Fizzy doubles and a growing concern: Sheffield Wednesday do Wednesday things in crazy 3-3 Portsmouth draw

And Sheffield Wednesday’s opening day 3-3 draw with fellow promotion hopefuls Portsmouth may well be remembered for many things – but will have little impact on how the rest of the season shapes up as the Owls go in search of a return to the Championship.

Here are a few of the talking points from an up-and-down curtain raiser at S6.

An early settler

Everyone goes on about the sense of excitement a new season brings. But there’s also a sense of trepidation as supporters wander through those newly dusted turnstiles.

And you could feel that in the first few minutes, a tingling mix of anticipation, optimism and classic Wednesday realism. Not that it lasted long.

From the first kick, Wednesday were ‘at it’, strong in the tackle, keenest for the second balls. And their passing was crisp and inventive.

They got their reward when half the team combined to allow Marvin Johnson to open the scoring after just eight minutes. Barry Bannan’s through-ball? Josh Windass’ patient assist? Sumptuous. Owls off and away.

What followed in the second half was a little more fraught, of course. The feeling Wednesday fans left with? Maybe a little ‘mixed’.

Sweeper keeper

Such things are reserved only for the very top of the game, surely? For the likes of Alisson and Ederson?

No longer, it seems.

For large periods of the match David Stockdale stepped out from his box to join the defence and act as another body in possession, allowing Wednesday to add one player further up the pitch to create an overload of bodies. It’s clever stuff.

Joshing about

Wednesday were without Josh Windass for most of last season. When he played, he generally contributed, but really it was a campaign played out without him.

His return has been described as something akin to a new signing for the Owls.

He has pace, he frightens defences and he makes things happen. He offers something not many others do in this division. One assist down, plenty more to come, you’d think.

Fizzy rascal

Wednesday conceded early in the first half thanks to Connor Ogilvie’s header, sparking a sense of ‘here we go again’. Again, that feeling didn’t last long as Fisayo Dele-Bashiru shrugged off a marker, twisted into space and smashed one home from distance.

The third, his second, was struck equally well. In one afternoon he tripled his Wednesday goal tally.

Amid chatter over his future, there’s been a lot of talk about the youngster adding goals and assists to his game this season. It wasn’t a bad start on that front.

A growing concern

Look, it's early doors. Nothing is lost in August as nothing would have been won with a rampant victory.

But the manner of the goals Wednesday conceded are a growing concern – to put it mildly – even at this embryonic stage. Moore admitted as much after a 4-1 friendly defeat at Wigan Athletic last weekend.

Different faces carried last season’s issue; they look nervous defending crosses and opposition teams know it. For all Wednesday’s endeavour up top, they were let down at the back.

It’s a problem that needs to be nipped in the bud very, very soon.