Sheffield Wednesday’s disappointing start to the Championship season continued as they were beaten 2-1 by Luton Town at Kenilworth Road on Saturday.
After securing survival last season following a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl, there was hope that Wednesday could climb the table this campaign, particularly after a strong summer of transfer business but it has not worked out that way so far.
The Owls registered an emphatic 4-0 win over Plymouth Argyle on the opening weekend but have found it much tougher since then, and they are now without a win in their last five league games after the defeat against the Hatters on Saturday.
After a dominant first half, Wednesday deservedly took the lead shortly after the break when Barry Bannan volleyed home from Yan Valery’s cross but the game changed in the 74th minute when Luton were awarded a penalty after Di’Shon Bernard was controversially adjudged to have handled the ball, and to add insult to injury for the visitors, the defender was also shown a red card.
Carlton Morris converted the resulting spot-kick and with just two minutes of normal time remaining, the striker added his second from close range to seal all three points for the Hatters.
Rohl admitted post-match that he felt his side did not deserve to lose the game, telling BBC Radio Sheffield: “The better team lost. The direction, the improvement is there. This was a step forward for what I want to see.”
However, while it may have been a harsh defeat for the Owls, they are now in the Championship relegation zone and it does not get much easier for them with a game against league leaders West Bromwich Albion up next at Hillsborough on Saturday.
| Championship table (as it stands 22nd September) | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 17 | Stoke City | 6 | -5 | 6 |
| 18 | Millwall | 6 | 0 | 5 |
| 19 | Coventry City | 6 | -2 | 5 |
| 20 | Plymouth Argyle | 6 | -5 | 5 |
| 21 | Preston North End | 6 | -6 | 5 |
| 22 | Sheffield Wednesday | 6 | -6 | 4 |
| 23 | Portsmouth | 6 | -6 | 3 |
| 24 | Cardiff City | 6 | -12 | 1 |
As Wednesday turn their attention to the meeting with the Baggies, we looked at three of the main takeaways from the defeat to Luton.
Barry Bannan remains crucial
Bannan has established himself as a modern-day club legend since joining the Owls on a free transfer from Crystal Palace in 2015, and he signed a new deal at Hillsborough this summer to take him into his 10th season at the club.
Each year there are question marks among some Wednesday supporters over whether Bannan can still deliver but the 34-year-old has certainly silenced his doubters in recent weeks.
Bannan scored his side’s opening goal in the 1-1 draw against Queens Park Rangers last weekend and he once again found the back of the net with a delightful volley against Luton on Saturday.
It was no surprise to see the Scot come up with another vital contribution but his goal showed the kind of quality that few of his teammates possess, underlining just how important he continues to be for the Owls.
Bannan was substituted shortly after his superb strike and his minutes may need to be managed this season as he approaches the latter stages of his career but he is still rightly one of the first names on Rohl’s team sheet.
Michael Smith still has a big role to play
After he scored just four goals in 34 appearances last season, it was expected that striker Michael Smith would leave Wednesday during the summer transfer window.
Ambitious League One promotion hopefuls Wrexham were said to be among a number of clubs interested in Smith this summer but he remained at Hillsborough and he has continued to feature regularly in the early weeks of the season.
Smith was handed his first start of the campaign against Luton on Saturday in place of Ike Ugbo, who has scored just one goal in seven games since rejoining the Owls from Troyes this summer for a reported fee in the region of £3 million.
It turned out to be a successful decision by Rohl, with Smith’s physicality and aerial presence proving to be useful against a strong Hatters defence and he has made a compelling case to keep his place in the team next weekend against West Brom.
Smith may have only found the back of the net once this season but his all-round game has been impressive, underlined by the fact he has registered three assists, and with the likes of Ugbo and Jamal Lowe struggling to find their form, the 32-year-old could have a much bigger part to play than many had anticipated.
Stronger mentality needed
It is difficult to disagree with Rohl’s assessment that his side deserved more against Luton and he is correct that more performances like that will see Wednesday pick up points.
There is no doubt that the questionable decision to award the Hatters a penalty and send off Bernard was a turning point in the game, and had the Owls kept 11 men on the pitch, it seems likely they would have come away with the victory.
However, while Wednesday were always going to come under significant pressure from Luton in the latter stages of the game given their numerical disadvantage, Rohl would have been disappointed that his side were unable to hold out for a point.
After QPR scored a 96th-minute equaliser last weekend, this was the second consecutive game in which the Owls conceded a late goal and their defensive vulnerabilities were on display once again as Morris was allowed to slot home from close range.
Wednesday have tightened up at the back since the international break after conceding an alarming 10 goals in three games in August but it is still an area in need of improvement and Rohl’s men will need to show a stronger mentality, particularly away from home.
There is no need for the Owls to panic despite dropping into the relegation zone but they will need to rediscover the fighting spirit that was crucial to their incredible turnaround last season to get themselves out of their current predicament.
