It’s fair to say Steve Bruce has enjoyed a fantastic start to his Sheffield Wednesday tenure. When the Owls sacked Jos Luhukay in December, they sat 18th in the Championship and were just six points above the drop zone. Their defence was the worst in the league, and many fans were worried about relegation to the third tier. Fast forward three months, Wednesday head into the final international break tenth in the table sitting just two points off the play-offs. It’s been some transformation. Since Bruce’s arrival in February, Wednesday haven’t lost. Their eleven game unbeaten run has given the Hillsborough faithful hope that their side could achieve a remarkable promotion.
Steve Bruce’s Impact at Sheffield Wednesday
Defensive Stability
Wednesday conceded 40 goals in their first 22 games, which was the highest number in the Championship. Since Luhukay’s departure, the Yorkshiremen have conceded just 11 in 16, and in Bruce’s first ten games his side have kept six clean sheets. The Owls are now in the top half of goals conceded in the Championship. Caretaker managers Lee Bullen and Steve Agnew set the foundations before Bruce started work in February, and Wednesday’s backline has continued to improve.
Under Luhukay, the Owls defended deeply and invited opponents on, but nowadays Bruce’s men look to press with intensity and win the ball higher up the pitch. Sometimes, attack is the best form of defence. Wednesday also used to concede goals and chances by trying to overplay from the back, but they’re now not afraid to go more direct when they need to.
It also helps that the former Sunderland boss prefers to keep a settled back four. Luhukay constantly tinkered with personnel and systems – he’d alternate between four and five at the back. This prevented his players from building an understanding with each other. When possible, Bruce has kept faith with a defensive four of Liam Palmer, Tom Lees, Michael Hector and Morgan Fox. In particular, Palmer has flourished under the 58-year-old’s management. His impressive form has earned him his first ever senior Scotland call-up.
The Return of Key Players
In previous years, Kieren Westwood had rightly earned a reputation for being one of the best goalkeepers outside the Premier League. The Irish international endured an injury-hit campaign last year but, even after overcoming his injury woes, Westwood found himself out of favour under Luhukay. The day after the Dutchman’s sacking, caretaker manager Lee Bullen recalled Westwood and he kept a clean sheet. He has continued to show his worth in Wednesday’s resurgence and has firmly established himself as the new manager’s number one. As well as pulling off saves consistently, he’s an experienced head who will organise his defence and command his area. Centre-backs Lees and Hector look so much more assured with him between the sticks.
Another fans’ favourite that Luhukay alienated was Sam Hutchinson, who is now a regular under Bruce. The former Chelsea man does a great job of breaking up play and shielding the backline. Hutchinson has suffered with injury problems in the past, so keeping him fit for the run-in will be vital.
Fears of Relegation Turned Into Dreams of Promotion
Any thought of the play-offs seemed like a pipe dream until recently, but Sheffield Wednesday certainly have given themselves a chance of gatecrashing the top six. They trail sixth-placed Aston Villa by just two points. Middlesbrough’s poor form means that they only lead the Owls by three points. Realistically, around eight or nine teams are fighting for two play-off spots. Wednesday still have to play four of those teams: Villa, Nottingham Forest, Bristol City and Preston North End. They also have to travel to Leeds United and Norwich City in April. It’s a tough run-in, but who can predict anything in this league? Play-offs or no play-offs this season, the future is looking bright under Bruce.
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