Hull City v Sheffield Wednesday: Owls in need of timely lift from trip to pace-setting Tigers

Carlos Carvalhal comes up against the team he rates as 'the best in the Championship' tonight looking to salvage Sheffield Wednesday's chances of automatic promotion.
RETURN: Sam Hutchinson greturns to the Sheffield Wednesday line-up for Friday night's trip to the KC Stadium.RETURN: Sam Hutchinson greturns to the Sheffield Wednesday line-up for Friday night's trip to the KC Stadium.
RETURN: Sam Hutchinson greturns to the Sheffield Wednesday line-up for Friday night's trip to the KC Stadium.

The Owls head for top-of-the-table Hull City having taken just one point from their last two games against Preston North End and QPR.

Those dropped points leave Wednesday perched in the final play-off spot, eight points behind second-placed Burnley, who trail Hull by a further point.

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With just 13 games remaining, anything but a win tonight for the visitors would leave Wednesday with a seemingly insurmountable mountain to climb to break into the Championship’s top two spots.

The two sides drew 1-1 at Hillsborough in October, and Carvalhal is a big fan of Steve Bruce’s side.

“Hull are probably the best team in the competition,” he said. “Everything about them, the quality of the players, the organisation, the coach, who understands the competition and his players. They know the way to play, and it’s very clear.

“That’s why they are in the position they are, at this moment.

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“It will be a very interesting game, Hull are one of the more compact teams in the Championship.

“They have the best defence in the competition, we are one of the best attacks, so it will be interesting.

“I am not saying we will play all the time in attack, and them defence, of course not. The two teams have different characteristics.

“We know them very well, study them. My colleague will do exactly the same – I believe they have a respect for our team.

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“Ninety percent of games, since pre-season, we score goals. It’s something we usually do, but we must be careful because they have a strong attack also.

“At Hillsborough, we played really well. We were near to winning, but they did draw because they are strong, good organisation, and have good players. At the end, I think a draw was the correct score. Tomorrow is a different game, they are at home, winning a lot of games.

“They drew at Arsenal, when the coach changed almost all the team, and kept their energy for Ipswich on Tuesday night. They will be fit and strong.”

Tonight sees Wednesday’s last match in February, a month Carvalhal rates as their toughest of the season.

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All six games – Burnley, Birmingham City, Brentford, Preston, QPR and Hull – have been against teams with promotion ambitions. Two wins, two draws and one loss, so far, and a positive result tonight would set Wednesday up for their final dozen outings of the regular season.

It would also end a sequence of games where the Owls have yet to beat any of the five teams above them in the Championship this term. But Carvalhal responded: “It’s not important to talk about one game. For me, we are one of the most consistent teams in the competition.

“At the start of September we were in 19th place, end of the month we went to 12th, end of October in eighth, end of December seventh, January we were in sixth. We are jumping positions.

“February is our hardest month of the year. Even though we don’t have quantity of games, we have teams that are competitive in the competition for promotion and the play-offs.

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‘We play QPR, Burnley, Birmingham, Brentford – when we played against them they were near us – Preston, who are in very good shape, and now Hull.

“It was a tough month. After this month, if we are in a good position, I think it’s a good sign for us.

“We have grown up together, something we have done together, the players, coaches, fans, the atmosphere we have created.

“The way we play is attractive to our fans, they are happy, and people want to see Sheffield Wednesday play. Everything is improving at the club.

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“It’s a big difference between Sheffield Wednesday from the past – the last 15 years – and the present club.”

The Owls welcome back midfielder Sam Hutchinson (knee) and top scorer Fernando Forestieri (suspension) tonight.

Winger Ross Wallace believes the Owls striker will be raring to go, after serving a one-match ban against QPR in midweek.

“He has been fantastic for us,” said Wallace. “We were disappointed we didn’t have him for the last game but there was nobody more disappointed than Fernando himself.

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“He will be itching to get back and full of energy. He will be ready to go again.

“If we can defend well against Hull, hopefully we can hit them on the counter attack. They are the home team so they will have to come out against us.”

Last six games: Hull City WWLWDDW, Sheffield Wednesday LDWWLD.

Referee: T Robinson (West Sussex).

Last time: Hull City 1 Sheffield Wednesday 3; January 12, 2013; Championship.