[Archived] Sheffield Wednesday Preview

[Blue blood]

I agree he does miss attacking headers. I realise my second comment wasnt clear. What I meant was criticisng Duffy's game on the basis he's "thick" is ignorant and its therefore not worth commenting on his genera!!y excellent contribution to the team if he's just written off as "thick." My comment that people write off his game because of poor attacking headers was meant to confirm, for me, it makes it not worth commenting on his overall game.

Apoligies to anyone who took it I was suggesting they are ignorant for commenting on missed headers.

I do feel his contribution is often overly criticised because of a lack of attacking prowess.

My gripe with Duffy is he seems rather gobby always moaning at other players. Also he and Hanley both struggle vs speedy players with good movement.

However these gripes need to be balanced against some excellent performances, being dominant in the air and generally much improvement from the cbs. Also not loads of teams use movement so it's not a big problem. For those teams who do play with lots of movement I wonder if more nous at cb being paired with one of our current cb would be a better option. Or an extra defensive mid in a 451 to track runners more.

Anyhow not a problem area of the team that needs working on as a lot of other areas need more investment first.

[JAL]

.

Did no one else think that Shane Duffy was outstanding? Haven't seen many posts about him.

How do you explain Duffy's ineffective challenge for Wednesdays first goal ?

Coming on top of last week's failed attempt for Preston North Ends goal.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

The ideal combination at centre half is a taller dominant header of the ball and a smaller quicker player to pick up the runners.

[Pedro]

How do you explain Duffy's ineffective challenge for Wednesdays first goal ?

Coming on top of last week's failed attempt for Preston North Ends goal.

It was Hanley wasn't it? Right on the edge of the box (let it bounce rather than booting it out).

[chor808]

Walked off Ewood a bit disappointed with the result but happy with what we had seen and felt entertained for once. The first half we looked really up for it and chased down everything. Sheffield look about the best team we have seen here so far this year and they showed that in the second half. We still could have won it but a draw was about right

Really optimistic after that performance the players looked drained at the end (which they should do!) So fitness is still an issue which it seems is being addressed.

Ultimately we lacked a bit of both fitness and quality but not effort. What more can you ask for.

[yoda]

Walked off Ewood a bit disappointed with the result but happy with what we had seen and felt entertained for once. The first half we looked really up for it and chased down everything. Sheffield look about the best team we have seen here so far this year and they showed that in the second half. We still could have won it but a draw was about right

Really optimistic after that performance the players looked drained at the end (which they should do!) So fitness is still an issue which it seems is being addressed.

Ultimately we lacked a bit of both fitness and quality but not effort. What more can you ask for.

It will take time for the fitness, pre season is the key to that, we can see the results of a less than standard one

[JAL]

It was Hanley wasn't it? Right on the edge of the box (let it bounce rather than booting it out).

It was Duffy that made a weak ineffective challenge leading to Wednesdays first goal. Watch the clip.

[patrickvalery]

It was Duffy that made a weak ineffective challenge leading to Wednesdays first goal. Watch the clip.

Wasn't that after Hanley let it bounce though? I stand to be corrected. But if it was then it could be fair to say he probably expected his centre half partner to clear the danger. When he didn't he had to make a challenge he shouldnt have to have make.

I watched that goal and my immediate instinct was that Hanley should have prevented it.

[Amo]

Hanley was caught flat-footed, and Duffy's attempt to intercept it was powder-puff. It's no coincidence that we've changed managers but are still falling afoul of the same defensive frailties.

Those two aren't good enough, and Steele is midtable quality at best.

[DavidMailsTightPerm]

On another note, how loud were those Wednesday fans at times? Credit where credit is due, superb support, not necessarily in numbers (not bad by any means but there are half a million people in Sheffield) , but certainly in volume.

Isn't it strange - I really didn't see it like that - yes after they scored they were fairly vocal (but I have heard far louder at Ewood with less away fans) - but at times when Rovers were running the game in second gear they were extremely quiet. Though it was an average performance by Rovers - on the whole we restricted Wednesday and only a bit of luck (not sure they would have scored the second if Hanley hadn't been lying injured in their penalty box) and some poor defending saved them from defeat.

[JAL]

Wasn't that after Hanley let it bounce though? I stand to be corrected. But if it was then it could be fair to say he probably expected his centre half partner to clear the danger. When he didn't he had to make a challenge he shouldnt have to have make.

I watched that goal and my immediate instinct was that Hanley should have prevented it.

Grant avoided dropping the Wednesday player, his partner meanwhile covering, yet again failed in his defensive duties.

What happened when Hanley wasn't around and Duffy was left to man the fort for Wednesdays second ?

[JAL]

Hanley was caught flat-footed, and Duffy's attempt to intercept it was powder-puff. It's no coincidence that we've changed managers but are still falling afoul of the same defensive frailties.

Those two aren't good enough, and Steele is midtable quality at best.

Grant needs an experienced top quality defender alongside him not Shane Duffy at this rate.

[SoldierMo]

Grant needs an experienced top quality defender alongside him not Shane Duffy at this rate.

OK JAL

[blueboy3333]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/14111559.PAUL_WHEELOCK_VERDICT__Blackburn_Rovers_2_Sheffield_Wednesday_2/?ref=mac

Hooper, who came on as sub for them, is costing Wednesday a loan fee of £500k and his full £32k a week in wages. Lets hope the rumours of venky's putting some money in to get us out of the embargo are true.

[patrickvalery]

Grant avoided dropping the Wednesday player, his partner meanwhile covering, yet again failed in his defensive duties.

What happened when Hanley wasn't around and Duffy was left to man the fort for Wednesdays second ?

