Changing managers has benefitted Sheffield Wednesday and Queens Park Rangers and both will see Saturday’s meeting at Hillsborough as a chance to boost their survival hopes.
Wednesday were on a run of three unbeaten before their midweek 3-1 defeat at Norwich and despite heading into the weekend eight points adrift of safety, their chances of surviving in the Championship with Danny Rohl at the helm look far greater than they did under his predecessor, Xisco Munoz.
The same can be said of QPR, who are 22nd in the table but are now unbeaten in their last four games following Wednesday’s 0-0 draw against Plymouth.
Marti Cifuentes’ style appears to suit his players more than the direct approach favoured by the man he replaced, Gareth Ainsworth.
QPR have been especially good at the back, keeping clean sheets in their last three but the Owls’ own improvement going forward means they could break the visitors’ rearguard.
Even so, with both in the relegation places, nerves may lead to a cagey clash, and a share of the spoils looks a likely outcome.
Team news
Dominic Iorfa (leg), Momo Diaby (leg) and Mallik Wilks (muscle) all remain sidelined for the Owls, while Josh Windass (muscle) is a doubt after missing the game at Norwich.
Former Wednesday defender Morgan Fox looks like he could be out for QPR due to a knee problem, while Jack Colback is nursing a knock and being monitored.
The stats
The Owls’ defeat at Norwich was their first in four games, while they have lost just once at Hillsborough since September.
They sit 23rd in the table on 13 points, with only local rivals Rotherham below them on goal difference.
QPR are 22nd, seven points better off than Wednesday and are unbeaten in four games, with their most recent defeat also coming at Norwich.
They have won three times away from home this season, while the Owls have triumphed twice at Hillsborough, beating Rotherham 2-0 in October and Blackburn 3-1 earlier this month.
Prediction
Both Wednesday’s and QPR’s poor starts to the season have left them hamstrung in the battle to beat the drop but their recent form will have alarmed those above them.
Rohl and Cifuentes are both bright young coaches who have embraced the challenges and limitations of their roles and their exuberance and tactical clarity have resulted in buy-in from the players at their disposal.
A packed fixture list means it is vital to pick up points wherever they can and both will look at the table and see this game as more than winnable.
However, the pair’s last meeting in South Yorkshire in October 2020 finished 1-1 and it could be a similar story on Saturday.
