One Sheffield Wednesday star proved himself to be ‘vital’ during their win over QPR yesterday.
Sheffield Wednesday gave themselves some hope yesterday as they claimed a 2-0 win at Loftus Road.
The Owls had taken one point from their previous four matches and could have found themselves four points adrift if they had been beaten.
However, an outstanding display from Djeidi Gassama saw them move to within one point of safety ahead of their midweek clash with Norwich City.
While it is Gassama who has received high (and deserved) praise after notching a goal and an assist in the English capital, there is one other player who was also ‘vital’ to their huge victory this weekend.
Barry Bannan made his 36th start of the campaign yesterday and made a huge contribution to their three points.
The Star gave the midfielder an 8 rating and wrote: “Was a vital cog in the heart of the Wednesday machine, and it was a proper heart on the sleeve job from the skipper. He’s a tone-setter with his intensity, and he dictated things well in the middle of the park.”
Barry Bannan’s ‘vital’ display v QPR
Bannan’s stats show just how important he was at Loftus Road.
The 34-year-old had 77 touches, 49 passes, won seven ground duels, and made one clearance, two interceptions and six tackles.
Bannan received criticism from some fans earlier this week after his controversial press conference regarding the club’s contract situation, suggesting it made captaining the club harder.
However, he certainly didn’t show any fault in his performance against QPR and did an excellent job as captain and pushed his side to a very important three points.
Bannan now has the third-most tackles in the squad (54), third-most interceptions (32), the most crosses blocked (10), the second-most passes blocked and the most key passes (57).
A captain’s performance
While he may not chip in as many goals and assists as previous seasons, the veteran is proving himself valuable in other areas of the pitch and is still key to Sheffield Wednesday’s team.
Bannan is very likely to put pen to paper on a new deal this summer, and whatever league the Owls are in, it feels like he is unlikely to be any less pivotal in the near future.
He loves the club and is a brilliant figure to have around the dressing room, while he continues to pump out excellent displays when they are needed most.