Sheffield Wednesday welcome QPR tomorrow, and the Owls will need to find a way of containing these two in form players.
Sheffield Wednesday see QPR head to Hillsborough for what is a real crunch match in the Championship this weekend.
Going into this season, many expected both Wednesday and QPR to struggle, but going into this game now, few would’ve predicted that both teams would be doing so on the back of decent patches of form.
The Owls saw a three-game unbeaten run end at Norwich City in midweek but look rejuvenated under Danny Rohl, with Marti Cifuentes having had a major impact since replacing Gareth Ainsworth in West London.
The R’s are now unbeaten in four and have won three of those to lift themselves to just a point off safety.
Tomorrow’s game promises to be a very tactical and closely-contested one, and for Rohl, two QPR players may be in his thinking more than most.
Ilias Chair and Chris Willock running the show for QPR
Since Cifuentes arrived at QPR, both Ilias Chair and Chris Willock has seen an upturn in form and in goals too.
Ainsworth’s football was suffocating the pair’s ability but Cifuentes’ more positive and fluid methods has seen the pair flourish once again; Willock especially with the former Arsenal man having scored three in his last four now.
Chair is a huge favourite at QPR and a player who can really cause teams in the Championship damage; he’s more of a no.10 who can play killer passes and get on the scoresheet himself, whilst Willock is a wider player who likes to cut in and run at defenders.
Cifuentes has already sung his praise of the pair, describing them as ‘important’ players who both have the ‘X factor’.
How can Sheffield Wednesday contain them tomorrow?
Expect Willock to start on the left tomorrow and Chair in the no.10 role.
Will Vaulks may well be tasked with dealing with Chair, and given the Welshman’s recent form, Chair could be in for a tough afternoon.
Willock though might have a bit more freedom.
Dominic Iorfa’s injury has exposed a bit of a problem position at right back. Liam Palmer has started the last two but hasn’t really impressed, and Rohl may well be eyeing up a change there tomorrow with Pol Valentin a potential option.
Valentin or Palmer will have a tough task dealing with the energetic Willock in what could be a key battle in tomorrow’s game.
But if Wednesday can contain the pair and play some football of their own, then the Owls could well come out on top in what is a game there for the taking tomorrow.
Kick off is at 3pm.