"Don't forget your booties" - another Groundhog Day with misfiring Sheffield Wednesday

“Okay campers, rise and shine, and don't forget your booties cause its cold out there today. It’s cold out there every day.”
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There’s a depressed resignation to how Bill Murray delivers that seminal line in the 1993 film Groundhog Day that threatened to seep into Garry Monk’s post-match press conference after Sheffield Wednesday’s defeat at Swansea City this afternoon.

The film centres on Murray’s character, cantankerous TV weatherman Phil Connors, who begins to experience the same day over and over. No matter what he tries, whichever direction he attempts to take the day in, he wakes up in the same small town bed and breakfast, in the same bed, with the same frustrations.

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Waking up to the same tired small town radio banter day after day, Murray’s look says it all as he preempts the line word-for-word. He knows exactly what’s going to happen, it’s monotonous and he’s tired of it.

Owls Connor Wickham fires in a shot. Pic Steve EllisOwls Connor Wickham fires in a shot. Pic Steve Ellis
Owls Connor Wickham fires in a shot. Pic Steve Ellis

It’s not a great movie and quite frankly its overuse by lazy sports reporters to describe a team’s repeat shortfalls has given it a greater social significance that it perhaps deserves.

But as Sheffield Wednesday again put pleasing passages of play together in the first half of their clash in South Wales, as their wingers took advantage of space out wide and their midfielders moved it around nicely, as they huffed and they puffed but ultimately went into the break at 0-0, its a cliche that sprung to mind.

Speaking to The Star following his side’s 2-1 defeat at his old stomping ground, Monk wore a look of dejection he hadn’t displayed since before the three-month suspension of football. He’ll come back fighting in the week as he always does, but there was a sombre tone to this defeat where anger and frustration had been before.

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And you can see why. In many ways, surely there’s only so much Monk and his coaching staff can do. Wednesday look and feel like a team again since the lockdown; fresh and firing with an identity it had so sorely lacked since Christmas.

Owls Julian Borner beats Citys Rhian Brewster.. Pic Steve EllisOwls Julian Borner beats Citys Rhian Brewster.. Pic Steve Ellis
Owls Julian Borner beats Citys Rhian Brewster.. Pic Steve Ellis

The 3-5-2 the side have settled on is performing as it should in general, exposing spaces out wide and pitting attacking players one-on-one with their opposite man. Performing as it should, that is, largely without winning football games. Because time and again the side fail to put the ball in the back of the net.

Wednesday should have been entering the break a goal up at the very least. Jacob Murphy spurned a couple of chances alongside Alessio Da Cruz in a half that the hosts looked vulnerable and there were three points on offer that, looking down the Owls’ remaining fixtures, may be hard to come by in the next couple of weeks.

In isolation, it’s a failing you could perhaps forgive. Teams have off-days in front of goal and fans crouch over their post-match pints, shrugging shoulders and grumbling over ‘one of those days’. It’s a part of football.

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But this is not a performance in isolation for Sheffield Wednesday. It’s Groundhog Day.

Injury time goal from Owls sub Atdhe Nuhiu…..Pic Steve EllisInjury time goal from Owls sub Atdhe Nuhiu…..Pic Steve Ellis
Injury time goal from Owls sub Atdhe Nuhiu…..Pic Steve Ellis

You only have to look back a few days, and to their 3-0 defeat to title-chasing West Brom, to find the latest example. Wednesday smelt blood in the first half and were the better side, overrunning the soon-to-be crowned Premier League side and making them look all at sea before losing 3-0.

Monk namechecked the performance as an example of his frustrations and admitted it happens again and again; the chances missed, the defensive lapses, the loss of momentum.

Swansea’s first goal arrived far too easily as no Wednesday man took responsibility to clear their lines and their second came from the penalty spot thanks to an Adam Reach foul that looked a lot like the one they conceded in midweek.

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From a coaching perspective, Monk has said, the performances of late have been fluid, positive, front-foot and it’s hard to disagree. In a three-week period the players have taken to not only a new set-up but a new philosophy and the fact is that between the boxes, for large periods of matches, that philosophy is showing itself.

Owls keeper Joe Wildsmith punches to saftey. Pic Steve EllisOwls keeper Joe Wildsmith punches to saftey. Pic Steve Ellis
Owls keeper Joe Wildsmith punches to saftey. Pic Steve Ellis

The first half midfield three of Massimo Luongo, Kieran Lee and Barry Bannan was reinstated and produced a compact, savvy performance against one of the league’s more dynamic outfits.

Bannan especially showcased a handful of passes of international quality in the opening stages but like his team, pushed further up the field and without Lee’s legs, he faded as the Swans took the lead and with it control of the encounter.

Murphy too lost his intensity and for the first time since the restart Connor Wickham looked a little leggy and ineffective. Kadeem Harris was the man to drop to the bench ahead of the game as Monk attempts to carry his threadbare squad through this flurried and unprecedented fixture schedule.

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And this now is the fear for Monk and his men, that other squads are more capable of coping with the rigours of what lies ahead. The fear is that Sheffield Wednesday will fade in matches, that they will have to allow other sides periods of possession and that they will have to put their trust in inexperienced players.

It’s more important than ever, then, that they make their chances count. It’s costing them ground in the Championship table.

In the end, Bill Murray gets the girl, wakes up and all is fine with the world. In fact, he emerges richer for the experience and goes about his life in a happier, more proactive way.

The hope is that Garry Monk and Sheffield Wednesday will do the same. But at the moment, it’s a little cold out there. It’s always cold out there.

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