“You never know..” Sheffield Wednesday set to face system re-jig in Accrington Stanley clash

The relegation-threatened Lancashire side shocked plenty by reverting to a long-shelved 4-2-3-1 system not dug out by manager John Coleman in months.

And despite the chasm between the two sides both in terms of league position and playing budget, Stanley boss John Coleman has offered a philosophical view on his side’s chances of getting a result at Hillsborough – with Accrington’s win over Port Vale on Friday the solitary win in the two club’s last 13 matches combined.

Put to him that the nervousness surrounding Wednesday’s promotion hopes within the Owls fan base could mean the atmosphere at Hillsborough turns to Stanley’s favour, Coleman replied: “I don’t think so – I’d sooner play with 28 or 30,000 behind me.

“I just think we have to play to our max. If we play to our max and get a little bit of luck, you never know. Football is a funny game.

“You’re in this league, we’re delighted to be in this league and we’re desperate to stay in this league this season. So we’ve got to go to these places.

“If you’re going to play in this league, you have to go to those places and try to get something.”

Stanley’s switch to a 4-2-3-1 for their Port Vale win was a positive move, Coleman said, hinting they could well go forward with the formation for their trip across the Pennines.

The plucky Lancashire outfit have built a reputation on battling above their weight and are likely to give Wednesday another fierce battle – though nothing less than a win will do for the Owls.

Coleman said on the system switch: “If you get results from something, you’re more likely to try to make it work the next time, if you see the fruits of your labour being rewarded.

“There are still elements we need to fine-tune but we were more of a threat.

“I remember we were probably one of the first teams to introduce the 4-2-3-1 into the Football League, certainly to the lower reaches. We had a great deal of success with that and let’s hope it changes our fortunes.”