Barry Bannan denies Sheffield Wednesday stumble is due to pressure of being in 'touching distance'

The Owls got to the brink of finally getting out of the bottom three for the first time since matchday two with five wins out of six in Ferbruary and early March.

Wins in any of their last four games would have taken them out of the relegation zone, but they have only been able to muster a point. Anything but a win for managerless Plymouth Argyle at a Rotherham United side, who need a second consecutive victory to delay relegation, would open the possibility again at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

But Bannan thinks the two are not linked, and points to the temperament his team have shown at times this season to argue the case.

"I don't think so," he said when asked by The Yorkshire Post if being able to get out of the relegation zone changed the team's psychology.

"We've won pressure games this season against teams around about us – you get the phrase 'six-pointers' and we've won (some of) them games this season.

Sign up to our new Sports Editor’s TeamTalk newsletter

"It's just happened that when we've won games other results haven't favoured us and when we've lost other teams have lost and if you'd won those games you'd be out.

"I don't think it's us looking at being one win away from getting out and putting added pressure on us.

"We're taking each game as it comes and with the same frame of mind: every game's a must-win game. We're not thinking about whether we're a point or two points off, we're just looking at winning the next game and whatever happens around us happens.

"Although it could look that way that every time we get in touching distance the pressure takes us under I don't think it's that, I just think it's that the performances at that time haven't been good enough."

The February/March run started with 2-0 wins over relegation rivals Birmingham City and Millwall, and only ended with defeats to title contenders Leeds United and Ipswich Town.

However a draw with Swansea City and a defeat and dreadful performance against Middlesbrough have given the impression that momentum has stalled. With six games to save their season and a two-point gap to safety, the Owls will hope it is only temporary.