Sheffield Wednesday currently sit ninth in the Championship following this weekend’s defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Brighton player Sam Baldock celebrates scoring their first goal against Wednesday on Saturday
This weekend’s defeat against Brighton has been a wake up call for Sheffield Wednesday, and has put many things into perspective for the Owls.
Despite a decent start to the Championship campaign, manager Carlos Carvalhal was expected to have done better at the club. After nearly guiding the Owls to promotion last season, Wednesday are a side that have the ability to be challenging at the top. Eleven games in, the Owls are three points outside the play-offs.
Carvalhal has earned his right to remain at the club, but changes need to be made. With a two-week break from league football due to the international break, Carvalhal has got time to work with his team and put these changes in place.
Sheffield Wednesday manager Carlos Carvalhal
Carvalhal needs to show that he knows what his best XI is
Unless you have the strength and depth to do so, constant chop and change and rotation is never good for the team. Carvalhal’s biggest mistake this season is the inconsistency with his XI.
An inconsistent line-up leads to inconsistent results and this has been the case at Wednesday. Fans need to see a settled side for a good run of games. How can the partnerships expect to flourish if the manager is changing a third or more of the starting line up from one game to another? The manager needs to work out what his best team and formation is.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Gary Hooper in action against Brighton
He needs to show that he can adapt Wednesday’s style of play
The Portuguese manager needs to show that he can change his style of play against different opponents. During the 2-1 defeat on the weekend, Brighton’s team wasn’t more skilful than Wednesday. The victory for Brighton came because they were a team who had a system of play and a plan. Their plan was effective and resulted in picking up an all-important three points.
Too many teams now know what to expect from Wednesday and the Owls have sometimes become predictable. Carvalhal needs to work with his side and put a plan in place in order to beat their rivals.
Sheffield Wednesday’s game against Villa was the only home game where the Owls didn’t concede first.
Wednesday need to perform for the full 90 minutes
The Owls have been behind in every home game so far this season, apart from their meeting with struggling Villa. This is a problem in itself and one the manager needs to address. It’s been a common occurrence with the Owls being slow starters in games at Hillsborough this season.
Wednesday are guilty of only playing one good half out of two. Is the reason behind this down to the fact that Carvalhal can’t motivate his players or is it part of the managers’ plan? Either way, the slow start to games needs to stop. The Owls have been far too slow in their build-up to games while also lacking pace.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
