You could praise many Sheffield Wednesday players after the hard-earned win over Norwich City on Tuesday night, but one player’s role in the victory has gone under the radar somewhat.
From front to back, Danny Rohl‘s side worked hard, stuck to their tasks, and registered a gritty win that showed character and belief on the back of the ‘horrible’ defeat to Watford over the weekend.
Marvin Johnson helped the Owls on their way with a sublime assist to play in Josh Windass for the opening goal, before Dominic Iorfa doubled their advantage with a strong header.
But, looking deeper into the game, it’s clear that one player ran the show for Wednesday, and was crucial to helping Rohl’s side break down the Canaries to get the win.
Shea Charles shines in the middle of the park for Sheffield Wednesday
While Sheffield Wednesday’s solid defence deserves a lot of praise for keeping Norwich’s attackers at bay, and the likes of Johnson, Windass, and Svante Ingelsson had more obvious influences on the game, it is Shea Charles who really dictated the flow of play throughout.
The 20-year-old offered stability in the middle of the park and impeccable protection for the back three, while also allowing the likes of Ingelsson and Barry Bannan to roam forward and have freedom to express themselves with the ball.
In the post-match ratings from journalist Alex Miller at The Star, Charles was given an 8 out of 10 rating for his display.
He wrote: “Put himself about, couple of crunching interventions and was tidy in possession. Got about the pitch but was most impressive in providing a fireguard to the defence. Never stopped running.”
Statistics prove how important Shea Charles is to Danny Rohl
Whilst it is Johnson who will come away with a lot of the plaudits, the holding midfielder did all the dirty work necessary to break up play and turn over possession in Wednesday’s favour throughout the game, making it an extremely frustrating night for Norwich.
Statistically, Charles was outstanding, too.
As per Sofascore, the Northern Ireland star not only bagged an assist but also registered 49 touches in the 90 minutes and a massive 91% passing accuracy rate, with 31 of his 34 passes reaching their target.
This was the joint-best of any Wednesday player and even usurped the typically mercurial Barry Bannan in the engine room, only further highlighting his impressive ball-playing display.
Four of those passes were also key chances created – the most of any Owls player on the nigh – so even from a defensive midfield berth, the Southampton loanee was running the show.
He won eight of his 12 duels, seven of those being ground duels, and made three tackles throughout the game. Charles also notched up one clearance and one blocked shot, putting his body on the line for the cause.