Sheffield Wednesday: Tom Lees reflects on being dropped and the Owls' slump in form

Anger and frustration was etched all over Tom Lees' face in the wake of Wednesday's 3-1 loss against Birmingham City.

The Owls skipper cut an emotional figure in the mixed zone as he conducted his post-match press duties.

Growing up, Lees supported the Blues. His family are from Birmingham and his father used to take him home and away to watch the team play.

But Lees is not a man who enjoys losing football matches and defeat to his boyhood club clearly hit him hard.

"We had chances to go two or three goals up in the first half but we didn't take them," admitted Lees, who watched striker Steven Fletcher give Wednesday a 19th minute lead. "We could have been out of sight."

The curious case of Sam Hutchinson

Wednesday paid the price for their profligacy in front of goal as goals either side of half-time from Bournemouth loanee Connor Mahoney, Lukas Jutkiewicz and Che Adams condemned Luhukay's team to a third straight loss.

Lees said: "It is just mad how in just over a week we have gone from being in the play-offs to feeling like this. In some ways, it makes me feel angry.

"We lost a game against Middlesbrough where we didn't necessarily play badly. I have made a bad, bad error on the night.

"But from being in the play-offs and having lost one game in nine, we have now lost three in a row.

"We are in the position that we are in because of the way things have been handled. Rather than just losing one game, we have lost three. I find it difficult to deal with how one loss has caused this run."

Jos Luhukay opens up on Sheffield Wednesday's '˜old team'

An individual error cost Lees his place in the Owls team against Queens Park Rangers last week. The 27-year-old was dropped for the first time in his Wednesday career following a defensive howler at home to Middlesbrough in the previous match.

Although he was restored to the defence on Saturday, Lees was unable to help the Owls record a first league clean sheet.

On being left out, Lees said: "It was tough.

"People make mistakes and have bad nights. These things happen in football but it is about how you react.

"Unfortunately, I have come back in after a week which has been worse than it should have been. We had the chance to put the Middlesbrough game out of our system at QPR but we didn't take it.

"Am I happy with how things have gone since Middlesbrough? No, of course not and the Birmingham result doesn't make it any easier."

Fitness update on Owls defender Daniel Pudil