Spot The Difference, Owls Style

Wednesday's under-fire defence has been like a sieve this season, shipping goals left, right and centre, and it's an alarming contrast to last term.

Okay, so we shipped a heavy amount of goals away from home last season, namely at Reading, Wolves and Plymouth, maybe that was a sign of things to come this season.

But, the Owls defence on home soil was the best in the Championship, surely a sign that the back four, plus Grant, of last season was more than capable of sound performances at this level.

Taking the 'freak' thrashings at the aforementioned away days of last season aside, Wednesday's defence was good.

Lee Grant, Tommy Spurr, Lewis Buxton, Richard Wood, Mark Beevers and Richard Hinds all contributed to that - we shipped just 14 goals in home league matches last term.

This season we've let in nine goals already on home soil, while also conceding four at Watford, and three at Derby and Sheffield United.

The difference to last season?

The only one I can see from our current line-up, is Darren Purse.

I'm not one to make scapegoats, I don't like pointing the finger.

But recent media reports of Laws, and the rest of the Wednesday playing staff, questioning just why the defence has been a tale of woe this season compared to last season, really does seem baffling.

Questions sometimes require in-depth solutions - maybe the midfield aren't backing up the defence as well as they should be?

James O'Connor, our battling defensive midfielder, has certainly been an improvement this season to last, and Michael Gray has also added defensive qualities to our midfield.

So why oh why can't Laws take the simply solution and drop Purse?

I'd like nothing more than for the former Cardiff captain to success in the blue and white stripes, especially given his senior role of the captaincy which he picked up a matter of weeks after coming to the club.

But it's time for Purse to be given the axe, and it's time to give Richard Hinds, a player who returned from injury last season to finish the season in fine style with some good performances, a chance in the back line.

Laws will soon have, hopefully, both Wood and Hinds at his disposal, as well as current starters Beevers and Purse.

So what have we got to lose? Give Hinds and Beevers at chance at the back - if it doesn't work, then go back to Purse.

Laws got off pretty scot free when he threatened to drop Purse following the Derby thrashing.

He got lucky when forced to play Purse due to injuries to both Wood and Hinds, and Purse put in a good performance and also managed a goal to boot.

But it was back to normal against Preston, and Watford, and it's time for changes to be made this time.

Laws' decisions are going to come under great scrutiny over the next couple of matches, more than any other time during his time in charge at Hillsborough.

Make the right decisions, Brian...

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