Hold my hands up JAL, having watched it again I agree that Hanley pulls out of the challenge and Duffys challenge isn't good enough.

Still feel your being a tad harsh on the lad though. He's got the raw materials to be a good player for us. I hope we persist with him.

[chaddyrovers]

Grant avoided dropping the Wednesday player, his partner meanwhile covering, yet again failed in his defensive duties.

What happened when Hanley wasn't around and Duffy was left to man the fort for Wednesdays second ?

Wednesday second goal was abit lucky within all fairness.

You also fail to comment on Duffy performance against Sheff Wed number 9 in the first half. Won every header against him. He was excellent against him and it resulted in him being subbed at half time.

[K-Hod]

Some very harsh comments on Duffy, think he's improved under Lambert already. (Especially from one poster that said Phil Jones was no good!) If that can continue to happen and his attacking heading improves in the same way, we'll be golden.

[arbitro]

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/rovers/news/14111559.PAUL_WHEELOCK_VERDICT__Blackburn_Rovers_2_Sheffield_Wednesday_2/?ref=mac

Hooper, who came on as sub for them, is costing Wednesday a loan fee of £500k and his full £32k a week in wages. Lets hope the rumours of venky's putting some money in to get us out of the embargo are true.

£32k per week for Hooper - good grief. Scored a few at Scunthorpe in the lower leagues and also in a poor Scottish league. He couldn't cut in the PL with Norwich and to be honest is really a lower league Championship player at best. This is real evidence that the game of football is crazy.

[Mattyblue]

Problem with Duffy is that a lot of what the fans see, i.e. attacking headers and ball at his feet, he is poor. So a lot of his actual defending, which has improved is missed.

[tonyoz]

An assessment of individual player performance last Saturday.

Instance of excellent play O
Instance of decent/good play O
Instance of disappointing/poor play O
Instance of terrible play O

Each half is assessed separately (E&OE). Note, for each player the different colours have been aggregated for ease of comparison – they are not in chronological order.

First Half Second Half
Steele O²⁹ OO⁷²O
Henley OOOOO OOO
Duffy OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO³⁸ OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Hanley ₍₈₃₎ OOOOOOOOOO​³⁸ OOOOOO
Olsson OOOOO OOOOOO
Marshall OOOOO OOOOO
Akpan OOOO⁴ OOOOO
Evans OOOOO⁴³OOO OOO
Conway ₍₇₇₎ OOOOOOOO⁴ OOO
Taylor OOOOOOO OOOOOOO
Rhodes OOO⁴¹ OOO
Guthrie ₍₇₇₎ OO⁷⁸O
Henry ₍₈₃₎ OO⁹⁰

Highlights and Lowlights
4 A quality corner from Conway is powered home by Akpan with a header from the edge of the box.
29 Steele commits himself to punching a Wednesday corner and gets nowhere near it! Fortunately the ball arcs behind for a goal-kick.
38 A hoof by Wednesday’s keeper is headed on and Hanley is caught flat-footed as Lee pokes the ball past him. Duffy’s tackle is weak and ineffective allowing Lee to round Steele and hit the post. Sougou buries the rebound.
41 A Wednesday corner and Rhodes leaves his (near) post and completely misses his header. Fortunately the Wednesday attacker’s shot is deflected behind by Hanley.
43 A Rovers corner is half cleared to Evans on the edge of the box who then fires in through a sea of bodies. There is a slight deflection and the ball enters the net.

72 The ball loops into Rover’s box and Duffy misses his header under pressure. Fortunately Steele is fast off his line and does enough to put the Wednesday striker off.
78 A superb long pass by Guthrie sets Marshall towards goal where his shot is deflected for a corner.
83 With Hanley lying in the Wednesday box, there is a comedy of errors culminating in a miscued Wednesday cross which finds Jaoa in the box for the easiest of headers into the net.
90 Henry, surrounded by 2 attackers out on the wing, misjudges the ball and fails to put it out of play. This leads to a very dangerous situation but Guthrie just manages to get his foot in before the shot is released.
​

Sorry again - I can't figure why the program keeps changing my font sizes!

[JHRover]

£32k per week for Hooper - good grief. Scored a few at Scunthorpe in the lower leagues and also in a poor Scottish league. He couldn't cut in the PL with Norwich and to be honest is really a lower league Championship player at best. This is real evidence that the game of football is crazy.

Hooper is like Neil Lennon - his whole career is built on a successful stint at Celtic. Never mind that especially these days being successful with Celtic means very little, he must be a good un if he can score every week against Hamilton Academical and Ross County.

[JAL]

Wednesday second goal was abit lucky within all fairness.

You also fail to comment on Duffy performance against Sheff Wed number 9 in the first half. Won every header against him. He was excellent against him and it resulted in him being subbed at half time.

It's all right using his head but as a defender hell have to use his feet far more, something that he seems to lack is the quality in his feet.

At this moment in time it looks like Rovers have rubbered with this guy lets hope he can improve as hes only outstanding from a Burnley supporters point of view.

[K-Hod]

It's all right using his head but as a defender hell have to use his feet far more, something that he seems to lack is the quality in his feet.

At this moment in time it looks like Rovers have rubbered with this guy lets hope he can improve as hes only outstanding from a Burnley supporters point of view.

[Mike E]

Hellfire JAL, you don't half overdo your criticism at times. Both central defenders had excellent games. An individual error from each (leading to a goal) doesn't change that.

He's a cb, not the anti-christ.

[Salgado Is Still A Hero]

Hooper scored 19 in 35 in this division for Scunthorpe, which was more than Andy Carroll also managed in this league that season for Newcastle. He also scored 7 in 19 for Celtic in Europe, going by wiki, which is pretty respectable.

He's a good player, it just didn't work out for him at Norwich.