Sheffield Wednesday have made something of a habit of scrapping hoodoos in recent times – and it’s never been as important they continue that tradition.
Sheffield United are next up and while the Owls don’t share the same jeopardy in the second Steel City derby of the season, there’s an opportunity to be had. Saturday’s results mean a first derby day win for Wednesday would put them to within three points of the play-off places and ramp up momentum heading into the international break.
The Blades are 26 points better off than Wednesday and have greater ambitions, they travel to Hillsborough with the most robust away record in the Championship; their hosts’ home record is the second-worst. It’s been 13 years since the Owls won one of these; the football logic doesn’t quite stack in their favour, does it? From a Sheffield Wednesday perspective, it’s a good job Danny Röhl’s Owls have a habit of turning logic on itself.
“It’s interesting and it gives me a good feeling,” Röhl said on his club’s half-generation without a derby win. “We went to Swansea and it was 30 years we couldn’t win there, we go to Norwich and we hadn’t won for a long time, Plymouth the same. It would be a nice one to stop these results from the past and make it a good one from our side. I am fully convinced we can do it, I have big belief and we all have self-confidence. We can win in such a game. The pressure is on them. Let’s see.”
