Sheffield Wednesday could set another unwanted record in Championship fixture vs Watford
Sheffield Wednesday will be targeting a first victory since September when they take on Watford at Hillsborough on Tuesday evening.
Sheffield Wednesday will be determined to halt their 31-match winless run in all competitions when they welcome Watford to Hillsborough in the Championship this evening.
The Owls, who were denied a victory when they faced the Hornets at Vicarage Road back in December, conceding a 97th minute equaliser from Vivaldo Semedo to draw 1-1, extended their winless run in the Championship to 30 matches on Saturday after losing 2-1 to Derby County at Pride Park.
Despite registering a 13th successive league defeat in the process, Wednesday gave a good account of themselves, meaning they will be hoping to build on their performance against Edward Still’s side this evening.
Ahead of the visit of the Hornets, who are in the thick of the play-off race, here are five pre-match talking points:
All eyes on the directors’ box
As reported by The Star late on Monday night, US businessman David Storch, who has expressed a keen interest in buying the Owls, is understood to be in the UK and there have been suggestions he could attend tonight’s game.
Following the collapse of the James-Bord led consortium’s takeover bid last month, Storch, who was interested in buying the club prior to the Bord group securing ‘preferred bidder’ status back in December, has established himself as one of the leading contenders to secure ‘preferred bidder’ status this time around.
Storch, who is working alongside Tom Costin, who is the co-founder and managing partner of Owl Ventures, as well as an investor with the Blue Crow Sports Group, has been in attendance at Hillsborough previously, attending the Owls’ 1-1 draw with Norwich City earlier this season on Bonfire Night.
Recalling that experience, he told BBC Radio Sheffield in December: "When we went to the Wednesday game on 5 November, I just couldn't believe the atmosphere, the energy, the singing, the fan engagement. Here's a team that not only is in the cellar, but you know, for certain, about to be relegated due to the point deductions.
"We came away unbelievably excited about what we saw."
Amid the possibility of him attending again this evening, all eyes will be on the directors’ box to see if he is in attendance.
A landmark occasion
Tonight’s game is set to mark a significant milestone in Liam Palmer’s Wednesday career. After joining the club at the age of just seven-years-old, the defender is set to make his 500th appearance for the Owls this evening.
Playing his part in promotions, experiencing relegations and twice being within touching distance of helping Wednesday reach the Premier League, Palmer has seen it all throughout his Wednesday career. His most iconic moment in a Wednesday shirt to date, of course, is his goal that took the League One play-off semi-final triumph over Peterborough United to extra-time in May 2023.
Now donning the captain’s armband following the departure of long-time teammate and friend Barry Bannan, the chance for Palmer to lead Wednesday out at Hillsborough for what will be his 500th appearance will mark a very special moment for him and his family.
He is Wednesday through and through and 500 appearances for your boyhood club should be celebrated. It is an outstanding achievement, and he will become only the fourth player in Wednesday’s history to have reached this particular milestone, following in the footsteps of Andrew Wilson (546), Jack Brown (507) and Alan Finney (504).
Unwanted home record could be set
In an ideal world, Palmer would love to celebrate his 500th appearance for Wednesday with a victory. But considering the Owls are without a win since September and have lost each of their last 14 games in league and cup, the odds are stacked against them.
Wednesday last sampled the sweet taste of success back in September, winning 2-0 at Portsmouth, but you have to go all the way back to April last year for the last time they won at home. Their 2-1 triumph over Middlesbrough on Easter Monday was 323 days ago.
Having failed to win any of their opening 18 home league games this term, Wednesday are now on the cusp of becoming the first team in English league history to fail to win in 19 home games in a single season. They have lost 14 and drawn four of their 18 home outings this term.
Manager Henrik Pedersen has repeatedly set himself and his players the target of winning at least one home game before the end of this nightmare campaign, meaning there is no time like that present to secure his first home win as Owls boss. Additionally, failure to win this evening would see Wednesday equal Sunderland’s record of 20 home league games without a win - an unwanted record set across two different seasons between January-December 2017.
The Owls are winless in 18 home games this term and failed to win their final home game of last season, drawing 1-1 with Portsmouth.
Watford hoodoo
With Wednesday finding themselves winless in their last 31 matches and without a win at home in almost a year, now probably isn’t the ideal time to bring up their record against Watford. The Owls have failed to win any of their last ten meetings with the Hertfordshire outfit, drawing five and losing five.
Watford, of course, won 6-2 on their last visit to S6, producing a result that nobody saw coming at the halfway stage after the two sides had gone in level at the break at 1-1. That was the third time in their last five visits to Hillsborough that they had scored three goals or more.
Wednesday last got the better of the Hornets in December 2013, winning 1-0 at Vicarage Road via a Connor Wickham free-kick. Their last victory at Hillsborough over Watford was 16 years ago - a 2-1 victory in March 2010, courtesy of a late winner from Luke Varney.
Three in three for Yates?
After scoring his first goal in Wednesday colours against Southampton at Hillsborough at the very end of February, Luton Town loanee Jerry Yates added another goal to his collection against Derby on Saturday, making it two in two.
The striker positioned himself to head home Jamal Lowe’s excellent cross and spark pandemonium in the Pride Park away end. He has started to settle into the groove in S6 and he will be keen to find the back of the net again against Watford - a team he has scored twice against in six previous career appearances.