West Brom v Sheffield Wednesday: Exasperated Xisco Munoz looks at himself as beleaguered Owls aim to avoid a new low

So far in an increasingly rancorous 2023-24 season, there have been no highs but only a litany of lows for a battered and bruised Sheffield Wednesday side, who visit West Bromwich Albion’s home this evening.

Defeat would see the rock-bottom Owls slump to a new low amid a sorry and increasingly bereft opening to the campaign.

Wednesday’s 3-0 reverse to Sunderland, last time out, saw them equal the lowest number of points picked up after the first nine matches of a season in Championship history.

They have taken a pitiful two points from a possible 27 thus far, matching the unwanted ‘feats’ of Bolton Wanderers in 2017-18.

Wanderers’ first league win of that campaign came in their 12th match, a 2-1 triumph over Wednesday, coincidentally.

The Lancastrians were the last side to take just two points from their opening ten second-tier matches.

A black Friday at Hillsborough saw the plight of the Owls and their increasingly beleaguered head coach Xisco Munoz exposed in front of a watching nationwide audience.

It was four months to the day since a sea of blue and white were savouring the most dramatic of play-off final denouements at Wembley on a joyous late spring afternoon.

It seems so long ago.

Munoz has taken charge of just 11 competitive games, but his troubled time at the helm is understandably taking its toll. He is taking heavy punishment and so are his players.

The Spaniard is clearly exasperated at such a damning set of results, which has led to plenty of analysis - including of himself.

He said: “We have different situations – we are working on things on the pitch, working with video and working on the mentality. And after that you need to decide if the players can understand it or not.

"If you ask me whether they understand based on Friday, I’d say no, because we repeat the same mistakes. This is the thing and I’m pushing myself about that.

“I need to teach them better, because if I know about the situations and we work on them and they still repeat the mistakes, then maybe it’s because I’m not explaining it well.

"And when we’re in this s*** dynamic, everything is bad and wrong and a big problem."

Key duo Barry Bannan and Josh Windass are doubts ahead of tonight's game against an Albion side who won 4-0 at high-flying Preston on Saturday.