Schumacher's Sheffield Wednesday Preview

In a rare weekend with no football, Argyle boss Steven Schumacher filled it with – well, football.

The manager took in a game at Plymouth Parkway, as well as pulling on the boots himself and he and his staff played a game against a touring Irish side. Word is that Dry January may have come to an end a little early, but this is yet to be verified.

In more serious business, a benefit of having no game for two weeks was that Schumacher was able to use the time for some of his newer players to have extra sessions with their team-mates, as well as to cast an eye towards the next – ultra-important – fixture.

Argyle head to South Yorkshire to face Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, as the Sky Bet League One leading Pilgrims take on the side three points behind them. Should the Owls win, and continue a 21-game unbeaten run that stretches back to when these sides met in early October, the division will have new leaders.

Last season, Argyle won two and drew one of the four games between the sides, although Wednesday did win the league encounter at Hillsborough. Earlier this season, Sam Cosgrove’s last-minute winner gave the Greens a 2-1 victory.

“We’ve had plenty of time to watch and analyse Sheffield Wednesday,” said Schumacher. “We know what Sheffield Wednesday are about. We played them enough last season. We've already played them this year.

“They are in brilliant form, they are a good team who are so strong at home. They haven't lost in so many games so we’re under no illusions that it is going to be a hard game.

“But it is a game that we are looking forward to. We've got to go there with an attitude to think: ‘let’s go and be us’, to try to be positive and take the game to them. If we do that then we know that, at our best, we are a match for anyone.”

The last time Argyle played away from home, three weeks prior to the Hillsborough trip, the Greens drew 1-1 with fellow promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town. Like that game at Portman Road, and an earlier 3-2 win away at Derby County, Wednesday away will see a crowd of over 30,000 present for the game.

Schumacher says he and his team will not be overawed by the crowd or the task. He does, however, accept that the atmosphere presents challenges of a different nature.

“It's going to be loud,” he said. “You have to pick players who know what they are doing because some of your messages that you're trying to get on can't because of our loud the crowd is.

“We are used to it. We’ve grown in confidence as the season’s gone on. I think from that very first, huge away win at Derby County where we went there, played really well and got a brilliant result coming from behind, it gave everyone confidence. The players have got that attitude where we believe that if we're at our best, then we’re as good as anyone. If we play the way we want to play and if we get the game plan right then then we'll be fine.

“If everyone works as hard as they have been doing, then we'll always be in the game and with the quality that we've got in in the team, then we've got a chance.

“It will probably be a slightly different type of game than Ipswich. [Wednesday] have a slightly different style. They don't play out as much from the back as much as Ipswich do although they can still build. They're a little bit more direct because they've got two centre forwards up there who cause real problems.

“We're understanding that it's going to be backs to the wall in times. We've got to deal with them, we’ve got to deal with the crowd, we’ve got to deal with the occasion of a top-of-the-league clash.

“We’ll have a plan as well for when we get it; how can we hurt them? How can we exploit what they’re not good at?

“We know it will be a hard game. We're not going there thinking that we’re top so it will all be fine. We'll have to be really good to get anything from the game.”

Argyle will be backed by an astonishing Green Army travelling support numbering 3,700. It will be the biggest green exodus from Devon for a league game in many a year, and Schumacher expressed his gratitude for the extraordinary turn-out, especially in the face of more than one logistical challenge.

“For us to send that many people up there to Sheffield at the weekend is just incredible,” Schumacher said. “The trains are on strike. There's an airline gone bust so flights are being cancelled.

“I’m sure every coach, every minibus, everyone who can drive and doesn't want to drink, will be driving to Sheffield.

“We can't thank them enough for their efforts. The players don't need telling. They will see it as soon as we pull up at Hillsborough, our fans will be there. As soon as they go out for the warm-up they're there, and when they come out before the game. It will be an amazing feeling, so I know that they'll put in a performance for them.”