Rebuilding. That’s the word that will most commonly be used to describe Sheffield Wednesday throughout the 2021/22 campaign.
It’s been seven years since Sheffield Wednesday hosted Doncaster Rovers to Hillsborough for a league fixture and over nearly two decades since they met in League One.
Sheffield Wednesday were relegated back to League One at the conclusion of the 2020/21 season.
While the Owls have gotten out of the gates slowly to start the season, they show a composed defensive-minded quality, as the team is yet to concede a goal through two games – posting consecutive 0-0 results against Huddersfield Town (Carabao Cup) and Charlton Athletic (League One), respectfully.
As a team, Sheffield Wednesday has managed to get away 11 shots – with just four of those on target, posting a 36.4 per cent shot on target rate to date. However, opponents have linked up to amass 25 total shots, including six on target (all by Huddersfield in a first round Carabao Cup contest). In their last game away to Charlton Athletic, Sheffield Wednesday did not allow the opposition to register a single shot on target.
The final 10 games of the 2020/21 season saw the Owls average 1.4 goals/game while posting three wins, four draws and three losses. In all, Sheffield Wednesday scored 14 goals during that span, including a 5-0 win over Cardiff City, as well as sharing the points in a 3-3 draw with Derby County on the final day of the season. Counteracting, the Owls defence allowed 15 goals across the final 10 matches of last season, with the opposition scoring three or more goals on three different occasions.
Despite failing to score in the first two fixtures, manager Moore believes positive results and performances are on the way for his side. Forward Josh Windass, the club’s leading scorer from a season ago with 10 (nine of those coming in the Championship), recently inked a new contract with the club, keeping him with the Owls through 2023. However, the Hull, England native looks to remain out of the line-up until October, according to reports, nursing a hamstring injury.
Meanwhile, fellow forward and scoring threat Callum Paterson suffered a head injury in the team’s last game away to Charlton Athletic, leaving the field early-on in the contest. With the mandatory concussion protocol implemented, it is unlikely that Paterson will feature in the game against Rovers, as Lee Gregory seems likely to be selected to start up top in his wake.
