Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl has been explaining why he decided to substitute George Byers on Saturday.
The Owls midfielder didn’t come back out for the second half as Wednesday defeated Blackburn 3-1 at Hillsborough.
Byers had helped Wednesday go 1-0 up in the first half but he was replaced with Marvin Johnson for the second 45.
The wing-back helped himself to a first goal of the season during his time on the pitch and Rohl’s decision was justified.
Wednesday boss explains Byers decision
Byers didn’t let himself down in the first half and Rohl has been keen to discuss this Wednesday decision.
Ultimately, he felt that putting Johnson on for Byers was the best way for Wednesday to try and win the game against Blackburn.
Many presumed that Byers might have picked up an injury but Rohl has confirmed that it wasn’t a case of that.
He told The Star: “It was just to make a change. And it wasn’t about his performance – we changed the shape in the second half.
“We did it because I had the feeling that the opponent was very strong in some areas so we closed the pocket.
“I subbed Marvin in, and it was the reason he played at wing-back. So I had to decide somebody to come out, and yeah, it wasn’t about his performance – it was just a tactical thing.”
Byers will still have a part to play this season
Byers missed the Wednesday run-in during their promotion campaign, sitting out of the play-offs completely.
An injured hamstring meant that he could be nothing more than a dressing-room influence to his teammates.
Byers is fighting for a new contract at Wednesday, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season.
He signed for the Owls from Swansea in 2021 on a free transfer and has been largely impressive.
Byers has played 72 times for Wednesday, scoring 14 goals and he will want to get on the scoresheet more often this season.
It will have represented a real blow for the player to be subbed at the weekend but hopefully, he can retain his confidence and be good to go next week.
Wednesday star Byers can play in several midfield roles. As a result, there are likely to be more opportunities for him to play as the season progresses.