Sideways Sammy

A late defeat to Norwich City has seen a solid festive period end up sub-par. Three wins, three draws and three defeats to start with under Frank Lampard hasn’t exactly provided the sense of lift-off that had been hoped for in a new era. A two-week break from league action could go a long way to letting things settle down and allowing the new head coach a chance to put his ideas in place, but there is an FA Cup tie to navigate which will further shape impressions of how things are going.

A tie against another Championship side, especially one that Coventry City took on four times over the space of six weeks last year, is the least enthralling draw possible. While this is a chance to see how this team can compete with a high-flying opponent, that there are no league points at stake makes this feel especially like an exercise in futility. This looks set to be a game won by whichever side cares about the progress in the cup the most.

Expected Line-Up

The back three seen against Norwich City last time out was probably a one-off, given the last remaining viable senior winger, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, had picked up a knock in the game prior. With the Japanese midfielder back in contention to start here, Frank Lampard should be set to return to his preferred 4-2-3-1 shape. The bigger question here is whether the head coach rotates his starting line-up to hand fringe players chances or sticks with his strongest possible side.

The timing of this game, with a week’s buffer either side of league fixtures lessens the temptation to rotate. Furthermore, Coventry City’s injury situation means there is limited scope to make swingeing changes to the side. Even a change in goal looks unlikely, with Brad Collins having recently had a chance in the starting line-up and been dropped.

One area to look out for in terms of changes here will be in midfield, where it has emerged that Ben Sheaf is injured and may be out for a few weeks. With Jack Rudoni having to fill in at the moment on the left wing and youngster, Kai Andrews, having been sent out on loan, that leaves Josh Eccles, Victor Torp and Jamie Allen as the only options to take up the three central midfield positions.

Elsewhere, who partners Bobby Thomas is central defence looks to be a toss-up between Liam Kitching and Joel Latibeaudiere – with both players having been tentatively linked with moves away this week. Kitching might just be the favourite for the starting spot, with Latibeaudiere having cost the team two points last time out when he got muscled off the ball deep in stoppage time.

Up front, now would be a good time for Ellis Simms to play himself into form, both because the team has struggled for goals from centre-forward for much of this season but also with the returns of Ephron Mason-Clark and Haji Wright in the coming weeks which could see the latter played through the middle in order to keep the former in their strongest position.

Last Time We Met

It was a rare occasion this season that Coventry City took the lead in a home game, when Jack Rudoni fired in from outside the box. However, the Sky Blues – who looked tired after a 3-0 midweek win over Blackburn Rovers – slowly lost control of the game and were level in first-half stoppage time when a sloppy Liam Kitching clearance came the way of Sheffield Wednesday’s Djeidi Gassama, who fired powerfully past Ben Wilson.

Coventry City toiled through the second-half looking to regain their lead, but never really tested the opposing goalkeeper. They should have walked out of the game with a point, only to lose concentration in stoppage time once again, when a poor Milan van Ewijk pass left Ben Sheaf stretching for a ball to set up a Sheffield Wednesday counter-attack, that was finished off by Shea Charles.

The Opposition

The Manager – Danny Röhl

The German has proven highly popular at Hillsborough ever since taking over 15 months ago with the club not only heading for League One but lacking identity. Danny Röhl won fans over with his positive mind-set and the clear sense of purpose he brought to the team, based around high-intensity pressing football but with a certain element of flexibility to it when required. From bottom of the table when he took over to three points off the play-offs – without a great deal of investment in the squad – the only way for Wednesday under Röhl looks to be up.

While the German prefers a high-intensity pressing style, he is able to mix things up and play more defensively when the situation calls for it. The ability to integrate a mercurial passer into his system, in Barry Bannan, highlights Röhl’s ability to align a team to its strengths and weaknesses. Just how seriously he will be looking to take the FA Cup isn’t clear, Röhl had rotated for last year’s competition but that was due to the club fighting relegation.

Who To Look Out For?

This Sheffield Wednesday side isn’t really about star individuals but more about how the collective comes together. While Danny Röhl has been flexible in integrating the aforementioned Barry Bannan into his system, someone who doesn’t exactly embody the hard-running style associated with high-pressing football, the team plays to a clear sense of purpose that elevates the available resources the manager has.

A key change of late for Sheffield Wednesday has been moving away from a back three in order to play a 4-2-3-1 system that allows Josh Windass to operate in an attacking midfield role while keeping the flying, pacey wingers that are important to the team’s high-energy play. Windass has been in top form lately popping into dangerous areas and getting shots off. He’s able to do that due to the space that the rapid wingers Djedi Gassama and Anthony Musaba open up, along with Ike Ugbo at centre-forward.

In central midfield, Shea Charles plays an important role as something of an enforcer alongside Barry Bannan but an enforcer who can also distribute the ball and get involved in playmaking almost as much as Bannan. That combination of energy, physciality and quality on the ball has seen Sheffield Wednesday really start to control games recently.

At the back, Sheffield Wednesday have physicality and impose that helps them impose themselves on opponents. An injury to Dominic Iorfa is a blow in that regard, but they look set to bring in the talented youngster, Gabriel Otegbayo to partner the bruising (literally, if you ask Jamie Allen) and quick Di’shon Bernard, with Yan Valery at full-back another who is both phyiscally strong and quick. In goal, Wednesday are likely to bring in youngster Pierce Charles (who is the aforementioned Shea’s brother) who is a good shot-stopper with great distribution who may well be first-choice next season.

Where The Game Will Be Won Or Lost

Home games under Frank Lampard have been very possession-heavy for Coventry City, which may well suit a Sheffield Wednesday side who will look to stay compact to cut off easy passing lanes into midfield, before springing when they spot any loose play with their quick attacking players. The Owls are almost the worst opponent for the Sky Blues to face as they look to integrate a possession-heavy style, if there is any sloppiness, it will be pounced upon.

Sheffield Wednesday have the worst record in the Championship in conceding goals from set-pieces, the question is whether the focus on work in possession recently for Coventry City has taken the attention away from dead ball situations. With the Owls a potentially team to break down in open play, if the Sky Blues can nick something from a set-piece, that could change the complexion of the match, especially as Wednesday give a lot of fouls away as part of their style of play.