Sheffield Wednesday vs Derby County: Carlos Carvalhal proud of Wednesday’s rebuilding work

Sheffield Wednesday 0 Derby County 0

Sheffield Wednesday’s Ross Wallace, left, argues with the Derby County midfielder Bradley Johnson (Reuters)

Sheffield Wednesday have not played in the Premier League for 15 years, since the side built around the expensive talents of Paolo di Canio and Benito Carbone broke up and the club began to count the cost of its extravagance.

In the hard times that followed, with two periods in the third tier and several winding-up orders marking the low points, it might have felt that such heady days would never return but there are signs of a revival under Portuguese coach Carlos Carvalhal.

Since mid-September, Wednesday have lost only once in 13 Championship matches and reached the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup, taking down two Premier League opponents along the way.

They play a fluid passing game that is pleasing on the eye and although this match was one of few chances, against a Derby side well established as promotion contenders, they would not have been flattered by a win. Only goal difference keeps them out of the top six.

“You have to remember we are a team under process after just five months,” Carvalhal said. “We were against a team that was close to promotion last season and is near the top this year. We are in a completely different position, with a new coach, new players and a new style of play. So to play like this after only five months we can be happy and proud.”

Derby, who would have drawn level with second-placed Middlesbrough had they won, went closest to scoring when Wednesday goalkeeper Keiren Westwood conceded an indirect free kick for picking up a backpass eight minutes from time and Bradley Johnson thundered a shot against the bar.

But that was one of only two Derby shots on target and Wednesday had arguably gone just as close early in the first half when Ross Wallace hit a dipping volley from wide on the right that Lee Grant, deputising for the injured Scott Carson in the Derby goal, just managed to push over his bar.

Wallace, Barry Bannan and Kieran Lee were key figures in Wednesday’s readiness to keep Derby on the back foot and there were good attacking performances too from full-backs Liam Palmer and Daniel Pudil, while former Chelsea defender Sam Hutchinson’s solid display in the back four was marred only by another yellow card, his 11th of the season.

Derby head coach Paul Clement, who revealed that defender Stephen Warnock had been taken to hospital after suffering a blow in the ribs, said that the point his side took might look a good one later in the season. “We did not play very well today but you have to give credit to Sheffield Wednesday, who kept very tight lines and put a lot of pressure on the ball,” he said. “Overall a draw was a fair result and it might prove to be a valuable point for us.”

Sheffield Wednesday (4-4-2): Westwood; Palmer, Hutchinson, Loovens, Pudil; Wallace, Lee, Lopez, Bannan; Forestieri, Joao (Hooper, 76). Substitutes not used Wildsmith (gk), Semedo, Nuhiu, McGugan, Wiggins, Sougou. Derby County (4-3-3): Grant; Christie, Keogh, Shackell, Warnock (Baird, 64); Butterfield, Thorne, Johnson; Ince (Russell, 63), Martin, Weimann (Bent, 76). Substitutes not used Mitchell (gk), Hendrick, Pearce, Shotton. Referee: G Scott (Oxfordshire).