Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk explains the thinking behind the Owls' tactical changes in recent weeks

Garry Monk has explained the reasons behind his tactical switch to 3-5-2 at Birmingham as his side continue to work their way out of a poor start to the year.
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The Owls boss sprung a surprise on his former club with Joey Pelupessy starting at right wing-back in the formation, which was ditched at half-time as they switched back to a more customary 4-4-2.

He played a similar system in their previous away match, a 1-0 defeat at Luton, with Fernando Forestieri on the left.

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And Monk explained the thinking behind the system at St Andrews, saying he had hoped it would improve their poor defensive form of recent weeks.

“The game against Luton was to put more offensive players in that shape,” he said. “Today was about putting more defensive players in because that’s what we’ve been lacking, our biggest weakness has been that solidarity.

“We were the third-best defence and Christmas and for various reasons we’ve come off that in this period.

“Knowing there [St Andrews], knowing what it’s like, in the first 20 or 30 minutes you have to be solid and had it not been for the own goal I think we would have got through that period, while still looking like a threat.”

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Wednesday’s next two games are at home – against Charlton on Wednesday and then Derby on Saturday – and the system is yet to be used at Hillsborough.

Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk has tinkered with the club's formation in recent weeks.Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk has tinkered with the club's formation in recent weeks.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk has tinkered with the club's formation in recent weeks.

He didn’t give much away when asked whether he was planning on going back to 3-5-2 again and outlined his determination to improve a defensive record that has now seen them concede 15 goals since their last league win at Leeds seven matches ago.

“It’s the basics of it,” he said. “We work on the defensive shape all the time.

“Nothing has changed, you can’t go from the third best defensive record to what we have now. It’s not so bad in the league, but it’s not where it should be.

“It’s a case of that competing level and the basics of it, winning that first ball, competing, your covers, second balls. We’d been doing that well upto that period.”