United face another FA Cup replay as they seek to make the fourth round of the famous competition.
Keith Curle’s side will be full of confidence after a hard-fought win over Crewe at the weekend, and could face Stevenage or Reading in the next stage of the competition.
Standing in their way are Championship outfit Sheffield Wednesday, who were held to a 0-0 draw at Brunton Park last week.
But with a new man at the helm in Jos Luhukay, who will be leading his side for the first time on home soil, the South Yorkshire outfit will undoubtedly be a difficult proposition.
We cast our eye over the Owls ahead of our visit to Hillsborough:
Disappointing Form
Wednesday have won just one of their last twelve games in all competitions – a run of form that saw Carlos Carvahal lose his job and be replaced by Dutch manager Luhukay.
Their last triumph came on Boxing Day as they beat Nottingham Forest 3-0, and new boss Luhukay will be hoping to engineer a turnaround in fortunes.
He will be enthused by a resilient performance in the Steel City Derby, as his side ground out a goalless draw with Championship surprise package Sheffield United.
A win in his first home game would further build-up confidence as Wednesday look to climb towards the play-off places.
Familiar Faces
There’s a few common links between the two sides, with Wednesday stopper Keiren Westwood perhaps the most obvious.
The Irish goalkeeper spent four years at Brunton Park at the start of his career as he quickly became a fans’ favorite between the sticks, and he seems to now be thought of similarly well by the Owls’ faithful.
In the United camp, midfielder Mike Jones played for Wednesday for just six months in 2012.
Signed from Bury, Jones made just six appearances for the Owls before moving on to join Crawley Town at the end of the 2011/12 campaign.
What Does History Tell Us?
United have fared rather well in their meetings with Wednesday over recent years, triumphing in three of the last six meetings between the two sides.
The last time the two sides faced off prior to our recent FA Cup meeting was in April 2012 as both teams chased the League One play-off places – Wednesday were victorious thanks to a late Michail Antonio winner after James Berrett had cancelled out Chris Lines’ opener.
Over history form has been mixed, with Wednesday claiming ten victories to United’s eight, while ten games ended in draws.
Goals Galore
Meetings between the two sides this millennium have produced their fare share of goals, with 17 scored in seven meetings.
The highest-scoring encounter came in October 2011 when United beat Wednesday 3-2 in a five-goal thriller at Brunton Park.
Lee Miller, Rory Loy and Liam Noble got the goals for the Blues as former United man Gary Madine was sent-off.
Ones to Watch
+ Ross Wallace – A set-piece specialist, Wallace made the move to South Yorkshire in July 2015 after leaving Burnley. In his two years at Hillsborough, the Scot has helped Wednesday to two consecutive play-off campaigns and has scored 11 goals in 93 appearances. The midfielder, who can play out wide or centrally, will also contribute plenty of assists to the side and will need to be watched carefully at Hillsborough.
+ Jordan Rhodes – A big-money signing from Middlesborough in last year’s January transfer window, Rhodes has netted four times in 23 appearances this season as he has led Wednesday’s front line. Having burst onto the scene during a prolific spell at Huddersfield Town, the striker has also represented Blackburn Rovers during a career which has seen goals wherever he has been. A threat in and around the area, United will need to keep an eye on him.
