Kacha fire, youthful exuberance and noisy coaches: The big takes from Sheffield Wednesday's win over Rochdale
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Owls boss Garry Monk swung things around as much as he could – literally – by making 11 changes to the side that won at Cardiff City at the weekend, as a youthful side won out against more experienced home opposition.
A sleepy first half was followed by a two-goal second as Wednesday look towards this evening’s battle between Ipswich and Fulham to see who they’ll play next week.
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Hide AdWhat were the big talking points from a hugely satisfying evening in Lancashire? Let’s take a look at just six of the matters to chew the fat on, from our man at the ground Alex Miller.
Is the future bright in blue and white?
Quite possibly. No fewer than 10 academy graduates were named in the 18-strong matchday squad, a rather large feather in the cap of Steve Haslam, the youth coaching set-up and the club itself.
Ciaran Brennan made his full debut having trained with the first team for some time now and didn’t look a millimetre out of place, while Liam Shaw took it upon himself to organise the back three for large periods.
Alongside them in the starting 11 were Joe Wildsmith and Liam Palmer, and there was also Alex Hunt, who starting in his continued elevation through the Owls ranks, pushed the ball about nicely in a congested midfield. Conor Grant made his debut in midfield.
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Hide AdWhat was especially encouraging, in a match that saw every player told to move the ball as quickly as possible, was that each of them looked hugely confident and assured with the ball at feet, moving the ball around crisply and intelligently. That’s as much about environment than anything, you feel. Nice to watch.
Kacha Fire
First start, first goal. Elias Kachunga opened his Wednesday account with a well-taken header. There’s been a lot made of Wednesday’s lack of forward options – and rightly so – but three games in to the season all three have scored in a pleasing stat for Garry Monk.
Kachunga himself? He fed off scraps in the first half but was committed throughout, doing what he does in battling hard and asking questions of the defence.
Josh Windass replaced him to add a little something to the attack and got a second goal in two games. The Owls will be delighted with his immediate contribution.
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Hide AdCaptain Palms
He’s one of Wednesday’s own, after all. And when the captain-less team came out a quick scour of the line-up pointed to only one man; Scotland’s finest, Liam Palmer.
The point was made early that in a squad containing so many Wednesday youth products, it was a nice touch to see Palmer take the armband in his 261st appearance at senior level.
From the very first minute he was a voice on the field for the Owls’ game plan, bellowing orders at those around him and guiding youngsters Brennan and Dele-Bashiru through their task.
Maligned by some, the defender is a shining example of professionalism at the club. How many Wednesday academy graduates go on to make over 250 appearances – and counting – and become full internationals? Not many.
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Hide AdGoing through the gears
The first half was far from ponderous – Wednesday moved the ball around at speed and played with a reasonable intensity – but with the home side camping deep and disciplined they failed to trouble the wonderfully named Bazuna in the Rochdale goal.
Hunt and Dele-Bashiru, tireless as they were, struggled to penetrate the defence and with no dominant focal point up top, the Owls looked encouraging but without any teeth where it mattered.
Whatever was said in the second half seemed to do the trick, though, as Wednesday stepped out with more incision and purpose. Two chances came and went before Kachunga’s 54th-minute goal. Understrength as they were, is that intensity they will want to play with.
Newsflash – they still need a striker or two.
Finders Keepers
Joe Wildsmith given an opportunity, then, after two clean sheets in two from his friendly nemesis Cameron Dawson.
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Hide AdSheffield Wednesday don’t have a number one – Garry Monk has made that very clear – and Carabao Cup action offered Wildsmith the opportunity to keep himself in everyone’s thinking. While the problem for him was that he didn’t have much to do, he looked assured, claiming well in the air and organising the defence with authority.
You’d think Dawson will come back in for the visit of Watford on Saturday but the message is that Wildsmith is ready and waiting.
Up in the stands
A smaller dugout at Spotland – sorry, the Crown Oil Arena – meant that several coaching staff were planted in the stands directly in front of the press box.
What was notable was just how vocal the new-look Wednesday staff are, led by Monk, but closely followed by first team coach Andrew Hughes, who pushed instructions on the Owls press and offered positional advice to the likes of Hunt and Dele-Bashiru.
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Hide AdIt was a point made on Saturday, but there seems to be a clear and confident direction at the club, something that was lacking a touch during darker months past.
Rochdale: Bazunu, O'Connell, Amankwah, McNulty, Keohane, Baah (Dooley, 51), Lund (Ryan, 71), Morley (Tavares, 80), Rathbone, Newby, Done
Subs unused: Lynch, Bradley, Brierley, Dunne
Owls: Wildsmith, Brennan (Iorfa, 80), Shaw, Börner, Palmer, Dele-Bashiru, Pelupessy (Grant, 89), Hunt, Odubajo, Reach, Kachunga (Windass, 70)
Subs unused: Dawson, Penney, Hagan, Waldock
Referee: Seb Stockbridge