Friday 20 December 2013

Wednesday are unpredictable, like the Cherries

The Cherries should sit tight on Saturday and see which Wednesday team has turned up before getting too carried away. Wednesday have been the draw specialists and unable to win many games at home or at all but when they do get it right they have been devastatingly good. So what Wednesday team will turn up for AFCB? 

I am hoping that the Cherries defend well in the first half an hour and pass the ball well, keeping possession. If they can build up some pressure gradually without making mistakes the questions might start appearing in the minds of Wednesday's players, because they will be very keen to get off to a good start playing at home. AFCB could try and play on the break, but against Wigan (when the game was abandoned) it was Sheffield Wednesday that played that way with good pace up front.

All the poor teams play on the break well enough against AFCB when we are at home. AFCB did it well against Reading but I don't want to see the Cherries come under so many waves of attacks that they had to defend against in that first half hour at the Madejski. It would be nice to think that AFCB don't need loads of attacks, but just two or three good ones that result in goals - if only our team can be clinical. 


Connor Wickham is unlikely to be easy to keep quiet though and AFCB will have to defend much better than they did against Birmingham if the Cherries are to get a result.

One of the major battles will see Simon Francis come up against Stephen Jeremy Helan. Helan is a talented French player but has only scored once this season, while Jacques Maghoma may be used just behind Wickham. On the other wing, Daniels may face Kieran Lee on Sheffield's right.  


Sheffield Wednesday often play with Wickham up front on his own as they did against Wigan, but we could see Atdhe Nuhiu partnering him at home or Maghoma. Nuhiu has scored a couple of goals this season while Wickham is the main threat on 5 goals.
The pitch is in may well have an influence on the team that Eddie picks if it is not possible to play AFCB's normal passing game. What the match abandonment in midweek does for Wednesday's confidence is hard to tell, coming into the match with AFCB , but Bournemouth will have to up their game to get anything on Saturday.

I suggest any one thinking of travelling up for the game keeps checking on the official AFC Bournemouth and Sheffield Wednesday websites and twitter accounts for information about the pitch. As far as I can tell so far the match is on and everything possible is being done to make the pitch playable.

If you have not yet had a read of Rival Lines you will find the latest conversation with Owls Alive on that tab.

Sheffield Wednesday Home Form:

DWLWL

AFCB Away Form:

DLDLW

Sheffield Wednesday team last time at home against Wigan: 4-5-1
  • 26 Damien Martinez (Keeper)
  • 22 Liam Palmer (Defence RB)
  • 08 Roger Johnson (Defence Central)
  • 36 Glenn Loovens (Defence Central)
  • 03 Reda Johnson (Defence LB)
  • 20 Kieran Lee (Midfield LW)
  • 06 Jose Semedo (Midfield Central)
  • 35 Seyi Olofinjana (Midfield Central)
  • 10 Jacques Maghoma (Midfield Central)
  • 17 Jeremy Helan (Midfield RW)
    29 Connor Wickham (Striker)


No comments:

Post a Comment

tag: