Sheffield Weds 3 Fulham 2: Switch does trick as Forestieri proves talisman for Wednesday

The Owls struggled in August playing a lone striker, and asking midfielders to break forward. Until Saturday, their only previous Championship win came six weeks ago on the opening day of the season.

But a switch in tactics to 4-4-2 – since the arrival of striker Fernando Forestieri three games ago – has seen a transformation in the Owls.

They outplayed Burnley for large spells at Turf Moor, only to concede two late goals through individual errors in a 3-1 defeat. Then, the midweek trip to Bolton Wanderers saw the Owls dominate, but held in a 0-0 stalemate.

So this win over Fulham on Saturday came as no surprise to fans who had seen Wednesday on their travels in Lancashire during the last week.

“We have played really well in the last three games with Fernando coming in and playing as a second striker and that little tweak in formation,” said winger Ross Wallace.

“Instead of us playing with an extra central midfielder, we have made just that slight change, playing a 4-4-1-1 with Fernando dropping in, rather than 4-1-4-1, and we are playing in their half a wee bit more.

“He (Forestieri) is a massive player for us, vitally important.

“We have played really well in the last two games. At Burnley we played really well but just got caught a couple of times and at Bolton, in the first half we were excellent, probably the best we have played all season.

“Because we didn’t get a win, it was important to beat Fulham, we really wanted it.”

The new formation is something Wallace is familiar with, having played in it during Burnley’s promotion campaign to the Championship.

Then, Danny Ings played off a big striker in Sam Vokes. At Hillsborough, Forestieri – who opened the scoring against Fulham with a close-range header on 13 minutes – lurks in the shadows of Atdhe Nuhiu.

“It’s very similar,” said Wallace, when asked for comparisons with his days at Turf Moor. “We had big Vokes up front, with Danny Ings playing off him. It’s the same formation, and everybody knows what they are doing.

“It suits my game, I want to play in the final third. When you are a wide man not getting service in the final third, you’re often picking up balls on the edge of your own box.

“You have to hit it high, then try to run 50 yards to get up the pitch – it’s not nice.”

Wednesday were impressive in the opening hour on Saturday, Wallace the provider for all three goals. Three set-pieces produced headed goals from Forestieri, Tom Lees and Michael Turner.

Only visiting goalkeeper Andy Lonergan prevented the game being out of sight by half-time, producing outstanding saves to deny headers from Barry Bannan and Alex Lopez.

Forestieri outjumped Jazz Richards six yards out to head home Wallace’s 13th-minute corner, and it was the same right-hand side set-piece which picked out Lees at the back post on 37 minutes.

In between, Fulham had responded with a long-range equaliser from Jamie O’Hara. The shot was not fierce, and Owls goalkeeper Keiren Westwood – back in the side after a month out injured – looked to have been distracted by a lurking Ross McCormack, who was stood offside next to him but not interfering with play under the current laws of the game.

Wallace’s free-kick, five minutes into the second-half, picked out a diving Turner to provide a bullet header and at 3-1 the game should have been over. But the Owls then stepped off the gas, dropping deeper, looking to pass the ball among their back line and kill the game.

What it did, though, was invite Fulham forward and O’Hara’s cross found Tom Cairney to head home to create a nervous last 25 minutes. With six minutes of stoppage time added, the visitors nearly equalised when substitute Dan Burn broke clear, but Westwood rushed from his line and diverted the shot wide.

Carvalhal had made three changes to the team which drew at Bolton, meaning recalls for Westwood, Wallace and Lopez.

There were also Hillsborough debuts for the quartet of Forestieri – who went off at half-time with a calf injury – Bannan, Daniel Pudil and Turner.

Wallace had been axed for Bolton, and admits he is not a fan of the rotation policy.

“If you ask anybody, they want to play every single match,” said the Scot. “But that’s how it’s going to be, the way they work here, and we carry a big squad.”

So was he keen to make a point to Carvalhal on his return?

“There’s always that feeling, but I don’t need to prove a point,” he replied.

“The manager knows what I am capable of, he sees me every day in training.

“He backs me 100 per cent and he has told me that. I missed out during the week, and was disappointed, but was back in.

“The manager has been absolutely outstanding since he came in. He is clever, he knows tactically what the team needs.

“I have loved training, the boys are right behind the manager. If you have a foreign manager and he loses a few games, because he’s not British, he comes under a bit of pressure.

“But, trust me, he’s a good manager, a good coach, and the lads are right behind him.”