Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl may consider making some wholesale changes for the Championship clash against Portsmouth on Friday night.
Sheffield Wednesday fans have sold out the trip to Portsmouth on Friday night.
Despite what is a 450-mile round trip for a game that’s being shown live on Sky Sports, Owls fans will travel in numbers to Fratton Park for what should be an exciting game.
Both teams seem rather desperate for a win right now with Portsmouth in last place, having won just one league game all season, compared to Sheffield Wednesday in 18th place of the Championship table, and without a win in two.
There’s a growing sense of frustration among Owls fans. Danny Rohl’s side played out a drab 0-0 draw against Swansea City in midweek, with Sheffield Wednesday failing to record a single shot on target.
Rohl criticised Sheffield Wednesday’s poor shooting after the game. And it also looks as though the Owls boss could consider wholesale changes for Friday.
- READ MORE: Portsmouth boss talks injury crisis ahead of Sheffield Wednesday, journeyman in line for rare start
Danny Rohl comments hint at attacking changes for Sheffield Wednesday
Even against Burnley, Sheffield Wednesday defended relatively OK, conceding the opening goal through an individual mistake from Yan Valery.
And Wednesday defended pretty well against Swansea City who only had one shot on target themselves, forcing an unbelievable save from James Beadle in the process.
Speaking to The Star, Rohl says that he’s happy with how compact the defence is and with the work-rate of Barry Bannan and Shea Charles in the engine room.
But Rohl didn’t sound as ecstatic about his attacking press, which was a key component of last season’s great escape, describing it as simply ‘OK’.
He said: “We are very compact, we work with each other, we are connected and work hard. The focus and the mindset to defend is right, we have clean sheets and they are good steps.
“With two sixes in front they work hard, our pressing front is OK with the wingers and strikers.”
Against Swansea City, Jamal Lowe started as the no.9 and earned praise on social media. However, Sheffield Wednesday fans were unimpressed with Svante Ingelsson, whilst Djeidi Gassama, the other wide player on the night, also failed to impress.
- READ MORE: Sheffield Wednesday owner Dejphon Chansiri’s net worth compared to the rest of the Championship
Three attacking changes Danny Rohl could make vs Portsmouth
At the end of the Swansea City game, Callum Paterson made a huge impact for Sheffield Wednesday, and it seems like his robustness could be the ideal cure for Wednesday’s lacking front-line right now.
Elsewhere, we could see Josh Windass return to the XI in place of Lowe, purely with Windass being more experience in this Rohl set up, and potentially Anthony Musaba who missed the Swansea City game with a small knock.
That could mean Musaba and Paterson playing behind Windass, returning to the no.9 position, then having Lowe and Ike Ugbo to bring off the bench in the second half should the Owls need an extra kick.