Was Sheffield Wednesday’s post-lockdown 3-5-2 revolution all it was cracked up to be?
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Because on the eye, for large periods of football’s return, it looked like the Owls had stepped back into an identity, the three-week period Garry Monk and his coaching staff used to mould a new Wednesday outlook having paid dividends.
But the old woes reared their head and poor defensive displays – the 3-1 defeat to Preston and the 5-3 defeat At Fulham atop the list – raised question marks over whether the system is one Monk should press on with.
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Hide AdAccording to Wyscout, the analysis platform used by the Owls themselves, Wednesday played 18 per cent of their football in either a 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 formation last season, including pre-lockdown defeats at Luton and in the FA Cup to Manchester City.
Without Steven Fletcher for the vast majority of that time, it’s clear that the side’s reliability in front of goal was depleted in a wing-back system, as Wednesday generated an xG rating of 1.11 per 90 minutes, scoring only 0.73 goals. That’s compared to an xG of 1.19, scoring 1.11 times per 90 in what was mostly a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1 before the break.
It’s clear that counter attacks are a large part of their new set-up, launching 2.36 per game compared with only 1.6 previously.
Given the smaller sample size and with the Preston and Fulham games fresh in the memory it is perhaps inevitable that it is in defence that they were more vulnerable in a 3-5-2 derivation, conceding 1.45 goals per 90 compared with exactly 1 goal previously. Opposition teams boasted an xG of 1.29 in the new system and 0.97 before.
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Hide AdThey conceded more shots, too, 3.64 per game up from 3.02 previously.
The new system, which saw wide players encouraged to overload the flanks at opportune moments, saw them release fewer passes – 250.27 per 90 down from 295 – and fewer crosses – 13.36 down from 15.79.
There were mitigating factors of course – a threadbare squad bereft of key men and tired legs – but the numbers don’t offer a ringing endorsement of Sheffield Wednesday’s wing-back entrusted new dawn.