Sheffield Wednesday were calamitous in their 2-0 defeat vs Middlesbrough. But one player had a decent game.
We’ve never seen Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl so angry after a game.
On the surface, a 2-0 defeat against an in form Middlesbrough side, away from home, and bearing in mind that both goals came off of Sheffield Wednesday players, doesn’t seem so bad.
But it was the manner of the defeat that really hit home.
Despite some impressive performances before the international break, effort levels against Middlesbrough seemed to nose dive.
For the second goal in particular, only Barry Bannan was showing the desire to get back, and it’s that overall lack of effort and desire that really hit home for Rohl.
Danny Rohl delivers scathing verdict after Middlesbrough 1-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Throughout the game, Rohl looked aggravated on the touchline.
And after the game he gave some choice interviews to reporters and in the press room.
Speaking to talkSPORT’s Alan Bigs, Rohl blasted certain Sheffield Wednesday players and their expectance to play every week, saying:
“Some players on the pitch always demand & expect to play… they have to show up… if not, please be quiet.”
But there was one Owls player who came out of Monday’s performance with credit.
James Beadle ‘the best man by a distance’ vs Middlesbrough
Unsurprisingly, it was goalkeeper James Beadle who earned praise after the game.
As per Sofascore, Beadle made 4 saves in the game compared to Seny Dieng’s 2 for Middlesbrough.
There were a couple of saves either side of half-time that stood out and arguably kept the Owls in the game, with The Star giving Beadle a 7/10 rating.
Journalist Alex Miller wrote of his performance:
“Produced a good save down low to deny [Emmanuel] Latte-Lath early in the second half and a couple of others as the game went on. Prevented it being more – the best man by a distance.”
James Beadle at Sheffield Wednesday
There’s suggestions that Sheffield Wednesday could potentially land another loan deal for Beadle in the summer.
That, though, would surely require Championship football and Rohl staying; the German’s passing style very much suits Beadle’s attributes, and playing in a team towards the bottom of the table is giving the Brighton man plenty of shot-stopping practise.
Though Brighton might fancy sending Beadle to a club higher up the table next season and so, as it stands anyway, another move for Beadle feels unlikely.
But in the 19-year-old Beadle, Wednesday have a very good goalkeeper who could play a defining role in the final weeks of the season.
The Owls remain in 23rd place of the table and are now winless in four, with six games left and a two-point gap to safety.
Up next for Rohl’s men is a crunch match vs QPR this coming Saturday.