Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl has a number of attacking options in his squad, but he may be using one of his best players totally wrong.
Danny Rohl now has the next fortnight to mull over what could have been after defeat in his first-ever Steel City derby on Sunday afternoon.
Sheffield Wednesday travelled across the city to Bramall Lane and, despite a strong first-half showing, came away from the game with nothing, with one goal separating the two sides.
Finding the back of the net has been one of Sheffield Wednesday’s biggest issues, and it’s something that ultimately cost them the game in the derby.
The Owls actually created more chances than their rivals on the day, but couldn’t make the most of their opportunities and paid the price.
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Josh Windass is more effective on the left wing
One player who had a couple of chances in that game is Josh Windass. The experienced forward missed a difficult header at the back post, and sliced one long-range effort far wide of the goal.
But, he may have found more chances coming his way had he been deployed on the left-hand side of the pitch rather than the right.
That’s according to Dom Howson, who took to X to share his thoughts on the way Windass is being utilised by Rohl this season.
He wrote: “Going to put it out there now: I don’t like Windass on the right hand side. [He] is better suited on the left. That is where he has done a lot of damage for Sheffield Wednesday over the years. [Wednesday] have to get him in better positions to influence things.”
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Moving Windass could be a simple fix for Danny Rohl
In truth, the decision to switch things up and put Windass on the left would not be too disruptive for Rohl’s system, and could bring huge rewards.
As a right-footer, Windass could influence the game more by cutting in from the left and getting the ball on his stronger foot. We all know what he’s capable of when striking from distance, too, and yet his long-range efforts from the edge of the box have dried up of late.
Replacing Windass on the right wouldn’t be difficult, either. Anthony Musaba entered the fray against United on Sunday and looked really lively down that wing, and he’s a player Rohl may want to use more frequently.
| Statistic | Josh Windass vs Sheffield United | Anthony Musaba vs Sheffield United |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes played | 80 | 16 |
| Touches | 28 | 7 |
| Shots | 2 | 1 |
| Pass completion % | 70 | 50 |
| Progressive carries | 2 | 2 |
| Successful take-ons | 0 | 1 |
Wednesday need to be adventurous and daring in attack, and players like Musaba offer exactly that. Rohl could be looking at a win-win situation if he follows Howson’s advice, with Windass becoming a more influential outlet down the left, and Musaba being a more traditional touchline winger on the right.