Sheffield Wednesday faced off with Watford in a Championship clash on Saturday afternoon.
Sheffield Wednesday were aiming to record back-to-back wins when they welcomed Watford to Hillsborough on November 2nd.
Danny Rohl’s side have had a mixed start to the 2024/25 campaign but a six-game winless run has been followed by three victories in their last five, which saw them climb up to 13th in the Championship table ahead of Saturday.
Sheffield Wednesday beat Portsmouth 2-1 in their last league fixture and knew a win this weekend could have moved them into the top half for the first time this season.
As for Watford, they kicked off the day seventh in the division after losing three of their last five.
The Hornets have been pretty weak on the road this term so far and Sam Parkin predicted Sheffield Wednesday to beat Watford.
Sheffield Wednesday fans in awe of Barry Bannan
It was the away side who took the lead after 29 minutes but Michael Smith put the hosts back on level terms just five minutes later.
While Wednesday fans were pleased to see the striker get on the scoresheet, the majority of praise on social media went to Barry Bannan.
Journalist Joe Crann praised the midfielder and highlighted why Watford’s manager was quick to name-drop him pre-match.
He wrote: “Barry Bannan’s picking out some delightful balls today. Tom Cleverley spoke about him beforehand – unprompted – as so many managers tend to do before facing SWFC, and he’s shown exactly why on a few occasions.”
Elsewhere, one fan wrote: “We’d be nothing without Bannan.” A second added: “Barry Bannan there with a 90 seconds that reminds everyone Barry Bannan is Barry Bannan. Tekkers.”
Another Sheffield Wednesday fan stated: “Bannan running the show again.” A fourth wrote: “Nice interplay from SWFC… It started with Bannan bursting into the Watford half from midfield.”
A fifth Owls fan added: “Thought Barry Bannan was excellent in the heart of the midfield.”
The Scotsman even came in for some unwanted praise from Watford fans on the day. One supporter wrote: “If Barry Bannan dictates another game against our midfield, I’m going to be so annoyed.”
And another Hornets fan added: “He’s tricky. His shins may take a whack!”
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Sheffield Wednesday will struggle when Barry Bannan leaves
After another solid showing against Watford, Bannan’s importance to Rohl’s side has become even more obvious than it already was.
However, it has become clear that Sheffield Wednesday will have a hard time replacing Bannan when he likely leaves next summer.
The midfielder signed a contract extension to stay in Yorkshire for another year in June but that deal expires in 2025 when he will be 35 years of age.
It will be interesting to see if Wednesday offer him another contract in the near future but given his age, they do need to start looking at replacements for the Scottish star.