Sunderland and Sheffield Wednesday go head-to-head on Friday night, and Regis Le Bris’ men need all the help they can get to overcome the mini slump they’re in.
The Black Cats go into the game on the back of successive defeats — the first time that has happened all season — after losing to Leeds United and Hull City over the last week.
Those defeats have seen Regis Le Bris’ side slip away from the automatic promotion race. Now, the Mackems desperately need a win to get back on track and ensure they finish the season strong.
While we’ve already offered up our predicted Sunderland lineup versus Sheffield Wednesday, there are still plenty of things for Le Bris to mull over when it comes to his gameplan, so we thought we’d give him a little hand.
Romaine Mundle could have a field day on the left
Le Bris said Romaine Mundle was ready to go after a long absence, and we finally got to see him back in action at the weekend as the winger came off the bench.
Now, with Enzo Le Fee out injured, it’s surely time for Mundle to play from the start against Sheffield Wednesday.
The Owls were torn apart by Burnley last Friday, with particular success coming on Wednesday’s right-hand side — as evidenced by Manuel Benson’s fine goal.
On the back of that outing, Yan Valery will not be relishing the prospect of facing a Romaine Mundle who is hungry to show Sunderland what they’ve been missing. Indeed, the tricky winger can find lots of opportunities if he’s brave with the ball and attacks his man, which we’re sure he will do.
Sheffield Wednesday cannot defend set-pieces
Sheffield Wednesday are the worst team in the league when it comes to conceding goals from set-pieces, with 17 against them throughout the campaign.
| Team | Set-piece goals scored | League rank | Set-piece goals conceded | League rank |
| Sunderland | 10 | 8th | 6 | 3rd |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 6 | 24th | 17 | 24th |
The Owls simply cannot handle deliveries into their box, and while they have improved at combating that first ball, the Wednesday defence is still struggling to deal the second ball from these scenarios.
Sunderland, meanwhile, have the third-best record at keeping out set-piece goals, and their ten goals from dead ball situations has them in the top ten in the Championship.
- READ MORE: Nick Barnes hints at Sunderland team selection for Sheffield Wednesday with one change ‘nailed on’
Shea Charles is walking a tightrope
Shea Charles is one of Sheffield Wednesday’s best players, and on his day, he is able to dictate the flow of the game from his deep-lying midfield role.
But, the young Owls ace is just one booking away from potentially missing the Steel City derby, and while we’re sure that won’t stop him from being totally committed on Friday night, that lingering threat will surely be in the back of his mind.
If the likes of Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham can get on top of Charles and ruffle his feathers, we could well see the influential Wednesday man nullified or even taken off by Danny Rohl to protect his asset.
Djeidi Gassama is a livewire Sunderland’s full-backs will struggle to contain
Sheffield Wednesday’s most dangerous player at the moment is Djeidi Gassama, with the young winger proving to be a handful for defenders across the division.
He has four goals and one assist in the league this season, and his quick feet and flair play could be a nightmare for either Trai Hume or Dennis Cirkin; it just depends which side Rohl chooses to play him on.
Cirkin has been particularly weak of late, so if Gassama plays on the right like he did in the last game, we could well see Sunderland come unstuck.
Someone has to deal with Michael Smith
If Gassama can get past the Sunderland defence, the men in the middle will have to keep a close eye on target man Michael Smith.
With eight goals and six assists this season, he’s joint-top when it comes to attacking returns for the Owls, and he’s capable of a variety of finishes making him unpredictable and quite the handful. Smith is great in the air, naturally, but just as good with his feet.
He loves to bring others into the game, too, so Sunderland’s centre-backs will need to step up and not give the veteran striker any time on the ball. Limiting Smith’s opportunities will be key to stopping Sheffield Wednesday getting a sniff at goal on Friday.