Darren Moore's bold Sheffield Wednesday gamble backfired, he needs to rectify it against Oxford: Opinion | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday are looking to end a five-game winless run when they take on Oxford United on Friday.

The Owls had looked certainties for promotion as they went on a club-record unbeaten run earlier this year. However, the stuttering form in the past few weeks has thrown the race to finish in the top two wide open.

Going into the hectic Easter period, Wednesday are level on points with second-placed Plymouth, and two ahead of Ipswich, but both have games in hand, so it promises to be an exciting but nervy end to the campaign.

Moore makes bold Sheffield Wednesday decision

It’s fair to say that Moore hasn’t been scared of making some brave calls in recent weeks as he looks to get his side back on track. The most notable of those was the decision to drop keeper Cameron Dawson for David Stockdale.

The 27-year-old was surprisingly brought in to the side in December, but it was a decision that paid off in style, as Dawson starred during that unbeaten period.

Therefore, it was a shock when Stockdale was reinstated for the trip to Cheltenham last week, even if the Owls had gone three without a win prior to that. Whilst Dawson didn’t convince in that three-game run, including in the 4-2 loss at Barnsley, it still felt like a harsh decision from Moore.

And, it hasn’t exactly worked out.

Stockdale did make some good saves in the draw against the Robins, but his handling was suspect for the second goal, and it was a similar story when he failed to push an effort wide from Lincoln that allowed them to equalise last time out.

That has presented Moore with a dilemma, as you don’t want to keep chopping and changing your keeper, particularly at this stage of the season.

Dawson serves to start

But, Dawson should have done enough over the past few months to show he can be trusted and relied on when it matters, so he should be given the gloves against Oxford, and kept in for the rest of the season.

Ultimately, this is about what’s right for the final seven games of the season, and whilst Stockdale is a great influence in the dressing room, and a good keeper, the reality is that Dawson has performed better this season.

You can understand why Moore wanted to shake things up as his Wednesday side had underachieved, but it was a gamble that backfired. Now, he needs to stick with Dawson for the run-in, as a nervous Sheffield Wednesday look to secure automatic promotion.