#BrentfordFC v #SWFC - Sat 3pm Griffin Park

It’s Bees vs Owls up next in the Championship as Gary Monk brings his Sheffield Wednesday side to TW8.

Both sides are desperate for a win with Brentford not tasting 3 points since a 3-2 victory over Boro, now 5 league games and a full month ago.

It is difficult to make a positive case for a side that has not won in 5 matches, although overall, performance levels for Thomas Frank’s side have been fairly consistent all season.

Brentford have the process in the place that should have seen an assault on the automatic promotion positions but due to injury this now appears to have fully slipped out of their grasp.

The primary issue is that the side hasn't managed to keep a clean sheet since the middle of January, a 0-0 draw vs Huddersfield. 8 league games have been played since, with Pontus Jansson proving to be a huge loss during this period.

As the season has progressed the supremacy in defensive areas and good work defending set-piece situations has dwindled away with Jansson. David Raya has been exposed during wide free-kicks and corners, the side also loses the aerial dominance it had in earlier parts of the season dealing with physical opponents in defending long throws into the box.

The Swede at last looks to be nearing selection, but there is no denying the gaping hole he left behind him in what has now neared two full months away from the action.

Focus must now turn to putting in a consistent run good enough to secure a playoff place, applying pressure to the sides above, waiting to pounce in case there is an almighty collapse from Leeds United or WBA, the latter being the most likely.

Sheffield Wednesday under Monk mainly use a 4-4-2 system.

In recent weeks we have seen a switch to a 3-5-2 shape, looking for some defensive stability in trying to negate a short loss of main centre back, Tom Lees.

The flipping between the two modes does not appear to have helped their cause either out of possession defensively or when in possession in the deeper areas.

2 out of Wednesday’s 3 goals conceded vs Derby came from them trying to build possession in their own third to dangerously turning over the ball in the middle third as they were put under by no means heavy pressure by Derby forwards Martin and Lawrence.

Like Brentford, the amount of goals conceded during January and February will be a major concern. Wednesday have conceded 3 goals in 2 out of the last 3 home fixtures and conceded 3 in their last away fixture to Birmingham.

The waters seem to have been muddying for Monk as he talks negatively about players in the squad, freezing out goalkeeper Westwood and also Hutchinson in central midfield. There’s a group deemed not right for what the coach is trying to achieve at the club and with this type of stance you have to make sure the players you are selecting are performing.

What could be a bad signal for Brentford is Gary Monk’s last away win came back in January when travelling to Elland Road to face Leeds United. As expected, The Owls spent more time without the ball yet managed to frustrate well and in the end ruthlessly punish Bielsa’s side twice late on after picking up loose balls high up the field and swiftly moving forward to get shots off. Murphy & Nuhiu goals came in the 84th & 94th minutes to seal a 0-2 win.

Adam Reach had a significant part to play that day, assisting the second goal to put further gloss on the win. He has now not featured since a 0-0 draw vs Millwall back on the 1st Feb and with Luongo in central midfield and Ex-Bee, Moses Odubajo, looks to miss this tie as it comes around before they are due to return to training in the coming weeks.

As disappointing a period as it has been for Wednesday, the return of Fletcher at centre forward brings some much needed positivity.

Fletcher was instrumental in turning around the reverse fixture at Hillsborough, how the teams lined up that day is below.

The Owls have many different options to select as their forward pairing yet are far weaker without Fletcher. He has the finishing ability to turn an average team struggling for results into one that regularly picks up points.

Brentford’s front 3 at their pressing best should force Sheffield Wednesday into the type of errors we’ve seen throughout the season. The ongoing question for The Bees in this run in is whether or not they can halt the reversion to type of previous seasons.

Remove the set-piece goals against and return to the relentless clean sheet mentality that this season was built on should see an upturn on results.

Even a safe BMW can’t protect a wayward driver conceding 2 goals each game.

Share Bees Tactical