The Clash of the Wednesdayites
As this week has slowly ticked over, I have thought about nothing but the derby!
I promised myself I wouldn't discuss possible scenarios or the result... but I have. In fact, I've done it to death! I'm pretty glad I'm not a Manager who is a Wednesdayite going into this fixture, and this game controversially has two!
Former Sheffield Wednesday Player and now the Manager, Gary Megson is currently unbeaten in 4 games with 4 wins on the bounce and surely must be going into this Sunday's Derby feeling good about his teams' recent performances.
Megson's men look favourites at Bramall Lane after four straight league wins.
Former Sheffield Wednesday player and former Manager, Danny Wilson however, is the current Manager of rivals Sheffield United, which are staring back-to-back league defeats in the face. So by all accounts, especially to the neutral spectator (and I genuinally hate to say it) Wednesday must be favourites in my opinion, for the first time for a long time.
The reason I hate to mention favourites is because notoriously when Wednesday are favourites they usually trip the bookmakers up. I genuinely fancy us on Sunday and how could I not based on our start to the season?
If you recall my comments from a couple of weeks ago, I was speculative about the Owls' start to the season, but ultimately positive and that positive feeling has done nothing but grow! I went to the home win against Chesterfield on Saturday and I have a ticket for Sunday! Against Chesterfield, I was not only impressed by our attacking line with yet another goal from Gary Madine, but the overall attitude of the team was fantastic. There wasn't any player which let another down and in particular, there were areas of the pitch which we dominated.
One of those areas I refer to was midfield and it was bossed by my man of the Match; Jose Semedo.
If the Portugese midfielder has a game like he did against Chesterfield, then I won't worry too much about Sheffield United's creativity, especially when their chief problem lately has been taking chances according to Danny Wilson.
He said this about their so-called problems after their most recent League 1 game against Charlton;
"Throughout the game we've created better chances, like we did on Saturday, but we don't seem to be taking our chances. We had a few opportunities in the first half, where you knew we could have done better."
If Semedo dominates midfield, then hopefully we wont give the Blades many chances.
Going into the game on Sunday at Bramall Lane is going to be electric! Sheffield literally focuses on nothing else. Everyone talks about if for weeks no matter what the context, whether you're an avid fan or a member of the Emergency Services, the city really does stop for Derby day.
It's mentioned in all the papers before and after the result and it's definitely what I'll be talking about, regardless of whether i'm celebrating or drowning my sorrows.
Owls midfielder Jose Semedo is tipped to make a big impact at Bramall Lane on Sunday.
Either way I'm going to be quite nervous on Sunday and for several reasons; I want to see a great game, I want to see a tough game and a lot of people will shoot me for cursing it, but I want to see goals!
Who am I going to call? Gary Madine. Madine for me has been outstanding and if I'm going to get what I want it's from him. Megson spoke after the Chesterfield game about the 'Goal Machine' and he said;
"Gary Madine is playing extremely well. His confidence is sky high and rightly so, he thinks he will score everytime he takes to the field."
All of this positive energy has to be capped off by Skipper Rob jones' latest interview about the Derby and what he said has simply added to my quiet confidence against the Blades. The well known Wednesdayite and Club Captain said;
"I can't describe how proud I will be to lead the team out at Bramall lane..."
The proud captain has won me over this season and I have no doubts he'll wear his heart on his sleeve for us on Sunday!
I am now going to sign off for the last time before the Derby, nerves will be all over the place for fans and players alike, and I want nothing more than to see the Blue and White Wizards make it 5 wins out of 5! However I just can't call it and by the looks of things neither can anyone else. Playing Devil's advocate allows me to be synical and say; 'We are due a defeat' but the Owl on my shoulder says; 'We can continue an unbeaten run'.
Perhaps the betting man will join in and lump his money on a draw? What do you think?
Whatever the result I'll be right there will the travelling support! Come on Sheffield Wednesday! I truly can't wait!
UTO
Don
Twitter @DonAlfieGarnett
Don, Sheffield Wednesday Blog for Sport:Yorkshire
Megson Finds Pieces to the Away Puzzle
I am absolutely delighted to be able to follow up my debut blog with a hugely positive response about the Owls, and its all down totwo fantastic back to back results against a struggling Exeter City and an undefeated Hartlepool United.
Following the home win the Owls then had to travel to Victoria Park to play an undefeated Hartlepool United. After a tough game Sheffield Wednesday came out of the fixture as 1-0 winners with a goal from Reda Johnson which not only capped off a great defensive performance but gained Reda a well earned League 1 team of the week placement, his third this season! 'Well done Reda!'
Defender Reda Johnson was on the score sheet in the 1-0 win over Hartlepool United.
These impressive back-to-back wins have firmly placed Sheffield Wednesday 4th in League 1, only 5 points from the league leaders, Charlton.
Speaking of those positives, I firmly standby my words and think that we are on track for hitting the playoffs this season. With Gary Megson now spoilt for choice with strikers' Lowe and O' Grady making recoveries, looking at the two new signings you'd have thought Gary Madine might want to look over his shoulder, however the youngster is firing on all cylinders with 9 goals in 11 games and is also favorite for the League 1 player of the month.
I now believe that the only selection trouble up front Megson faces is who to put alongside him? Megson: "Madine really is looking the part. I've no complaints with him at the moment."
After the Exeter game, I was concerned with the seemingly bad habit we've got ourselves into this season by crawling out of the blocks at the start of games. It hasn't gone unnoticed by me and it hadn't gone unnoticed by manager Gary Megson as he quoted post Exeter City:
If teams are going to beat us this season it's with early goals. A couple of shaky starts i am pleased to say we have got away with as we have shown bounce-back ability particularly against MK Dons and Charlton. However the barrage of early goals still lay in the shadows away at Stevenage.
