Sheffield Wednesday and Danny Rohl’s biggest game of the season is just on the horizon, with the Steel City derby on Sunday, and there are a few things the manager needs to consider going into the game.
It has been more than five years since the last meeting between Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, and a lot has changed in that time.
While the Blades have enjoyed two bites at the Premier League in recent years, the Owls have had to fight for promotion in League One, and survival in the Championship.
All of that will mean nothing at the weekend, though, as the Steel City rivals go head-to-head, with bragging rights at stake.
Danny Rohl has made an ‘important’ demand to his players ahead of the game, and there are a number of crucial tactical choices the Sheffield Wednesday manager will have to make to ensure his team come out on top.
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Sheffield Wednesday need three at the back
Sheffield Wednesday were, frankly, woeful in defence against Watford last weekend, but Rohl made big changes to his backline for the win against Norwich City in midweek, and the plan worked perfectly.
Employing a back three of Di’Shon Bernard, Dominic Iorfa, and Max Lowe against the Canaries offered Wednesday the perfect balance of strength, awareness, and athleticism, and they’ll need all of that and more to get something out of the game against United.
Lowe has been tipped to start the Steel City derby after a particularly impressive showing against Norwich, and that extra level of protection he provides will be integral, as the Owls will have to be compact and well-organised to shut out the Sheffield United attackers.
Neutralise Vinicius Souza and stop Sheffield United playing
Sheffield United have a squad filled with top-level players, all of whom can hurt Wednesday if they switch off for a second, but none more so than Vinicius Souza.
The defensive midfielder is not only adept at protecting his back four and turning over possession for his team, but he’s more than capable of dictating the pace and flow of the game as a deep-lying playmaker, too.
It is imperative, then, that Rohl’s men keep Souza occupied with defensive duties rather than allowing him the freedom to take hold of the ball and create opportunities for his teammates. It will be down to Wednesday’s front man — whoever that may be on the day — to be a nuisance in and around the Blades box.
Inverted wingers can allow Marvin Johnson to thrive
Another successful adjustment Rohl made on Tuesday night was to bring in Svante Ingelsson to the lineup. He and Josh Windass operated as inverted wingers for the Norwich game, and their more narrow play created ample opportunity for Marvin Johnson to break down the channels.
Johnson is one of the best signings Sheffield Wednesday have made in recent years, and he continues to be one of the team’s most effective sources of creativity, as his wonderful assist against Norwich proved.
Coming up against 20-year-old Alfie Gilchrist on Sunday, the experienced Johnson can really give the young Chelsea loanee a baptism of fire, and if he wins that contest, Wednesday will find a way through to goal for sure.
Sheffield Wednesday can win the game in midfield
The Steel City derby will likely be a cagey, very scrappy game, and it’s in the middle of the park that these kinds of matches are usually won.
Against Bristol City in midweek, Sheffield United were rather sloppy in possession at times and gave away the ball far too frequently for Chris Wilder’s liking. Meanwhile, Sheffield Wednesday were brilliant in the press against Norwich and those turnovers in possession were key to the win.
If the Owls midfielders can get on top of United’s players in central areas and force mistakes, they can properly disrupt the flow of the game and turn it in their favour.
This will be especially feasible if Rohl packs his midfield as he did against Norwich, and the work rate and impressive engine of Svante Ingelsson would be key to this approach.
Set-pieces will be key to Steel City derby
Dominic Iorfa’s goal against Norwich proved Sheffield Wednesday are making progress when it comes to set-pieces, at least in the attacking sense.
They will need to be on high alert when defending their own box, though, as Sheffield United have plenty of tall, physical players, and Wilder loves to have a few aces up his sleeve with a variety of dead-ball routines.
| Statistic (Championship 2024/25) | Sheffield Wednesday | Sheffield United |
|---|---|---|
| Set-piece goals scored | 2 | 4 |
| Championship rank for set-piece goals scored | =18th | =7th |
| Set-piece goals conceded | 9 | 2 |
| Championship rank for set-piece goals conceded | 1st | =16th |
Sheffield United have scored four goals from set-pieces already this season, twice as many as the Owls have managed. Meanwhile, no team has conceded more goals from set-pieces than Sheffield Wednesday this season, which highlights their frailties in those scenarios.