Sheffield Wednesday are becoming ever more reliant on their unbeaten home record to keep them in a solid position in the Coca-Cola Championship.
The Owls slipped to their fifth defeat in seven away games this season as league leaders Birmingham swept them aside at St. Andrews. The Blues were yet to score more than once in any home game prior to Saturday but bagged three in the first half and in truth could have added more.
Wednesday are yet to keep a clean sheet away from Hillsborough this campaign and are leaking goals at an average of three per game on the road, it goes without saying that they are not going to win many games on that foundation.
What is most concerning is that many of the games are more or less over as a contest by half-time. Reading, Plymouth and Birmingham all held commanding leads against the Owls by the end of the first 45 minutes and Barnsley and Swansea could easily have been in better positions had they taken advantage of the many opportunities presented to them.
In contrast, at Hillsborough Wednesday have let just two goals past them in six league outings and have been the dominant side in most if not all of the opening halves of matches at S6.
Admittedly it has been a difficult week for the Owls, facing the league leaders as well as playing two local derbies in the space of three days. The fixture schedule was somewhat surprising given that all the clubs that participate in the UEFA Cup on Thursdays are given an extra days rest and always play their Premier League fixtures on Sunday.
Alarmingly injuries are also starting to mount up again but these problems should not be used as excuses for what is a shocking defensive away record.
Discipline is also becoming an issue with Wednesday having three players sent-off in the last three games. The squad is small as it is but given the current injury situation avoiding needless suspensions should be paramount.
With two defeats in a row and a tough trip to Crystal Palace to come on Saturday a positive result at home to Plymouth on Tuesday is vital.