Get ready for another Sheffield Wednesday heart-stopper

The hunter has become the hunted - the key now is for Sheffield Wednesday to maintain their predatory mindset. If they keep their underdog’s snarl they can sink their teeth into Championship survival. And it surely helps that as many as TEN battle-hardened heroes of last season’s epic League One promotion are still heavily involved.

Ten players (roll call later) who have turned a, well, untenable situation around. Beat West Brom at Hillsborough on Saturday and the Owls will be on the brink of safety. But it would still go to potentially needing something at Sunderland on the final day.

So the risk and reward mentality that has characterised the great revival under Danny Rohl has to stay in place this weekend. S6 stages a frantic finale for the second season running as the Baggies arrive needing a point to ensure their play-off spot. Somehow it was always scripted to be like this and for Wednesday to be in with such a great shout is remarkable in itself. As a test of nerve, though, I can’t see too many doubts on that score.

If there were to be a “bottle job” then surely at Blackburn last Sunday where anything less than a win could not be contemplated. Saturday isn’t quite in that category; only a defeat qualifies in those terms. But it’s important Wednesday keep that three-point tunnel vision that has given them this golden opportunity. Again, I can see no compromise from Rohl, regardless of the heightened quality of the opposition.

It could be another heart stopper considering the recent drama of the two-goal fightback against similarly placed Norwich.

Back to this then. Still running through the team is the spirit of last year’s play-off miracle - in the shape of players like Barry Bannan, Liam Palmer, Will Vaulks, Marvin Johnson, Josh Windass, Michael Smith, Callum Paterson, Michael Ihiekwe, Dominic Iorfa and Akin Famewo. These survivors are still to the fore, making their presence felt.

People talk about the importance of characters and character. They showed it then, they are showing it again now. It can’t be mere coincidence that this group have emerged from a year of utter turmoil - which could end in another tumult of the right sort.