Sheffield Wednesday 2 Ipswich Town 1: Antonio is sure Owls will end unwanted record run

For Italian Carbone was at Wednesday when they failed to win in their opening nine games of the season in 1999.

It was the worst start to a season by a Sheffield Wednesday side in their recent history.

Unfortunately for the long-suffering Owls fans who applauded Carbone’s half-time appearance on the pitch, this current team has smashed that record for a winless start to the season with no victory in 11 games in all competitions.

The 42-year-old, now a coach at home in Italy, saw Dave Jones’s side scrap out a 1-1 draw with Ipswich Town. Paul Anderson capped a swift counter-attack to put Town in front, only for Michail Antonio to head home an immediate first-half equaliser.

It was Wednesday’s sixth draw in 10 Championship games, but the Owls are still looking for their first win of the campaign.

In 1999, defeats came against Manchester United, Liverpool and a humiliating 8-0 loss at Newcastle United during that winless streak; a terrible start which would eventually result in relegation from the Premier League.

Wednesday fans do not need reminding they have a history of poor starts. In 2001, they won just one of their first 13 league games, a year later it was two wins from 24. In 2005 just one win – a 1-0 success against Leeds United – came in Wednesday’s opening 10 matches, and 12 months later a solitary win at Plymouth was produced in their first 10 games.

How the Owls could have done with a player of Carbone’s pedigree – he scored 25 goals in 96 appearances for Wednesday after a £3m switch from Inter, before spells at Bradford City and Middlesbrough – on the pitch on Saturday.

But what they do have is a potential modern-day match-winner in 23-year-old Antonio.

The pacy winger has been forced to fill in as a striker this season with the Owls short of forwards due to a limited transfer budget and the absence of Gary Madine.

But with on-loan Matty Fryatt and Atdhe Nuhiu filling the strike roles on Saturday, Antonio reverted to his favoured wing position and produced his best display of the season.

His 14th-minute header showed his eye for goal, drifting in to get on Nuhiu’s knock-back from Reda Johnson’s cross.

That came just two minutes after Ipswich took a surprise lead. Attacking the Kop, Wednesday forced a corner, then a throw, but gifted possession to the visitors.

David McGoldrick raced away down the left flank before crossing for an unmarked Paul Anderson to fire beyond a helpless Chris Kirkland.

That meant the Owls have yet to keep a clean sheet this season and Antonio believes that is key to their troubled start.

“If we can keep a clean sheet, we win the game,” said the former Reading winger. “We have scored in every game, except Doncaster, so if we had kept a clean sheet we would have won the games.

“I am not blaming the defenders, you have to keep a clean sheet as a team. You have to defend from the front, so I am including myself and the strikers in that.

“We are all positive (in the dressing room), but we are frustrated that we keep letting goals in. Ipswich had two good chances, but they scored from one sloppy opportunity which we gave them from our throw-in, otherwise they wouldn’t have been in the game.

“If we kick out the sloppiness, we can start riding up the league.”

Antonio is finally starting to regain his form after being sidelined for five months through injury, and playing out of position.

“I am definitely not the player I was last season,” admitted Antonio. “I don’t feel as sharp as I was last time but after five months out, I feel like I am getting sharper.

“My injury has taken it’s toll, but against Ipswich I felt like I was moving around feeling a lot better. I felt it was my best performance of the season.

“Last season, I was playing wide, which I am used to doing. But as long as I get the shirt I am happy to play. I will play anywhere and try and do a job.”

Wednesday had their chances to beat Ipswich. Fryatt was denied a glorious chance on his full home debut when Dean Gerken thwarted him in a one-on-one, and substitute Jermaine Johnson hammered a 30-yard strike against the woodwork.

It was the same goal frame which had denied Cole Skuse in the opening 45 minutes as Mick McCarthy’s side controlled midfield, resulting in the hard-working Jose Semedo coming off the bench to replace the labouring Giles Coke before the interval.

While Jones has his critics at Hillsborough, Antonio believes it is the players and not the manager who are to blame for Wednesday’s poor start. “You can’t blame the manager, all he can do is pick a team,” said Antonio. “The boys have to do a job for him. He feels the XI that he puts out is the team which will get points for him.

“You can’t say ‘change the manager and the points will come’. The new manager might play the same XI. You can’t blame him, I don’t feel we are far off. We are performing well.

“What we really need is that one win, no matter how it comes, and that will be our marker to say ‘it’s happened now, now let’s move on.’

“I’m definitely backing all the boys to get this club where it needs to be. We’ve got a lot of belief and as soon as we get that one win, many more will follow.”

Wednesday have a two-week international break before trips against fellow strugglers Bolton Wanderers on October 19 and Barnsley on October 26.

The Owls are due to release a statement in the next few days regarding the future of striker Gary Madine.

Jailed for 18 months after being convicted of two nightclub attacks, Wednesday have denied weekend reports they have sacked the striker, who is still on full pay.

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