Alan Biggs: Sheffield Wednesday's Saturday game feels like a knife-edge occasion

Three home games in the next four and no question that Sheffield Wednesday owe some payback after a wretched Christmas and New Year.
Owls Fisayo Dele-Bashiru up against a wall of Town players   Pic Steve EllisOwls Fisayo Dele-Bashiru up against a wall of Town players   Pic Steve Ellis
Owls Fisayo Dele-Bashiru up against a wall of Town players Pic Steve Ellis

But before any more fuel is added to a bonfire of unrest, it’s as well to allow some space for redemption.If it comes, we’ll be reflecting on just a two game blip and a setback that was recoverable. As it still should be.Could we actually see the Sunderland and Shrewsbury results coming?

Was it really that obvious? Were there any tell-tale signs before an unfortunate three-week lay-off took the wind of a 12-match unbeaten run out of Wednesday’s sails?That’s not a valid excuse for the last two performances, certainly.

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But I’d say a definite no to the claim that this was a team playing negatively and heading for a fall.Consider the four Hillsborough league games up to the enforced break. A 3-0 win over Sunderland, an unlucky draw with Gillingham in an otherwise dominant display, a deserved 2-1 victory over MK Dons and a 2-2 share with Wycombe when, by common consent, the Owls were the better side.Around this sequence came wins at Accrington and Crewe and a battling draw at Portsmouth.Confidence was rising and understandably so. But it’s a fragile commodity around this club amid a desperation to escape League One at the first attempt.This is not to forgive the abject nature of the last two displays but to apply some context to a cause that is some way from being lost.As much as Darren Moore and his players badly need to post a restorative, pre-break, performance against Plymouth on Saturday, they need a restive crowd behind them.There’d been a palpable sense of togetherness until recent events, a bond of belief between those playing and watching.While the team has to take a lead to restore it, the fans can help and I’d be surprised if Moore’s men don’t find a strong crowd behind them on Saturday.It does feel like a knife edge occasion, though.

And no-one can pretend that the club hasn’t been weakened on and off the field by the departures of Theo Corbeanu, the most dangerous attacker, and Lee Bullen, the most loyal servant and a man with Hillsborough in his heart.An uplift is needed and as much as wins are vital, sometimes a performance is just as important.Having read views to the contrary, I thought Moore and his charges really were playing front foot football in the period up to Christmas.Now, more than ever, it is the only way forward.