If being a Wednesdayayite teaches us anything its that the well known 'Sod's law' applies to football every week and my concerns for our ability to concede early were soon baffled by a well earned clean sheet at Hartlepool, that was definately what the doctor ordered for the Owls.
So all-in-all we are starting to shape into a playoff contender, in my opinion making your home games count is huge and in that department we've literally been faultless. So it's the travelling we need to conquer and with an early impressive draw against Charlton and wins at Yeovil and more recently, Hartlepool, that my friends is Playoff form and dare I say, Promotion form!
With our next two fixtures being local derbys I cannot make an honest prediction, it's just too hard especially knowing I have a derby ticket on my mantle piece, so im going to talk statistics. W-L-W-W-W is our last five league results and I promise not to do this all the time, but it looks promising alongside our city rivals who have strung together these five in the league: D-L-W-L-L. The results speak for themselves.
Momentum is the Key to League 1 Success
I couldn't agree with the man more! In fact he couldn't be more right about Sheffield Wednesday at the moment. League 1 hosts a marathon of games for the Owls and what some people look past in this division is all the teams within our reach. The next game alone we need to be keeping an eye on Hartelpool, Notts County, Preston, Brentford, Huddersfield, MK Dons and of course the Blades, who are all only 3 points or less away. So the momentum Danny Batth speaks of is what adjusts that 3 point gap below us into 5 or 6 points and also hopefully decreasing the gap against the League leaders.
Wolves loanee, Danny Batth, looks to take momentum into the upcoming Derby games.
So that takes our target and places it on local rivals Chesterfield on Saturday. The Defence are going to be tested once again when facing the in-form former Owl Leon Clarke, who is also a contender for Player of the month. The Spirites striker has netted 5 times so far. We sit 11 points ahead of Chezzy who sit 16th.
Gary Madine's goals and our 100% home record should notch us favorites for the clash at Hillsborough. Can we maintain a 100% home record for a 6th game in a row? I think we can!
I'm looking forward to watching the way we go from here and i think October is going to be a good month for S.W.F.C. I know i'm certainly going to enjoy it, two local derby's, one of which i've got my ticket for! No prizes for who can guess where i'll be on October 16th.
Let me sign off by singing; "Gary Madine, the Goal Machine..."
UTO
Don
Don, Sheffield Wednesday Blog for Sport:Yorkshire
The Sheffield Wednesday Jigsaw
The start to the Owls' season has been nothing short of exciting.
As an avid Wednesdayayite, I too jumped on the
negative bandwagon when we witnessed a defeat away to Bournemouth and since
then, the team just could not win away.
Many of us are fickle even if we don’t admit it,
after a 100% home record we were all saying; “we are going to win the league”
then after a 5-1 thrashing at Stevenage, we all cried; “we are doomed.”
It seems a very typical start for the Owls for most
of us, however, I genuinely and sincerely believe we have found faith in Milan
Mandaric and Gary Megson.
Most supporters and critics don’t like a chairman
who jumps in quickly with transfers but it's exactly what we needed! He
certainly seems to know what he wants and that can only match what we want:
success!
Let’s not forget to look outside the big picture. From a neutrals point of view, we have had a good start with maybe one or two blips. This is not uncommon for a successful team and we are currently sat in joint 5th after our first away win at Yeovil Town.
Let’s not forget to look outside the big picture. From a neutrals point of view, we have had a good start with maybe one or two blips. This is not uncommon for a successful team and we are currently sat in joint 5th after our first away win at Yeovil Town.
What makes
this start to our season seem not good enough for our highly strung followers
is without a doubt the better starts our Yorkshire rivals and neighbours have
had.
Forgive my next bold statement but there isn't a
single Wednesdayite out there which hasn't at least once compared our wins with
our bitter rivals the Blades. Roll on October the 16th!
Megson and Mandaric together again after working together previously at Leicester City.
Sheffield Wednesday have so far completed half of the Jigsaw that is League 1 and by the looks of the result away at Yeovil, we are starting to find the pieces to complete our season with, in my opinion, a top 6 finish!
There are so many games in the lower leagues when you take into account the League Cup, the F.A Cup and the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy (which said under my breath, i’m glad we are out of)
Strong squads are required to survive this endurance
test and with some recent additions, we can now compete with the main
contenders such as Charlton and Huddersfield.
The strong midfield duo of Semedo and Prutton has
impressed me from the pre season friendlies against Premiership opposition, to
our unconvincing performance on TV against Charlton.
If you would have told me at the start of the season that we were on track for the playoffs and Gary Madine was the top scorer in the league, bagging seven goals in six games, I would have been very surprised.
If you would have told me at the start of the season that we were on track for the playoffs and Gary Madine was the top scorer in the league, bagging seven goals in six games, I would have been very surprised.
So all in all, we simply cannot complain with our
performance so far. Yes we've had a shocking thrashing and yes we've had
injuries but if you can tell me of a season in the last 10 where The Owls haven’t
been thrashed and had several players injured, I would be amazed.
To finalise this debut blog, I would like to sign
off by adding a few thoughts.
First off I believe my beloved Sheffield
Wednesday will finish in the playoffs! Secondly, this is undoubtedly going
to be a tough season but if there’s any team in this league which should be
described as ‘tough to beat’, it’s us.
An experienced keeper, balanced defence, a robust
midfield and a top scoring strike force highlights to me, a successful
combination.
I am confident there will be times when I will doom
us to a mid-table finish and there will be times when i’m livid with the gaffer,
but I will see through it and read this blog to remind myself that we have got
a good team and we have got a good chance!
Up the Owls.
Twitter @DonAlfieGarnett
