22 goals in just 36 games, 19 of which have come in the Championship – meaning he’s the division’s second top goalscorer, only behind Newcastle’s Dwight Gayle on 20.
Leeds United’s Chris Wood celebrates after scoring against Sheffield Wednesday
The 25-year-old scored in Leeds’ 2-0 win over Wednesday back in August and will be hoping to repeat the trick this afternoon, prompting comments from Owls boss Carlos Carvalhal.
The Portuguese manager told the Sheffield Star that Leeds are far from a one-man team despite Wood’s vital goals, but did note that whilst Leeds are a good side, they maybe have one player who can score goals compared to three or four in the Wednesday side.
“It is not just (Wood), it is the team,” he said. “The way they are acting, they are organised and I think we understand how they play. They will not surprise us. We will be ready for what they will do. This doesn’t mean that we are saying that we will win the game.
“We must fight, it will be a tough game, they have a good team, good players but if I was in Monk’s position I would say that we are playing a good team, with good players. They have a player who can score goals but Sheffield Wednesday have players who can score goals also, maybe three or four who can score,” he added.
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