Sheffield Wednesday must overcome two of Reading, Huddersfield Town and Fulham to reach the Premier League.
Sheffield Wednesday’s popular head coach Carlos Carvalhal
We could finish third in the Championship, but few seem to think that Sheffield Wednesday can go the distance.
It’s not just among rival fans (and the media) that the Owls’ achievements are being overlooked, however – even their play-off rivals appear unfazed about facing Carlos Carvalhal’s side.
It took 24 minutes for Wednesday to get a serious mention on Channel 5’s latest Football League highlights show, when studio guest Sone Aluko – a Fulham player – incorrectly named us as one of the many sides beaten by the Cottagers this season (we conceded late to draw 1-1 at their place).
In many ways, the ignorance towards the Owls is understandable. We didn’t get to where we are on a shoestring budget (Huddersfield); we weren’t transformed over a single summer by one of Manchester United’s most popular ex-players (Reading); we haven’t been the most aesthetically pleasing side (Fulham). Instead, we’re the only team from last year’s top six to make the play-offs again, and have spent well – albeit not excessively, despite what you’re told – in doing so. The Hollywood script writers, quite rightly, would head elsewhere.
This is not, however, last year’s team. As Wednesday pushed for a goal against eventual winners Hull City at Wembley 12 months ago, it was Atdhe Nuhiu, Lucas Joao (a pair of strikers with three league goals between them this season) and Jeremy Helan (retired at 24 to focus on religion) to whom they turned from the substitutes’ bench. Yet in recent weeks we’ve been somewhat spoilt for choice, with Jordan Rhodes (94 Championship goals since 2012), Callum McManaman (loaned from Premier League West Brom) and Fernando Forestieri (our recovering talisman) all struggling to make Carvalhal’s 11 due to the form of others.
Sheffield Wednesday have failed to score without Jordan Rhodes (number 17) on the pitch since the striker’s move to Hillsborough in January
Not only that, over the past six matches no Championship side’s form stands up to that of the Owls, who’ve won six out of six ahead of Fulham’s visit on Sunday – which is, again, a far cry from last season, when a run of two wins from seven saw us stumble into the final play-off place. Had Wednesday not been without Gary Hooper and Kieran Lee for four months apiece, and had the pair, along with Forestieri, Ross Wallace, Sam Hutchinson and Almen Abdi, not missed the bulk of March – when we won just one of our four league matches and suffered a home defeat at the hands Reading – we’d have perhaps pushed for the automatics.
Having said that, there’s no sense of entitlement on this writer’s part, and rarely have the Championship play-offs been as tough to call as they are this season, with five points separating four very good teams as the final day looms. But we’re certainly better than many are giving us credit for.
Ignore us at your peril.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Fernando Forestieri (centre) has scored 27 goals in 75 games for the Owls
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