Meticulous Jos Luhukay praises Sheffield Wednesday's flexibility as the Owls march on

It is hard to argue with Wednesday boss Jos Luhukay's assertion that his side are adaptable.

Luhukay raised a few eyebrows by tweaking his personnel and formation for the trip to Bristol City. He left out Joey Pelupessy, Fernando Forestieri and Atdhe Nuhiu and switched from his preferred 3-5-2 system to 3-4-3.

With Jordan Thorniley deployed on the left hand side of midfield, Matt Penney played further up field. In-form midfielder Adam Reach underlined his flexibility and football intelligence by slotting on the right flank.

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Luhukay, renowned for being meticulous in his approach and preparation, doesn't just rely on a 'Plan A.' He likes to keep opponents guessing.

And the Dutchman's tactics once again paid off at the weekend as the clinched three points to move into the play-off positions

Luhukay, whose team have lined up in multiple formations this season, said: "We have not been predictable in the last weeks and months. We have changed our formation and players.

"I think my colleague (Bristol City manager Lee Johnson) did not know how we (would) play. Bristol played a different system. Normally they play 4-4-2 but against us they played 3-5-2. Last week we played 3-5-2.

"It is very important I think that we are not predictable. I think in modern football if you are always predictable, it is maybe easy for your opponent.

"But we have our style and I think we are in a good way. The team pick it up fantastic when we change formation. They are very flexible but we also have good quality."

Wednesday were second best in the opening 35 minutes but gradually grew into the contest. Portugual international Lucas Joao, a first half replacement for Steven Fletcher, bagged a quickfire double after the break to propel the Owls into the play-off positions.

"It was a very intense game," acknowledged Luhukay. "We had a lot of problems in the first half. Bristol dominated and had more chances than us.

"Cammy [Cameron Dawson] kept us in the game. We were nervous on the ball and lost too fast the ball. I was not happy with what I saw.

"But in the second half, the team had another face. They played better football. We caused them problems, scored two good goals, and after giving away a stupid penalty, defended really well at the end.'

Jos Luhukay's reaction to Sheffield Wednesday's hard-fought 2-1 win over Bristol City