‘Catalogue of PR gaffs’: Sheffield Wednesday’s problems mounting ahead of Sunderland match at Hillsborough

Sunderland are preparing for their Championship fixture against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough - but what can they expect from The Owls?

Since winning promotion from League One via the play-offs in May, Wednesday have endured several issues on and off the pitch, with Xisco Munoz’s side sitting bottom of the table with two points from eight games.

To find out more we caught up with Wednesday reporter Alex Miller from our sister title The Sheffield Star on the latest episode of The Roar Podcast.

You can listen the full episode here

How has it played out since promotion from League One?

AM: “The bubble has well and truly been burst. It’s approaching four months since Wembley and I’ve never seen in any sport such an opportunity missed in terms of the way Sheffield Wednesday got promoted.

“Darren Moore three weeks on left the club, which has been a long and sprawling saga played out in public between, particularly from the chairman but Darren has said his piece as well.

“There’s been a huge squad turnover, Xisco Munoz has come in, the former Watford manager who won promotion with them.

“It’s been a catalogue of PR gaffs and mistakes and sadly at the minute that’s playing out on the pitch.”

How will Wednesday set up against Sunderland?

AM: “Certainly in the early stages of the games against Southampton and Preston there was a clear effort to sort of sit deep and hit on the break a bit more.

“While Wednesday aren’t creating a great deal going forward that becomes a great frustration, and clearly the results show they haven’t had much joy with it.

“I would be inclined to say that would be the way that they go. They have been playing a sort of hybrid 3-4-2-1 formation with sort of two advanced midfielders behind a lone striker.

“The issue is the lone striker has just been isolated for the majority of play this season.”

Who are the side’s key players?

AM: “Always Barry Bannan who I think more or less every EFL fan will have an appreciation for his ability. When he’s on his game and striking hot there aren’t many better in the entire league.

“He has had an ongoing injury issue and taken injections to get through games this season. He’s spoken about the fact his form hasn’t been where he’d like it to be but he does tend to turn up when the Sky cameras are there.

“The other one who Sunderland fans won’t be as familiar with is Anthony Musaba, who is a young Dutch winger who is playing as one of those attacking midfielders behind the striker.

“He has shown glimpses of being a player who can get you off your feet, he runs at players and has a trick or two. In the very early stages of his Wednesday career there are one or two question marks about his final ball but if he can get that going he can be a very dangerous player in this division.”

What is your predicted line-up?

AM: “Vasquez; Bernard, Iorfa, Famewo; Paterson, Byers, Bannan, Delgado; Buckley, Musaba; Windass.”