Sideways Sammy

A tough midweek away at Millwall? How about a straightforward 4-0 win instead? If there was any doubt that Coventry City are in excellent form, then Wednesday’s comfy victory at The Den proved just how well everything seems to be going for this team right now. Unbeaten after the first eight league games and with goals flying in from every angle, the Sky Blues have the chance to stretch that run into the second international break and maybe even go top of the early Championship table.

The opposition are a Sheffield Wednesday side that are fighting on the pitch despite being in utter disarray off it. With an owner who has not only lost interest in the club but seems to be actively spiting its fans, by underfunding the squad and continuing to fail to play players on time, relegation to League One already looks a certainty, the only question being whether things could get much worse for the club before control is wrested from the malignant Dejphon Chansiri. While there is a banana skin factor to this game, Coventry could hardly have handpicked a better opponent to stretch this unbeaten run with.

Expected Line-Up

Frank Lampard’s thin squad has become even thinner, it seems, with both Victor Torp and Josh Eccles taken off early in midweek due to injury issues. Just how serious the knocks the two players took is not clear but it could force the manager to change what has been a successful formula thus far.

A move to a 3-4-3 in the closing stages against Millwall may well suggest it’s the only option that left to Frank Lampard with the increasing list of absentees. Jamie Allen seems set to step in alongside Matt Grimes as pretty much the only possible remaining midfield partnership, with Luke Woolfenden coming in as a centre-back instead of having a third midfielder.

The big selection decisions are out wide, where the return of Ephron Mason-Clark and Kaine Kesler-Hayden grabbing a goal off the bench in midweek could give the manager something to think about. As much as the role of Tatsuhiro Sakamoto on and off the ball shouldn’t be underestimated, a lack of tangible output leaves his place in the side at risk. Lampard may well stick with a formula on either wing that has worked over the past two games, but Sakamoto could be the victim of Ephron Mason-Clark’s return to fitness, with Brandon Thomas-Asante moving to the right wing.

A curveball could well be going to a 4-4-2, with Ellis Simms replacing the third midfielder in order to give the team a more familiar feel. With Sheffield Wednesday tending to sit back against opponents, this could be the attacking move required to break them down. However, it feels as if Frank Lampard showed his current line of thinking later on against Millwall, with a 4-4-2 possibly being something to consider if the team is chasing a goal later on.

Last Time We Met

It was during that buoyant run for Coventry City back in the winter that launched them into the play-offs that saw them travel to Hillsborough to take on a Sheffield Wednesday side also eyeing up a top six place. It was a game notable for being the most recent standout showing from Ellis Simms, with the striker glancing in a Jack Rudoni header early on to stymie what had been a spirited start from the home side. Simms saw a second goal in the opening 45 minutes ruled out for a foul on James Beadle in the Sheffield Wednesday goal, the kind of decision goalkeepers always seem to get.

The Owls came out of the traps in the second-half and forced a deserved equaliser when a cross from the left wing was palmed by Oliver Dovin into the back of Joel Latibeaudiere and then into the Sky Blues’ goal. A point looked an acceptable return from a back-foot away performance from Coventry City, however, it was a period in time where their luck looked to be in as a hoof forward by Milan van Ewijk was spilled by James Beadle and converted by the lurking Ellis Simms. With the referee this time electing not to give the goalkeeper the benefit of the doubt, it was a 92nd minute winner for Coventry.

The Opposition

The Manager – Henrik Pedersen

Not to be confused with the former Bolton Wanderers striker, Henrik Pedersen has enjoyed a peripatetic coaching career, involving spells in Ghana, Germany, Norway and Denmark before arriving at Sheffield Wednesday initially as part of predecessor, Danny Rohl’s, coaching staff. Having overseen pre-season after Rohl went AWOL as a result of the club’s off-field uncertainty, Pedersen was handed the almightiest of hospital passes as his next managerial gig, taking on a Wednesday side under a transfer embargo and with key players able to walk out on their contracts for free.

Stitching together a team from those who remained and some youth-team products – plus two loan signings – Pedersen has put together a Sheffield Wednesday side who at least have a competitive starting line-up,. Unbeaten in three, and very close to beating Birmingham City at their own place on Tuesday night, the Owls are no pushovers as they head into a period of the season that could determine whether their depleted squad has any hope of pulling off a remarkable survival bid.

Who To Look Out For?

The notion that this Sheffield Wednesday side is just Barry Bannan and ten other guys is not without some justification. The Scottish playmaker is clearly the star turn in this team with his ability to dictate play in the middle of the park and wand of left foot that can create something out of nothing. However, there remain enough senior players with Championship experience in the starting XI to stitch a half-decent team around Bannan – even if there might be some doubt as to their motivation/participation after being unpaid for the latest month.

The defensive stalwarts of Dominic Iorfa, Max Lowe, Liam Palmer and Yan Valery have been integral in providing the steel for Sheffield Wednesday to frustrate teams this season. Iorfa at centre-back and Palmer at right-back have both played well over 150 appearances for the club, providing physicality and sturdiness around some of the young players filling in the gaps. Lowe has been doing a decent job as a makeshift centre-back as part of a back three, while Valery has been operating as a defensive midfielder, with Nathaniel Chalobah – another of the few remaining experienced Championship performers on the books – out injured.

The energetic Svante Ingelsson plays an important role linking midfield and attack for Sheffield Wednesday, providing some legs alongside Barry Bannan in the centre of the park. Jamal Lowe in attack is a nippy forward who can nick goals at Championship level, with the youngster Bailey Cadamateri or Charlie McNeill adding extra running power alongside the Jamaican international. At left wing-back, Manchester United loanee, Harry Amass, has impressed with his energy and determination in the challenge since arriving on transfer deadline day.

Of the academy players that have been handed unexpected opportunities to play Championship football, striker George Brown has probably made the biggest impression, having grabbed a couple of goals recently from the bench. Additionally, Ernie Weaver at centre-back has started to establish himself as first-choice over the slightly more experienced Gabriel Otegbayo.

Where The Game Will Be Won Or Lost

As much as this looks a big opportunity for Coventry City to add another win to their record against a Sheffield Wednesday in disarray, the Owls have been able to land some sucker punches on teams that have underestimated them recently. As much as an early goal could really expose the Owls and turn a defiant Hillsborough atmosphere sour, given how little experience the team has beyond their starting XI, the patient approach could be a wise way to go in order to wear down a thin opposition squad that is playing its third game in a week.

Sheffield Wednesday have the lowest average possession in the division and aren’t particularly aggressive in how they press either. The challenge for Coventry City here will be in looking to break down a determined defensive side, which could see Frank Lampard reconsider whether a back three is the best choice for this game, given Matt Grimes desire to drop deep in possession, which could leave Coventry short on attacking bodies. That could lead to a consideration of playing a 4-4-2, if not from the start then at some point later in the game if required.

The danger from Sheffield Wednesday comes from them playing balls into the channels for their spritely forwards to chase. This will test the concentration of the defence as they’ll look to constantly use this as an avenue to get up the pitch, looking to get Coventry’s centre-backs into unfavourable foot races with the opposing strikers. In addition, Barry Bannan’s set-piece delivery is such that the Sky Blues should look to avoid giving away too many silly free-kicks.