Very few Sheffield Wednesday players left the Preston game with much credit to their name, but one defender has been picked out for criticism from Dom Howson.
Sheffield Wednesday may have continued their unbeaten run, which now stretches back four matches, but the Owls fanbase are rightly disappointed that another win wasn’t recorded against a struggling Preston side.
One again, Danny Rohl’s side struggled to take control of the game in the first half, and they paid the price early on when Emil Riis Jakobsen gave the away team the lead after just 14 minutes.
While Liam Palmer has picked up most of the frustration from Sheffield Wednesday fans, it is actually Yan Valery who may have let his team down the most.
Yan Valery was to blame for Preston’s goal vs Sheffield Wednesday
Preston’s goal came from a simple run of play, with the Lancashire club sending a long ball over the top down the left flank, before a drilled cross into the box for Riis to convert.
However, Dom Howson spotted something in the build-up that should be concerning, and shared his thoughts on Valery’s involvement in the Preston goal on Twitter/X.
Howson wrote: “Such poor defending from Valery for Preston’s goal. Got caught ball watching and didn’t track his runner from a quick throw. Bad mistake from an experienced player.”
While there were some positives for Sheffield Wednesday to take away from the draw against Preston, Rohl will certainly not be happy to see his side concede such a simple and easily-avoidable goal.
Defenders at this level have to be switched on at all times, and even a split-second of complacency or lack of concentration can be so costly.
Small details are costing Sheffield Wednesday this season
That draw takes Sheffield Wednesday up to ninth place in the Championship table, and the unbeaten run continues. Plus, the Owls came back from yet another losing position to gain points, which has to be seen as a positive.
But, it’s exasperating to think where they could be if they eradicated all these little mistakes that are holding them back right now.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 6 |  BlackburnBlackburn | 18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 22 | 17 | 5 | 31 |
| 7 |  WatfordWatford | 18 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 26 | 24 | 2 | 30 |
| 8 |  West BromWest Brom | 18 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 19 | 12 | 7 | 28 |
| 9 |  Sheffield WednesdaySheffield Wednesday | 19 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 23 | 28 | -5 | 26 |
| 10 |  NorwichNorwich | 19 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 35 | 30 | 5 | 25 |
| 11 |  MillwallMillwall | 18 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 20 | 16 | 4 | 25 |
You look at the goal conceded against Preston and the penalty miss there, too, and further back, the failure to put chances away against Cardiff City, or the late collapse against Luton Town, and realise that Sheffield Wednesday are being let down by fine margins here and there.
Still, Rohl has a good chance at keeping Sheffield Wednesday unbeaten for a while when you look at the fixtures coming up, and now, the Owls have to make the most of their opportunities and keep climbing the table while they have this momentum.