Danny Rohl will be eagerly anticipating his side’s next five Championship fixtures.
After a plucky 1-1 draw at Hillsborough Stadium against Paul Heckingbottom’s Preston North End, Sheffield Wednesday still find themselves five points away from the play-offs, but in a more lofty 9th placed position.
The stalemate at home brought plenty of negatives following the two successive away victories in the Championship, including the disappointing performance from Liam Palmer, as well as Marvin Johnson proving to be frustrating.
However, it was still a point gained by Danny Rohl’s side, and there are plenty of positives to review when looking at the 2024/25 Championship season as a whole, as there will have been many people who wouldn’t have expected to see Sheffield Wednesday planted in the top half, particularly after the poor start to the campaign.
If Sheffield Wednesday are to be optimistic and look towards the play-off spots, which aren’t a million miles away, the final five fixtures of 2024 are going to be very significant in outlining where they will end up this season.
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Sheffield Wednesday’s final five fixtures of 2024
Following the 1-1 draw against Preston North End, Sheffield Wednesday will face off against Blackburn Rovers in midweek for a second successive home game, which will then be followed up by a trip to newly-promoted side Oxford United.
The 21st of December will see Rohl’s side host Stoke City, followed up by a Boxing day clash on Teesside against Middlesbrough.
Sheffield Wednesday’s final game of 2024 will yet again see them clash with Preston North End, this time on their travels.
Winnable next five will dictate whether Sheffield Wednesday are genuine play-off contenders
Whilst it is generally regarded as an overly-optimistic view to suggest that Sheffield Wednesday could find themselves in the play-offs by the end of the 2024/25 Championship season, it surely can’t be ignored when looking at the current standings.
The Owls would arguably need at least seven points in their final five games to put them in a decent position by the time the new year swings around, and looking at the upcoming games, that fate is certainly manageable.
Whilst Blackburn Rovers are on top form, a point against them at Hillsborough would certainly bode well for the rest of the season, whilst the Owls should be looking to pick up all three points against Oxford United.
An out-of-form Stoke City side should provide Rohl’s side an opportunity to notch a win, which would take Sheffield Wednesday up to seven points, whilst the Owls could also nick a point or even three on their travels against Middlesbrough and Preston North End.