Sheffield Wednesday are still looking for their first points of the Championship season after being beaten 4-2 by Hull City on Saturday.
Sheffield Wednesday lost on the road this weekend, despite having opened the scoring against Hull via a deflected Juan Delgado strike. However, the home side ultimately secured a dominant victory, with a hat-trick for Ozan Tufan and an Aaron Connolly tap-in ensuring that Michael Smith’s late goal for the Owls was nothing more than a consolation.
Hull were on top throughout the match, dominating possession and managing 15 shots, compared to Sheffield Wednesday’s 5. But for wayward finishing, the win could have been even more comfortable for the hosts.
There were flashes of quality going forward for the Owls, which manager Xisco Munoz will have appreciated. However, Wednesday looked shaky at the back, and must improve defensively very quickly if they’re to stand a chance of survival in the second tier this season.
Munoz has highlighted this defensive frailty as an issue that needs addressing quickly, and has accepted responsibility for his side’s poor showing at the back against Hull.
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Xisco accepts his mission
Speaking after the match, the Spanish coach said, “I know the point at exactly where we are in our team. We need to find the solution in (conceding) goals. If we are thinking we can come here and 5-4 – it’s impossible. We need to improve about what we talked about with clean sheets. But this is my job. I was called for this situation and I’ll give 100 per cent to this situation,” as quoted by YorkshireLive.
Munoz clearly backs himself to improve the Owls defensively, and was aware that that was the challenge he was taking on when he accepted the role at Hillsborough Stadium this summer.
Sheffield Wednesday need to get used to the fact they aren’t a dominant force in the division. They will be without the ball and under pressure for much of the time in Championship matches, and need to get comfortable with absorbing opposition attacks.
Until that secure platform is in place, they will be candidates for relegation. Munoz needs to inspire improvements in this area quickly before heads drop and confidence is lost.