The big test of resolve, defensive wobbles, a need for presence and other talking points from Sheffield Wednesday's defeat at Bristol City

And with that, Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk is awaiting the true test of his side in this most demanding of seasons.

A positive start to a campaign which demanded such a thing hit a stumbling block with the first defeat in the Championship.

It came with a 2-0 loss at Bristol City and plenty of frustration that a dominant first half performance reaped no rewards, particularly in the goals scored column.

The Owls had been well on top before the break, pushing their hosts back with excellent movement of the ball and crafting numerous chances which were ultimately wasted.

It took Bristol City more than 50 minutes to test Cameron Dawson in the Wednesday goal but it did not take them much longer to beat him.

Chris Martin got away from Joost van Aken to nod the ball down to the equally free Tommy Rowe who rifled home.

The hosts rarely loosened their grip on the game from that point on and sealed the win with a fine strike from Jamie Paterson late on.

How Wednesday will bounce back is the pressing question. Monk himself admitted afterwards that he will not know until he knows.

A side whose mental fragility drove the dramatic downfall in the second half of last season must now deliver much greater resolve - particularly if they are to demonstrate that their manager has succeeded in implementing his much-desired change of mindset among the group.

NO NEED TO PANIC - BUT THE REACTION NEEDS TO BE SWIFT

There were indeed positives to be taken from aspects of Wednesday’s performance despite frustration being the overriding feeling on the afternoon.

The manner in which the Owls were able to establish control in the opening 45 minutes was impressive, especially so given the standard of the opposition and the expectations surrounding them this season.

There was an attacking vibrancy about the group as they passed with pace and incisiveness and found openings along the Bristol City back line.

It was just a shame that was rarely seen in the second half where the hosts showed how adept they are at similar play.

Wednesday have been bright so far this term, perhaps to a surprising degree.

And such brightness should not wane in the aftermath of a defeat to one of the top contenders in the divisions.

The manager pointed to fine margins afterwards, and his players can do the same as they look to shake off Sunday’s events and move on quickly.

The size of the task with the points deduction means losing ground on 21st place in the Championship is not an option for Wednesday, who certainly cannot afford to wallow.

DEFENSIVE WOBBLE

Arguably the most pleasing aspect of Wednesday’s start to the season has been the new found defensive resolve and composure that saw them go without conceding a goal until their defeat at Fulham in the Carabao Cup.

It has seen them cope will with imposing opposition attacks with the likes of Tom Lees and van Aken in particularly upping their game considerably from recent performances in the blue and white.

So there will inevitably be some concern to see the Owls losing a bit of that composure in the second half at Ashton Gate.

As Bristol Rovers upped the pressure and flooded men forward from midfield, there were times when Wednesday were a little all over the place, especially when it came to tracking runners.

They were scythed open easily for Rowe’s opening goal and probably should have conceded more than the two, had the hosts showed a more ruthless edge inside the box.

Like the defeat, it is not something the squad should allow themselves to be affected by too much, but it cannot be allowed to snowball.

PRESENCE NEEDED

There was a Callum Paterson shaped shadow hanging over Wednesday on Sunday afternoon following the suggestion that a deal was close to being agreed for the Cardiff City forward.

So it was difficult not to let the mind wander and wonder what difference he could have made.

Monk wants to add the 25-year-old to his group to bring physicality and presence in the final third.

So seeing lofted balls towards Josh Windass and Elias Kachunga coming straight back at the Owls time and time again suggests the arrival of the different option cannot come soon enough.

At the very least, someone of Paterson’s ilk would have allowed Wednesday to adopt a different approach at times to in an effort to break down the hosts.

Had they taken their chances however, it would not have even been an issue.

TECHNICAL PROWESS

While we wait for the Owls to rectify what they do not have, it is worth celebrating what they certainly do.

The ability on the ball of their midfield collective is a sight to behold and it could justifiably be claimed that they are a match for anyone in the division when it comes to technical prowess.

The combination of Barry Bannan, Izzy Brown and the superb Massimo Luongo is incredibly difficult to track as they move the ball quickly and find pockets of space to pass their way through the opposition before looking to feed balls out wide or to the front men.

The engine room is more than capable of driving Wednesday out of danger this season.

THE TEAMS

Bristol City: Bentley; Vyner, Moore, Mawson; Hunt (Sessegnon 90), Paterson, Bakinson, Weimann, Rowe; Martin (Diedhou 89), Wells (Semenyo 80). Subs: O’Leary, Da Silva, Eliasson, Brunt.

Wednesday: Dawson; Iorfa, Lees, van Aken; Palmer (Rhodes 84), Luongo, Bannan, Brown (Dele-Bashiru 68), Harris; Windass, Kachunga (Reach 74). Subs: Wildsmith, Odubajo, Borner, Pelupessy.

Referee: Tony Harrington (Cleveland)

*

Thank you for reading this article, one of dozens we publish every single day to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative coverage of YOUR club.

This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to from the football team at The Star, please consider taking out a subscription to our new discounted sports-only package.

You'll find all the details at https://www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions/sports.

Your support is much appreciated.

Chris Holt, Football Editor