OWLS FANS BAY FOR BLOOD
Burden builds again on struggling boss Carvalhal
TOOTHLESS Sheffield Wednesday failed to muster a single shot on target as the pressure redoubled on beleaguered manager Carlos Carvalhal.
Back-to-back wins had briefly quelled a febrile support, but the catcalls returned in spades as the misfiring Owls played out a dire 0-0 stalemate.
In Gary Hooper and Jordan Rhodes, Carvalhal started with a £13million strikeforce, then deployed Scotland international Steven Fletcher from the bench. Lucas Joao, capped by Portugal, also made an ineffective cameo.
Yet high-flying City spurned the game’s best chances, topscorer Bobby Reid fluffing a six-yard header before sub Milan Djuric missed a one-on-one.
“If we’d have come away with three points as 1-0 winners, I don’t think it would’ve been a smash and grab,” said Robins boss Lee Johnson. He had a point.
The visitors – who haven’t lost on the road since early August – dropped deep and invited their opponents to press, aiming to hit on the counter.
“You have to respect the ability of their midfielders,” explained Johnson, a deep-lying playmaker during his own playing days. “They’re very clever. But if they’ve got a weakness it’s that they don’t get back quite as quickly as they get forward.”
Though the tactic gleaned City few attacking opportunities, it certainly stopped Wednesday finding any fluency or rhythm.
Rhodes miscued a free header after neat work from Barry Bannan and Gary Hooper, while Wallace twice fired over from range.
Reid then blew his big moment, beating the offside trap only to flop an apology of a header into the arms of Keiren Westwood.
The next hour, however, was a turgid midfield slog as the hosts slapped at City’s back four like the sea at a towering cliff.
“You could hear the Sheffield Wednesday fans getting frustrated, but that was because of our midfield,” added Johnson. “They cut off the passing lines and gave us a lot of solidarity.”
Had City sub Djuric shown more composure after running
clean through, the Robins might have inflicted further punishment. Instead, Westwood smothered his scuffed effort before Aden Flint hit the post with a slow-motion overhead kick.
Asked about Wednesday’s failure to trouble goalkeeper Frank Fielding, Carvalhal bristled, pointing instead to two rebuffed penalty claims.
The first, a supposed shove on Jordan Rhodes, was weak. The second was less clear cut, Bannan playing a neat one-two and bursting clear on goal only for Hordur Magnusson to cut across his path. As the saying goes, you’ve seen them given.
“I remember two or three clear chances,” said Carvalhal. “One with Jordan’s head. A couple of others. On target, not on target… it doesn’t matter. We had chances.
“For me, there are two situations to analyse. I do not like to scrutinise referees but this is now 17 games and we don’t get any penalties. And this is now seven times we talk about it.
“Today, the first corner we had was a clear penalty against Jordan Rhodes. Then it is a clear penalty on Bannan. Why do we not get them? I don’t know. Maybe my players are not clever like some others who win penalties.”
Johnson, naturally, was less convinced. “Obviously I’m biased,” he admitted. “But I thought Bannan was looking for it four or five steps too early.”
In fairness, Wednesday did rally at the death, enlivened by the introduction of Fletcher and Kieran Lee. By then, though, City had set their traps and settled for a point.