Walsall v Sheffield Wednesday: Inside track on the Owls
Walsall welcome the test of Sheffield Wednesday tomorrow as football finally returns.
We spoke to Ricky Charlesworth of Yorkshire Live to get the inside track on the Championship side.
What shape are Wednesday in ahead of the new season?
Following lockdown, Garry Monk opted to tweak the tactics and employ a 3-5-2 formation.
It worked well, to an extent, with the new system certainly making them tighter at the back – something that had to happen after they leaked goals since the turn of the year.
They return for the new campaign with the addition of a few new signings and with a revamped backroom team after Monk brought in three new coaches, including new assistant James Beattie.
How much has the squad changed in the summer?
In terms of arrivals, three players have come in so far: Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (undisclosed), Izzy Brown (loan) and Chey Dunkley (free). The club released the long-serving duo Atdhe Nuhiu and Kieran Lee and saw a clutch of loanees return to their parent clubs. The squad, as it stands right now, is more youthful but is desperatley in need of forward additions.
Club record signing Jordan Rhodes is the only senior striker on the club’s books and he is bang out of form.
How’s pre-season gone?
Quickly! Monk took his squad to Loughborough for a week’s training camp and they ended their stay with a friendly against Leicester.
The game was a stalemate but there were encouraging signs, although it’s hard to judge too much on the basis of a solitary outing.
Who are the danger men to look out for?
Barry Bannan will punish teams if he is given time on the ball, as he showed against the Foxes in glimpses.
New arrivals Brown and Dele-Bashiru also had their moments in the friendly, and will be looking to hit the ground running at the Bescot.
Score prediction?
I think Wednesday, despite their glaring lack of strikers, will fancy their chances and run out 2-0 winners.
