What Sheffield Wednesday’s next six fixtures will reveal to Danny Rohl – it is season-defining

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Sheffield Wednesday have been inconsistent this season, to say the least, but the next six games are hugely important.

After Danny Rohl masterminded an incredible escape last season, there were high hopes Sheffield Wednesday could push on and achieve great things this year.

That hasn’t quite been the case so far, and with one-third of the season now gone, the Owls sit in 15th place in the Championship table with 19 points from 16 games.

Rohl has already challenged his team to do things differently now, and the Wednesday boss will need to see some big improvements over the next month as the festive fixtures come thick and fast.

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Sheffield Wednesday have struggled against the top teams

Still, while Wednesday may be disappointed with the level of inconsistency they’ve shown this season, it’s worth remembering they have predominantly been beaten by the top teams in the division so far.

Defeats against Sunderland, Leeds United, Millwall, Burnley, and Watford are not exactly results to be ashamed of (although the scorelines against Sunderland and Watford will be concerning).

Indeed, even the Steel City derby defeat, as painful as that is for the significance of the game, was far from something to be downhearted about. Were it not for Sheffield Wednesday lacking discipline and needing to be a little sharper in front of goal, that 1-0 scoreline could very easily have gone the other way.

Danny Rohl knows what is holding Sheffield Wednesday back when it comes to competing with the best in the league, with decision-making and that extra level of quality missing at the moment. But, he could and should see a different side to his team over the coming weeks.

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Sheffield Wednesday’s fixtures present a big opportunity

For a team like Sheffield Wednesday, who are essentially aiming for midtable security this season, losing against the top sides is not the end of the world, as long as you get results against the teams around you and below you.

By and large, the Owls have done that this season. Wins over Plymouth Argyle, Coventry City, Portsmouth, and Norwich City are encouraging, and if Rohl can keep up that pattern of results, Wednesday will be just fine this year.

That’s where the next six games come in. How these games against Hull City, Derby County, Preston North End, Blackburn Rovers, Oxford United, and Stoke City go will ultimately define Sheffield Wednesday’s season.

Hull (22nd), Preston (20th), and Oxford (18th) are all below Wednesday in the table right now, and while two of those games are away from home, Rohl’s men have to grind out results there if they want to push on up the table.

Derby and Stoke may be above the Owls at the moment, but are only one point better off, and have also displayed worrying signs of inconsistency.

Blackburn, meanwhile, are three points and six places above Wednesday, but have struggled against the Owls in recent meetings (the Yorkshire side have won the last two fixtures 3-1).

It is far too early in the season to truly predict anything, especially given the chaotic nature of the Championship. But, by Christmas, Sheffield Wednesday’s path will be a lot clearer, and if they get through these next six games with positive results, they’ll be in a very comfortable position indeed.