‘We were ready’ – Doncaster Rovers boss makes Sheffield Wednesday formation admission after Owls tweak – The Star
Developed over time first seen 4 hours ago
Doncaster Rovers beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 in a local derby, with Owen Bailey scoring twice in the opening 16 minutes. Rovers manager Grant McCann said his team had prepared for Wednesday to change formation, and that readiness helped them handle the switch.
Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen began with a 3-5-2, recalling Liam Palmer and Max Lowe, then moved to a 4-2-3-1 after falling behind. Doncaster had ten first-half shots to Wednesday’s three, while goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer helped prevent a heavier deficit; McCann said his side were deserved winners.
- Sources
- 2
- Outlets
- 1
- Left · Centre · Right
- 0 · 0 · 0
In short
- Owen Bailey scored twice as Doncaster won 2-0.
- Sheffield Wednesday switched from 3-5-2 to 4-2-3-1.
- McCann said Doncaster had prepared for both shapes.
How this story developed
- 1 hour ago Doncaster Rovers beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 in a local derby, with Owen Bailey scoring twice in the opening 16 minutes. Rovers manager Grant McCann said his team had prepared for Wednesday to change formation, and that readiness helped them handle the switch.
Full account
Doncaster Rovers manager Grant McCann said his players had prepared for two possible Sheffield Wednesday formations before their 2-0 League One derby victory on Saturday 24 October. Wednesday began with three central defenders and wing-backs, a change from the 4-2-3-1 shape they had used more often. McCann said Rovers had practised facing both systems, including the 3-5-2 in training the day before the match. He regarded that preparation as an important part of a performance in which Doncaster took control early.
Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen brought Liam Palmer and Max Lowe into his starting side alongside Liam Cooper in the back three. Yan Valery and Kieran Morrison operated as wing-backs. The arrangement lasted only a short time. Doncaster captain Owen Bailey scored twice in the opening 16 minutes, first after a corner and then from an Isaac Hutchinson cross. Pedersen moved Wednesday back to a four-man defence, with Morrison shifting further forward, but the visitors could not recover the deficit.
McCann praised his side’s aggression and their first-half display. Doncaster created more chances before the interval, although Wednesday goalkeeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer prevented a heavier scoreline. The visitors posed more of a threat after half-time: Barry Bannan and Mason Burstow were among those denied by Rovers goalkeeper Tommy Simkin. Bailey later came close to completing a hat-trick, while substitute Alfie May also had an opportunity to add a third. The result gave Doncaster a derby win after a difficult run of league results.
The tactical story also had a Doncaster side to it. Rovers themselves used a 4-2-3-1, a system McCann said suited the wide players the club had recruited. The Doncaster Free Press reported that the return of full-backs Jamie Sterry and Jack Senior helped make that shape possible after injuries had limited McCann’s options. For Wednesday, the early switch showed how quickly their initial plan came under pressure; for Rovers, the manager’s account was that his team could respond because they had rehearsed both versions of their opponents.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The Star concentrates on Wednesday’s move to a back three, their quick return to 4-2-3-1 and McCann’s preparation for both shapes. The Doncaster Free Press focuses on Rovers’ own formation, returning full-backs and Bailey’s performance. Sheffield Wednesday’s club report gives more attention to the visitors’ second-half chances. The two supplied source extracts contained only a Google cookie notice, so this account draws on the linked reports listed below.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Doncaster’s preparation for a possible formation change appears to have helped the team respond quickly, and its two early goals and greater first-half shot count support McCann’s view that Rovers controlled the derby. On this account, anticipating Wednesday’s switch was a sign of effective planning rather than luck.
The case against
Wednesday’s change of shape came after conceding twice, so it may have been a reasonable attempt to regain control rather than evidence that the original plan was poor. The scoreline and shot count do not tell the whole story: Maynard-Brewer’s saves limited the damage, and the report gives little detail about whether Wednesday’s adjustment improved their play.
Explained simply
Doncaster Rovers and Sheffield Wednesday are South Yorkshire football clubs whose meetings are local derbies. Doncaster, managed by Grant McCann, and Wednesday, managed by Henrik Pedersen, compete in the English Football League.
A formation describes how a team arranges its players on the pitch. Wednesday started with three central defenders and later switched to a set-up with four defenders and three attacking midfielders; teams may change formation during a match to respond to the score or their opponents.
Coverage · 2 sources
Celebrity Entertainment Sheffield