A hoot for the Owls – but not Zola

Andy Munro looks back at a weekend which saw Blues beaten by Sheffield Wednesday.

It’s those footballing ley lines; we always turn up at Wednesday like a wet weekend and get a trouncing. Whoever is in charge, nothing changes.

With Gary Rowett in charge we would have probably only lost one-nil but been under the cosh all game. Under Gianfranco Zola, we created some great chances, were denied by the woodwork on several occasions and then conceded three goals thanks to some sloppy defending in the last few minutes. End result, the same.

Undoubtedly, our defence is currently as flakey as a baltipPie and Zola’s strategy to balance that with four midfielders and no winger doesn’t seem to be working offensively or defensively. This means that up front Jutkiewicz, who thrives on crosses, is usually facing the wrong way, holding up the ball and although it is difficult to judge on one game,(against Fulham), Sinclair looks no more fast, no more tricky, no more powerful and no more prolific than Che Adams – in fact not quite as good in any of those departments. This leaves the management temptation to play a new signing who is no improvement just to justify the judgement of signing them in the first place.

Meanwhile our patched-up central defence are found wanting as our galloping full=backs disappear over the horizon. The evergreen Robbo can always be relied upon to come in and play a couple of excellent games (which he has) and then go off the boil (which he has).

Maybe it’s worth giving the young Arsenal loanee a punt, possibly moving the more defensively minded Grounds back to full-back (did I really say that?) and thereby starting with the talented Frei out wide to unlock the opposition.

It’s a game of opinions……