Tue 01 Aug - Posted in Breaking News
Time to read: 3mins
We are down to the final four teams of our countdown to the new Sky Bet Championship season.
Since the middle of July, dcfc.co.uk has been profiling all of the clubs that Gary Rowett’s Derby County will be coming up against over the forthcoming campaign.
Today, our microscope takes us to Sheffield, where the Rams will be travelling to twice this season for the first time since 2009/10.
It’s the blue and white stripes first up, though, as we take a look at a club that has finished in the Championship’s top six in each of the last two years…
Head Coach: Carlos Carvalhal
Nickname: The Owls
Stadium Capacity: 39,732
Finishing Place Last Season: 4th, Lost in Play-Off Semi-Final (81 Points)
Top Scorer (2016/17): Fernando Forestieri (12 Goals)
Promotion Odds (According to Coral): 10/3
Home – Saturday 21st October 2017 (kick-off: 3pm)
Away – Saturday 17th February 2018 (kick-off: 3pm)
Derby County 2-0 Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Derby County
For the last two years, ambitious Sheffield Wednesday have been right in the thick of the promotion picture.
They took the division by surprise over the 2015/16 season, but impressed heavily with a slick brand of football and talented team to make the play-offs – only to be denied by Hull City at the showpiece Wembley final.
Sound familiar?
With more pressure on their shoulders last term, Carlos Carvalhal sought to ensure it would be a case of taking that next step at the second time of asking.
Their commitment was shown in the transfer market. The Owls swooped to complete deals for the likes of Steven Fletcher, Almen Abdi, Daniel Pudil, David Jones and Adam Reach – signalling early intent to compete toe-to-toe with the division’s big hitters Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Aston Villa.
A patchy start with one win over August (an opening day 1-0 win over Villa) was soon put to rest and Sheffield Wednesday began their surge towards the top six.
By September, after four wins from five, they were right in the thick of it once again and by the start of January – following a run of five wins and a draw from seven matches, which included a notable 1-0 win away at Newcastle United – Carvalhal’s men were holding a top six spot.
They had their wobbles along the way, but Wednesday, characteristically under their Portuguese boss, always responded strongly by constructing another winning run and they saved their strongest for their last seven games of the season.
From being outside the play-offs at the beginning of April and the play-offs, seemingly, slipping away from their grasp, it was a different picture by the end of the month as the Owls secured a second successive play-off finish – bettering their points total and finishing position in the process.
Alongside Fulham, they were the form team and tipped heavily alongside the Cottagers to reach the showpiece final at Wembley for a second successive year.
This time, however, they were defeated at the semi-final stage – on home soil too – as their Yorkshire rivals, Huddersfield Town, defeated them via the lottery of the penalty shootout.
There were doubts as to whether Carvalhal, the popular Portuguese boss, would remain with the club after a second successive disappointment.
His contract was also due to come to an end this summer, but he penned a new deal and will now be aiming to produce a third successive tilt at promotion.
Will it be a case of third time lucky for the Owls?
