Meet the opposition | Sheffield Wednesday
As Swansea City prepare to face Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough on Tuesday, we take a closer look at the Owls.
What’s their story?
Wednesday are now in their ninth consecutive Championship season since being promoted to the second tier following a second-place finish in League One in 2012.
They came close to returning to the Premier League twice under former Swans boss Carlos Carvalhal – in 2016 and 2017 – but have not finished higher than 12th in the three years since.
It is now 20 years since the Owls last appeared in the top flight, and almost 30 years since their only major trophy – the 1991 League Cup. They went on to reach the FA Cup and League Cup finals two years later.
How's their form?
Had been improving. Hindered by a points penalty, Wednesday went through a wretched run of 19 games without a win in all competitions at one stage.
And they recently lost seven Championship games in a row to deepen their relegation worries.
However, wins over Barnsley and Cardiff had raised hopes they can pull off a great escape only for the Owls to suffer a setback at the weekend as they were beaten 4-1 at QPR.
Who’s the boss?
Darren Moore. The former defender was recently appointed as Tony Pulis' successor, taking over from interim boss Neil Thompson.
Moore featured more than 100 times for West Brom between 2001 and 2006 and played for a number of other clubs including Doncaster, Portsmouth, Derby and Barnsley.
A likeable and popular figure, he was appointed caretaker boss at West Brom following Alan Pardew’s exit in early April.
He was soon earning plenty of plaudits but, despite inspiring a huge turnaround in form, he could not prevent the club from being relegated.
Moore landed the job on a permanent basis, but left before the end of the 2018-19 campaign. He had a bright stint in charge of Doncaster before returning to the Championship with Wednesday.
Who’s the captain?
Barry Bannan was given the armband at the start of this season, replacing Tom Lees as skipper. The experienced midfielder has racked up over 200 appearances for the Owls during five years at Hillsborough.
The winner of 27 Scotland caps, Bannan has been an ever-present in the heart of Wednesday’s midfield so far this season.
The 30-year-old, who started out at Aston Villa, has also played for Derby, Blackpool, Leeds, Crystal Palace and Bolton during his career.
Who are the key men?
The Owls acquired Callum Paterson from Cardiff in September and the Scot is their topscorer so far this season with eight goals and three assists to his name, while Josh Windass took his own tally to eight with a fine finish in the defeat to QPR.
Midfielder Adam Reach is a classy midfield operator with a reputation for scoring spectacular goals, while skipper Bannan is a key figure in keeping Wednesday ticking over with and without the ball.
Jordan Rhodes is a proven goalscorer at this level, while Julian Borner is an important and reliable performer in the Owls’ defence.
