Sheffield Wednesday: Unlocking star man has been the key to reinvigorated promotion push

In Barry Bannan, the Owls have who many would describe as the best playmaker in League One football. And as the midfield around him begins to form, it is the Scot that continues to drive on a reinvigorated promotion push.

No third tier player has delivered more successful ‘through passes’ this season than Bannan’s 89. In fact nobody comes close. On average he pushes 2.67 passes through defenders to a Wednesday man; the next best current League One player is Ipswich’s Bersant Celina with 2.05.

The same goes for ‘smart passes’, defined by stats compiler Wyscout as ‘a creative and penetrative pass that attempts to break the opposition's defensive lines to gain a significant advantage in attack.’ Bannan tops the chart with 53, with MK Dons’ Scott Twine second, eight passes behind.

With the Owls skipper acting star man again and unleashed by the defensive presence of a fit-again Massimo Luongo, he has been able to push further forward and drift into pockets of space he would otherwise have to have rejected.

And with the rejuvenated technical ability of the in-form George Byers alongside him, the onus is not entirely on him to unlock stubborn defences and the option not there for opposition game plans to focus solely on him.

It’s a midfield three that has struck up an impressive understanding and has dovetailed nicely with the movement and delivery of wing-backs Jack Hunt and Marvin Johnson.

“He’s perfect for me,” Bannan said on Luongo’s influence on his game earlier this season. “He plays that position really, really well.

“If you look through the squad, there are people that can play that position but it’s Massimo’s natural position.

“He thinks like a defensive midfielder, whereas when you put there people in there that are attack-minded like me, I’ve had problems when I want to get too involved going forward and others are the exact same.

“It frees me up to go and do what I want to do and like to do without having to think about the defensive side. He gives me that license to go ahead which benefits me and benefits the team.”