da supremo： This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
da heads bet： Sheffield Wednesday are already back in Championship action tonight, just a few days after succumbing to a fourth straight game without victory.
The Owls were defeated 2-1 by league leaders West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns, but this evening’s game against Birmingham City gives them a chance to put it all right to get back on track with their promotion aim.
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Garry Monk’s side were only downed by an 88th-minute penalty so there are further encouragements to be had, although, the 40-year-old can improve their chances by making one major call in midfield.
On the Chalkboard
It was quite baffling to see Massimo Luongo excluded against the Baggies on Saturday afternoon as the Australian only came on for the final 20 minutes.
The 27-year-old had been out for the best part of a month through injury, but in the week leading up the match, Monk revealed that he had a fully fit squad to choose from, which makes his omission all that stranger.
Luongo had started to prove to be one of the Owls’ major threats in attack as he notched two goals in three matches, both of which were the winners in 1-0 victories.
His goal involvement had turned out to be crucial, not only because they handed Wednesday three points, but because it means someone other than top goalscorer Steven Fletcher was chipping in, which has long been a problem this season.
Having joined the club in the summer, Luongo had to wait until October to garner his first start before being handed a run in three straight matches – where he recorded four shots at goal, three key passes, and won 12 aerial duels, via WhoScored.
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By comparison, the midfielder that started ahead of him was Kieren Lee, who just isn’t a scratch on the one-time Ballon d’Or nominee – this season, the 31-year-old has only averaged 0.6 key passes, 0.2 shots and 0.3 dribbles per game from 11 appearances.
It is clear to see on that basis, Monk could seriously do with a maestro like Luongo starting in the middle. He has more than enough security to do so defensively with Sam Hutchinson holding down the anchorman role.
In other news, there’s only one choice to replace Liam Palmer over the next few games…