For most clubs fresh to the Championship from League One, the key to success – and not just survival – is the ability to score points when you don’t have as much possession as your opponents.
Sheffield Wednesday’s experiences support this claim. In terms of current season, it’s worth noting that three of their five league wins in 2024-25 have come when they’ve had fewer possessions.
Two games, against West Brom (29.6) and Norwich City (28.8), saw that figure fall below thirty percent.
It demonstrates practicality and intelligence, and while some have questioned Wednesday’s playing style at times this season, Danny Rohl believes that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’.
Wednesday’s progress has yet to extend to being able to compete with many of the top teams in a passing game, despite just being back in the second division for their second season. It is about finding methods to score points, as demonstrated masterfully in the recent home game against Norwich.
Rohl, whose team was defeated 1-0 by Sheffield United’s only shot on goal in the recent Steel City derby, said: “A lot of people need to understand that we play against (many) teams with two different squads when we look at the values and which players they signed in the summer, what they invest in, and where they are in the last five years.
“To be successful at Sheffield Wednesday, we need to dig through the data. Look at the number of shots Norwich had.
But watching my squad go forward and assault spaces was always dangerous.
“There was a lot of commentary about how compact and ordered we were. Maybe it isn’t exciting enough for certain people, but if you attack forward and play forward with a high last line like we do, it doesn’t matter to me.
“I focus on areas where we can achieve results with my team, and I must understand my squad and the tools and players we have.
“Against strong opponents, you always try to chose the right players.”
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