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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…
Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk returns to an old hunting ground on Saturday as his side face Middlesbrough at the Riverside.
It will only be the 48-year-old’s third Championship game in charge of the club, and he will have to thank Atdhe Nuhiu for keeping it an unbeaten start as Owls boss in the league.
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The long-serving striker netted an injury-time equaliser in his 241st appearance for the club at Hillsborough last Saturday to salvage a point against Fulham.
Wednesday versus Boro is typically not a rivalry, but there will be added weight behind the fixture with Monk an ex-manager there – he was actually sacked following a win against the Owls after just six months in charge.
Both teams are vastly different now, so where could the game be decided?
On the Chalkboard
Middlesbrough are struggling this season under the stewardship of former player Jonathan Woodgate as they sit 15th having won just two of their eight matches.
Their squad is quite talented on paper. For instance, Dael Fry has been linked to several Premier League clubs this week while Britt Assombalonga still remains at the club – he’s always a threat in this division having bagged 62 goals in 163 appearances.
But Marvin Johnson could prove to be the main threat to Wednesday’s backline having picked up both a goal and an assist this season in six starts.
The winger has shown he’s both a goal threat as well as a creative outlet under the former Real Madrid centre-back by averaging 1.4 key passes, shots and dribbles per game, via WhoScored.
If he does indeed lineup at right-wing, then Owls left-back Liam Palmer will be the man to stop him and he has every chance of doing so based on his performances so far this campaign.
The 28-year-old is averaging 1.8 clearances, 1.5 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game, having also started six league matches.
He will have the edge over the 5 foot 10 man considering he is dispossessed 1.8 times per game and records an average of 1.4 unsuccessful touches too – Palmer rarely concedes any fouls (0.5 per game), so that’s even more in his favour.
If you bear those crucial statistics in mind, there is a reason to believe that the Wednesday man could have a key say in stopping Johnson.
