Sheffield Wednesday could hardly have asked for a more emphatic way to record their first home league victory of the season.
Saturday’s 7-2 win over Bromley delivered four different scorers, several outstanding individual performances and one of the most enjoyable afternoons Hillsborough has witnessed for quite some time. The challenge now is to turn that result into momentum.
Nobody should expect Wednesday to score seven every week, but the intensity, discipline and attacking movement behind the victory must become something more than a brilliant afternoon in isolation.
On Tuesday evening, Henrik Pedersen’s side travel to Adams Park to face a Wycombe Wanderers team still searching for its first win of the campaign. On paper, it looks like a good opportunity for Wednesday, although football has a habit of making those fixtures the dangerous ones.
A very different test
There was plenty to enjoy about the performance against Bromley. Wednesday registered 29 shots, created chance after chance and produced comfortably their best attacking display in recent years.
Louie Barry and Jamal Lowe both scored twice, Mason Burstow opened his Wednesday account and Callum Slattery continued his encouraging start to the campaign. For most of the afternoon, Bromley simply couldn’t cope.
Their manager, Andy Woodman, was brutally honest afterwards. He described the performance as horrific and criticised his players’ bravery, discipline and commitment to their individual jobs.
That provides some necessary context. Bromley were poor, but Wednesday also played a significant part in making them look poor.
Pedersen’s side started aggressively, dominated the duels and repeatedly recovered the second ball. Once in possession, they attacked with speed and committed several players to the penalty area. The goals were the reward for getting the less glamorous parts of the performance right.
That will need to happen again at Adams Park.
Two managers demanding the same thing
Wycombe enter this game in a very different mood after suffering a 5-1 defeat at Stockport County on Saturday.
Michael Duff did not attempt to hide his anger following the game. The Wycombe manager questioned his team’s attitude and competitiveness before making it clear that he expects an immediate response against Wednesday.
His players have been told to roll up their sleeves and prepare for Tuesday. Pedersen, despite watching Wednesday score seven, has been demanding many of the same qualities from his own squad.
Before praising his team’s attacking football against Bromley, the Wednesday head coach focused on the discipline they showed when competing for long balls, duels and second balls. Those fundamentals gave the attacking players a platform from which to take control of the game.
Tuesday’s contest could be decided by which side delivers them most consistently.
Wycombe have been challenged publicly by their manager and will want to restore some pride. They should begin with far more aggression than they showed at Stockport, while the home crowd will expect to see a reaction.
Wednesday cannot arrive believing the Bromley result has earned them anything beyond the three points already collected. They will have to earn the right to play again.
An attack worth keeping together
After scoring seven, there is little reason to make substantial changes to the attacking unit.
Barry was exceptional against Bromley, finishing with two goals and two assists. Lowe contributed two goals and an assist, Burstow registered a goal and an assist of his own, while Slattery again found a way to influence the game in the final third.
The individual numbers were impressive, but the balance between the players was perhaps even more encouraging. Wednesday had movement across the front line, runners arriving from different areas and a willingness to continue attacking long after the result had been secured.
Ali Al-Hamadi also made his Wednesday debut from the bench. He had only a few minutes on the pitch but still managed to force a save before the afternoon was over.
It would be a surprise to see him start so soon, particularly after the performance of the players ahead of him, but his presence gives Pedersen another useful option. If the game becomes physical or Wednesday need a different type of threat, the new arrival could have a role to play.
For the first time in a while, the Owls appear to have several credible ways to hurt an opponent.
Fitness concerns for Wednesday
The weekend victory did come with some concerns. Dom Howson reports that Barry Bannan and Ricardo Santos are doubts after suffering ankle problems.
Bannan would be a significant absence in an away game that may require patience and control. Wycombe are likely to begin quickly, and Wednesday could need someone capable of slowing the contest down, retaining possession and preventing it from becoming a frantic battle.
Billy Mitchell’s work alongside him should not be overlooked. Mitchell performed much of the less glamorous work against Bromley, recovering possession and providing the platform from which Wednesday’s attacking players caused so much damage. Away from home, that discipline may become even more important.
Santos has quickly become an influential presence at the back and was withdrawn before Bromley scored their two late goals. Pedersen has alternatives if the centre-half is unavailable, but losing both Santos and Bannan would remove valuable experience from the spine of the side.
Max Lowe and Sil Swinkels are also expected to face extended periods on the sidelines, leaving Wednesday lighter in defence than Pedersen would ideally want.
The Owls remain active in the transfer market and hope to complete at least one more loan signing before Tuesday’s 11pm deadline. Defensive cover and central midfield appear to be obvious areas of need, although any late arrival is unlikely to provide an immediate solution at Adams Park.
For this game, Pedersen must find the answers within the group already available.
Wycombe searching for answers
Duff is also hoping to strengthen his squad before the window closes, with another forward reportedly among Wycombe’s priorities.
Transfers alone will not fix the problems exposed at Stockport, something their manager has acknowledged himself. The Chairboys are winless in five matches across all competitions and have collected two points from their opening three league fixtures.
They have scored exactly once in every game this season, but their defensive record had been relatively respectable before the collapse at Edgeley Park. That makes it difficult to know exactly what Wednesday will face.
Wycombe may be fragile after conceding five, but they should also be angry about it. There is likely to be a bit of both in their performance.
Aaron Morley and Josh Scowen could give the hosts experience and aggression in midfield, with Ewan Henderson capable of providing creativity further forward. Wednesday will need to match that intensity while remaining composed enough to make their greater attacking quality count.
Finding the right balance
Pedersen was understandably delighted with most of what he saw against Bromley, but he was not particularly pleased with the ending.
Wednesday were 7-0 ahead before conceding twice in the closing minutes, surrendering a clean sheet that the first 75 minutes had deserved. The goals did not affect the result, but Pedersen made it clear that the way his side finished was below the standard he expects.
It was encouraging to hear.
The easiest response would have been to dismiss the final few minutes and concentrate entirely on the seven goals. Pedersen enjoyed the attacking performance but still identified an area that must improve.
Wednesday will need that balance at Adams Park. There may be moments when a quick attack is available and they should take it, but there will also be periods when the sensible decision is to retain possession, quieten the crowd and make Wycombe work.
Saturday showed what this team can do when it plays with courage. Tuesday may tell us more about its control.
A chance to build momentum
One victory does not define a season. That was true after the defeats, and it remains true after scoring seven.
The Bromley performance was a significant step forward for Pedersen and his rebuilt squad, but Tuesday offers a different examination. Wednesday must show that they can control an away game, match an opponent determined to produce a response and follow an emotional high with a professional performance a few days later.
Those questions matter more than whether they can deliver another spectacular scoreline.
Wednesday have taken six points from their opening three league fixtures. Victory at Adams Park would turn a positive start into genuine early momentum and provide further evidence that the pieces of this new squad are beginning to fit together.
There will be difficult spells. Wycombe are wounded, Duff is demanding a reaction and their supporters will expect considerably more than they were given at Stockport.
Wednesday should still travel with confidence. If they reproduce the intensity shown against Bromley, remain patient when the game requires it and avoid the late lapses that irritated Pedersen, they should have too much for Wycombe.
It probably won’t be another seven.
Two or three would do nicely.
Prediction: Wycombe Wanderers 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday