Sheffield Wednesday remain confident despite top-six concerns, says Barry Bannan

BARRY BANNAN insists Sheffield Wednesday's inability to beat any of the top six in the Championship this season is not playing on minds at Hillsborough.
Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan (Picture: Steve Ellis).Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan (Picture: Steve Ellis).
Sheffield Wednesday's Barry Bannan (Picture: Steve Ellis).

The Owls have had eight meetings with the teams directly above them in the table and taken just four points.

It is a record that is hampering Wednesday’s push for a top-six berth, as underlined on Tuesday night when a 1-1 stalemate with Burnley on home soil allowed Ipswich Town to nip above the Yorkshire club and into sixth place thanks to a late winner of their own against Reading.

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“They are good teams, first and foremost, so they are always going to be close games,” said Bannan, Wednesday’s most impressive performer against the Clarets, when asked about the lack of a victory against the top six.

“When we have played the teams who are in and around us or above us, I think we have been comfortable and could have maybe won them on another day.

“It has just not happened but we will keep going. We will look at Burnley as a point gained and now concentrate on Birmingham (on Saturday) and, hopefully, get the three points there.”

Five of the top six have been to Hillsborough this season with only Ipswich yet to visit.

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Middlesbrough triumphed 3-1 in August, while the rest of the matches have finished as draws.

On the road, the Owls have lost all three meetings with the sides above them – Boro (1-0), Burnley (3-1) and Ipswich (2-1).

Wednesday’s next assignment against a team in the top six is a trip to Hull City on Friday, February 26, followed by visits to Brighton (March 8) and Derby (April 23). Ipswich head to Hillsborough on April 16.

Bannan added: “Those results could make the difference to us getting in the top six. But we won’t look too far ahead.

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“We are still in a good position. We got a point against Burnley and that is not to be laughed at as they are a top, top team. We controlled the game and could have won it on another day.

“So, we go to Birmingham with confidence. We have not lost at home (since August), which is a good positive.”

Their five-month unbeaten run in S6 has been a major factor in Wednesday having firmly forced their way into the promotion reckoning.

Only Hull can boast more points on their own patch in the Championship than the 32 claimed by Carlos Carvalhal’s men and Bannan believes the fans have played a big part.

“They are really behind us,” added the midfielder.

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“It urges us on and gives us that extra kick. When teams come here, they show us respect and won’t really go for us. They sit in and that really suits us because we are a good technical team so we can keep the ball for long spells. Teams sit back and that’s when we are more dangerous.”

One area that is becoming a slight concern is the pitch, which was relaid last summer at a cost of £1m.

Burnley manager Sean Dyche, while admitting his own club’s newly-installed training pitches have been struggling because of the wet weather, felt the surface hampered both teams during Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw.

Bannan, though, insists the pitch is not a problem.

“It is the same for both teams and we can’t moan about it. We are getting to the back end of the season so all pitches aren’t the greatest,” he said.

“When we were young kids, we played on worse pitches than that so we just have to get on with it and do our best.”