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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
John McDougall

Sheffield Wednesday dangermen Bolton Wanderers will have to be wary of pinpointed

Bolton Wanderers make the trip over the Pennines tomorrow to Yorkshire to take on Sheffield Wednesday,

In one of only four matches taking place in League One tomorrow, Wanderers make the trip to Hillsborough aiming for three wins on the bounce.

And Ian Evatt's men can make it into the play-offs with victory over the Owls tomorrow afternoon.

READ MORE: Bolton Wanderers boss Ian Evatt on facing Sheffield Wednesday, League One aim and October goals

Ahead of the encounter, we spoke to our colleagues at YorkshireLive and got the thoughts of Owls writer Dom Howson, who gave his expert view on tomorrow's opponents for Wanderers.

He has has say on how the Owls have done so far this season, the latest injury news, how boss Darren Moore is performing at Hillsborough and the dangermen Bolton will need to be wary of, which includes a former Wanderer.

What have you made of Sheffield Wednesday's start to the season?

"It has been average.

"Wednesday made a strong start, picking up 10 points from the opening four matches to sit top of the table. Everything looked rosy in the Owls garden.

"But a run of one victory in six matches has seen Wednesday drop into mid-table.

"In truth, they have yet to hit their stride this season. Their performances have been patchy."

Who has been the club's standout performers so far this campaign?

"Not many Wednesdayites had heard of Dennis Adeniran back in July.

"But he has quickly established himself as a firm fans' favourite with his energetic performances in midfield. He covers a lot of ground and has an eye for goal, chipping in with two goals.

"Dominic Iorfa has been a model of consistency at the back. He is quick, strong, athletic and undisputedly one of the best defenders in the division."

What are the expectations at Hillsborough this season?

"If you had asked me this question at the beginning of pre-season, I think most fans would have taken a mid-table finish. Darren Moore completely overhauled his first team squad following relegation, releasing a number of high-profile players as part of a major summer rebuild.

"Despite only being able to sign free agents or make loan signings, Moore and the recruitment team used their contacts effectively to build a strong, competitive squad at this level. Fourteen new players arrived, many with Championship pedigree.

"Their savvy transfer business allied to a promising start in the league raised expectation levels among the fanbase.

"All the talk out of the Owls camp has been about winning the league. Anything less than automatic promotion will be a failure, according to striker Lee Gregory."

How has Darren Moore performed so far as Wednesday manager?

"It has been a tough gig for Moore.

"He has won a third of his 27 matches at the helm, some of them when he was suffering from Covid-19 and with many players unpaid. Try as he might, Moore was unable to keep the Owls in the Championship.

"He has rebuilt the squad with limited resources and brought in his own backroom team. Behind the scenes he is trying to improve the infrastructure at the club.

"But Moore has still got a lot to prove. He has constantly chopped and changed his starting XI this season. There has been a lack of consistency in team selection and performance.

"It is early days in the season but things have to improve quickly if Wednesday are to mount a serious promotion push."

What's the latest team news/injury news?

"Sam Hutchinson is expected to return to the squad, having sat-out the last two matches.

"Moore is still unable to call upon two key players in Massimo Luongo and Josh Windass. Both remain on the sidelines with hamstring injuries."

Who do you think are Wednesday's dangermen Bolton will have to keep an eye on?

"Theo Corbeanu is in line to make his first league start. He is a young, exciting, unpredictable winger. Wednesday have borrowed him from Wolverhampton Wanderers for the season and there are signs that he is starting to find his feet.

"Barry Bannan has yet to hit top form but is a classy operator in the midfield engine room. He has got a wand of a left foot and is capable of dictating play in the centre."

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