According to The Star, former Sheffield Wednesday ace Jon Newsome has said that The Owls lack identity this season.
The former defender has hit out at manager Jos Luhukay for excessively rotating the team, which has meant that there is no continuity between performances.
In Wednesday’s last six performances, Luhukay has tried as many defensive combinations, including changes to formation. None of them proved fruitful, as they have only won one of their last eight games. However, the Dutchman has been excessively impulsive so far this season, and it has affected his team. This, some may say, goes down to managerial styles, as there are those that will stick with a team until results come. Neither is a proven recipe for success, but Luhukay has proven that his approach has not worked in this circumstance.
However, with the team’s heroic draw in the Steel City derby last Friday at Bramall Lane, Sheffield Wednesday took the first step in forging an identity for themselves. The system of three centre-backs made the team look much more solid than they have, and helped fight for their first clean sheet of the season. It may be the early stages, but this is the first sign that they are building an identity.
However, very few fans of a club would like their identity to be based on resolute defending and withholding a barrage of shots, but a team has to start somewhere. If Luhukay sticks with that defence after the international break, it may be an indication that Wednesday are creating something.
