How Norwich City can have huge impact on Danny Rohl’s first Steel City derby at Sheffield Wednesday

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Sheffield Wednesday have the small matter of a Steel City derby to deal with at the weekend but first, they must navigate their way past a tricky tie against Norwich City.

It was not a fun trip to Hillsborough for Wednesday fans at the weekend, with Watford dealing the Owls an absolute thrashing in a 6-2 defeat.

In truth, it has been a season of ups and downs for Danny Rohl‘s side so far. A slow start saw Wednesday go five games without a win, but the Watford defeat was only their second loss in the Championship since the end of September.

Norwich are up next, before Danny Rohl’s first taste of the Sheffield derby at the weekend. It’s a game he’s described as ‘special’, but he will need his players to be at their best to make that one an enjoyable experience.

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Norwich’s struggles can help Sheffield Wednesday

They come up against a Norwich City side who are now without a win in four games in the league.

Granted, draws away from home against Stoke City and Preston North End are not to be sniffed at, and a valiant comeback against Middlesbrough from 3-1 down to claim a point was mightily impressive.

But, the collapse against Cardiff City this weekend will have alarm bells ringing for the Canaries. Johannes Hoff Thorup’s men had led the game until the 89th minute but conceded two late goals to continue their poor run of form.

While Norwich have potential to hurt Wednesday, most notably in the form of the prolific Borja Sainz, they are without a number of key players going into the game.

A depleted squad, twinned with Norwich’s dip in form and their struggles on the road, Sheffield Wednesday can pile on the misery on Tuesday night.

If the Owls can make a strong start to the game, the Hillsborough crowd will get right behind them and make the atmosphere almost unplayable for a fragile Norwich side.

• READ MORE: What Danny Rohl did to Sheffield Wednesday players after Watford defeat

Owls need momentum going into the Steel City derby vs Sheffield United

Winning any game is huge, especially in the topsy-turvy world of the Championship. But, a victory over Norwich in midweek would give Rohl’s players the lift they need ahead of the much-anticipated meeting with Sheffield United at the weekend.

The Blades are flying high this season, and are largely expected to secure the win at Bramall Lane. Still, the form books usually go out of the window when it comes to derby day, and the Wednesday squad will need to believe they can get a result.

If the Owls can pick up three points against Norwich and get the fans smiling again, that trip across the city on Sunday will be a far more optimistic one.

After the derby, Sheffield Wednesday have a run of four very winnable games post-international break, with Cardiff, Hull, Derby, and Preston on the horizon.

It would be dramatic to say this doubleheader against Norwich and United is make-or-break for Wednesday’s season, but the momentum gained from a positive showing this week would be huge.