Plymouth Argyle manager Ian Foster has showered Sheffield Wednesday with praise ahead of tonight’s meeting.
Sheffield Wednesday are in much finer form than when they were thrashed 3-0 at Home Park earlier this season.
The Owls’ starting line-up consisted of George Byers, John Buckley and Lee Gregory, who have either left or fallen down the pecking order in the months since.
Danny Rohl’s side had found themselves eleven points adrift at the bottom of the Championship table, but they head into tonight’s clash with only a win needed to potentially go level on points with QPR in 19th place.
The Pilgrims are only two places better off, though defeat this evening could put them only three points above their opponents.
With four wins from five games, Sheffield Wednesday will be brimming with confidence.
Ian Foster has now praised Danny Rohl’s ‘excellent’ team and has pinpointed what his side need to look out for at Hillsborough.
Speaking to the club’s official website, the Plymouth boss said: “I think, if you look at the manager; since he came in, the team would be 11th in the division.
“They have won four of the last five, so we’re not going to Sheffield Wednesday thinking: ‘oh, we can take a breather now, because we’re not playing a team who are in the play-offs’. We certainly won’t have that mentality. We know how difficult the game will be.
“Every game in this division is difficult. Who’d have guessed that teams in the bottom six would have gone and got some of the results they did? That’s just the nature of the league. It’s really, really competitive.
“[Wednesday have] got good players, particularly in central areas. [They are] a slightly different team this year from the team that won promotion through the play-offs.
“They are technically excellent. If you allow them time and space, they’ve got the ability to punish you. They’ve got a striker bang in form. It’s important that we are aware of his strengths and but aware of the strengths of the players who supply him as well. Sometimes you’ve got to stop danger at its source.
“We know the challenge but, like with every game, we think that if we can perform to our highest level, we’re capable of getting points.”
Can Sheffield Wednesday pick up a vital three points?
Despite hammerings by the likes of Southampton, Huddersfield Town and Millwall, the Owls have actually conceded less goals than Plymouth this season.
The Pilgrims have won two of their last three matches on the road, but prior to that, hadn’t won a single away game. Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday have picked up 16 points from a possible 24 at Hillsborough since November.
Danny Rohl’s side certainly won’t just assume they are going to turn Plymouth over, but if they are performing how they have done in recent weeks then there is absolutely no reason for a slip up.
With four teams above Sheffield Wednesday currently sitting on 38 points, it could be very costly if they fail to win this evening. Likewise, their chances of staying up could increase significantly if they can make it five wins from six.