Sideways Sammy

A win on Tuesday night has gone some way towards reversing the ill mood at Coventry City. From looking utterly without a hope against Leeds United to easing to a comfortable home win against a previously undefeated Blackburn Rovers. Such is the capricious nature of football fandom, the result in this upcoming game against Sheffield Wednesday will re-define the feeling at the CBS Arena all over again.

Coventry City take on a Sheffield Wednesday side that similarly entered the season with high hopes, only for the reality of a long, hard Championship season to bite them over the opening months of the campaign. Ahead of an international break, both teams will be looking for a win to push them away for danger and put them in a position to re-align themselves with their pre-season expectations over the months ahead.

Expected Line-Up

Mark Robins faces two conflicting concerns with the team selection for this game. Does he stick with a winning team or keep players fresh after a midweek fixture? The recent home league defeat to Swansea City after a big midweek performance against Tottenham Hotspur is likely to still be in the manager’s mind, although, the break in the fixtures after this game may make it an easier decision to stick with the same side that beat Blackburn Rovers.

The only definite change to the starting line-up looks set to be Ephron Mason-Clark for Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, after the latter picked up a nasty cut early in the Blackburn game and the former put in a good showing as his replacement. Any other changes are likely to be decided by just how fresh Mark Robins feels certain players have looked in training.

Ben Sheaf is probably the most likely of Tuesday’s starters to drop out of the XI for this game, given his recent injury issues. Mark Robins really would be loathe to lose Sheaf for another extended period, especially after a performance in midweek that underlined his importance to the side. The midfielder is probably still more likely to start here than not, but there is a rationale for him not doing so.

The only other remote possibility for change could be up top, where there are options, in Ellis Simms and Norman Bassette, to provide fresh running at centre-forward. Taking Brandon Thomas-Asante out of the side after, by far, his best showing for the club would probably a step too far towards changes for the sake of changes. The overriding sense is that the XI here is likely to be almost identical than the one that beat Blackburn Rovers, with freshening up likely to come from the bench.

Last Time We Met

Coventry City and Sheffield Wednesday played each other four times over the space of six weeks between December and February of last season, culminating in a one-sided FA Cup Replay at the CBS Arena with Wednesday having named a weakened team. It began with an early goal for Kasey Palmer, who danced through the opposing defence to finish. It was level soon after, with a classic hapless/unlucky piece of Coventry City defending as Haji Wright fired a clearance into Josh Eccles, who could do little to stop Bailey Cadamarteri getting to the rebound and finishing.

After spurning some good chances to reclaim the lead in the first-half, it was in the second that Coventry City made their superiority count, They were ahead in the 50th minute, when Kasey Palmer disguised a pass to send Callum O’Hare in to finish. The lead was doubled when Jay Dasilva caught Sheffield Wednesday napping on the ball around the penalty area, feeding a pass to O’Hare to curl delightfully past the goalkeeper. It was quickly 4-1, when Haji Wright nodded in a glorious Dasilva cross.

Thoroughly outclassed, the only form of resistance Sheffield Wednesday offered was a petulant late shoulder barge from Di’Shon Bernard on Jamie Allen that fractured the latter’s cheekbone which the Wednesday player remarkably escaped any punishment for.

The Opposition

The Manager – Danny Röhl

Coming into a club that looked utterly fed-up with an owner, in Dejphon Chansiri, who had lost all goodwill at Hillsborough, Danny Röhl has galvanised Sheffield Wednesday and had fans believing a push for the top six was possible this season. In his first managerial posting, Röhl has got Wednesday looking to play high intensity pressing football, but that only goes some way to explaining the awe with which he is held in by the club’s fans. A positive, charismatic presence in both the dug-out and the media, Röhl seems to have got what the club means in a way few outsiders seem capable of.

A 4-0 win on opening day seemed to suggest that it wasn’t blind optimism behind Sheffield Wednesday and Danny Röhl, however, it took until last weekend’s win over West Bromwich Albion to pick up the next victory. A combination of silly mistakes and the sense of there still being a lot of work required with the squad to get it consistently playing the brand of pressing football that Röhl would like is why the blue touch paper has yet to be lit for the Owls this season.

Who To Look Out For?

Barry Bannan remains a class act in the Sheffield Wednesday midfield, dictating play with his excellent range of passing and stepping up with some key contributions thanks to his supreme skill when it comes to striking a ball. While, theoretically, having the relatively immobile Bannan is a midfield two isn’t a great fit for a team looking to play pressing football, his technical ability is such that he is an undroppable difference maker.

The aim this season has been to surround Bannan with willing runners that can both cover his off-the-ball work and act as an outlet for his passing ability. Bannan is paired in midfield with the industrious Shea Charles in central midfield, plus the hard-running of Josh Windass ahead of him. With the pace of Ike Ugbo, Anthony Musaba and Marvin Johnson in forward and wide areas, Bannan can turn defence into attack for Wednesday with serious rapidity.

Finding the right balance at the back between supporting the press without leaving the door open has been the key challenge for Danny Röhl this season. They currently look to have found a good balance with the physical, yet mobile, Di’Shon Bernard in the middle of a back three, with the versatile Liam Palmer backing up wing-back Yan Valery on the right, and the pacey Akin Famewo on the left. That back-line is able to push further forward thanks to the ability of loanee Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper, James Beadle, sweeping up ably from behind.

Where The Game Will Be Won Or Lost

After an improved showing in midweek with a quicker, more direct style of play, this could make for a frantic game between another team looking to play in a fast-paced, chaotic manner. Calm heads are going to be key on both sides, with Ben Sheaf having a vital role to play for Coventry City and Barry Bannan for Sheffield Wednesday hoping to supply the quality amid the chaos to win it for his side.

The key concern for Coventry City is whether to close Barry Bannan done in an attempt to limit his influence on proceedings or to attempt to deny him passing outlets by paying close attention to Sheffield Wednesday’s quick wide and forward players. The pace of Milan van Ewijk will be vital for the Sky Blues in shutting down Marvin Johnson on the Owls’ left side, as well as looking to sweep up in behind when required. It will also be up to Bobby Thomas and Liam Kitching to avoid any lapses in concentration that can be targeted by Bannan’s passing and Wednesday’s attacking pace.

It is worth noting that Sheffield Wednesday don’t have a particularly good away record under Danny Röhl, having picked up just one point on the road this campaign. For whatever reason, they are unable to press with the same intensity away from Hillsborough and can end up being fairly negative in their approach. While that may well see Coventry City take the game to the Owls, that could see the home side fall into those long, aimless spells of possession that have been fairly fruitless for them this season. Unless the Sky Blues score early, the challenge here will be to manufacture a similar pace of attacking play as on Tuesday night against a team that may look to defend relatively deep and deny space to play into.