Sheffield Wednesday v Blackburn Rovers - Peter White's big match preview

BIG Ron Atkinson's version of the Hillsborough Hokey Cokey had Wednesday fans dancing in the streets of Sheffield as his second spell in Steel City started with a few party tricks and three successive victories.

Juggling the foreign imports he had inherited from the departed David Pleat, Atkinson seemed to have found the right rhythm.

He put Paolo Di Canio in, Benito Carbone out, Dejan Stefanovic in, Patrick Blondeau out - and shook them all about.

And, as Arsenal, Southampton and Barnsley succumbed to his tune, Wednesday were on their way to survival, or were they?

Suddenly, it all went wrong with a hiccup at West Ham, followed by a calamity against Chelsea, the Owls performance summed up by various derogatory phrases from the manager with the most telling being "an absolute joke".

But that spells danger for Blackburn Rovers at Hillsborough on Boxing Day as Wednesday prepare to change partners for the next dance with much to prove.

It is Di Canio's turn to be out, probably with his fellow-Italian Carbone stepping in and he, certainly, will be wound up to turn on the style in Friday's top v bottom encounter.

For Carbone, scorer of two excellent goals at Ewood earlier in the season, compounded his misery that night by being red carded in a 7-2 rout for Wednesday.

But defender Dejan Stefanovic has even more to prove than the Italian after being handed a lifeline by big Ron.

For the Yugoslav's entire English career is in the melting pot. Having been largely overlooked by Pleat, the man who signed him from Red Star Belgrade for £2 million, Stefanovic is more than anxious to cement a regular place in the Wednesday side.

If not, there is a very danger that he will be on his way out, not just from Hillsborough but from the Premiership.

To have his work permit extended, Stefanovic must figure in three-quarters of the Owls games and that means remaining in the side from now until the end of the season.

Atkinson seemed to have found the answer by giving Blondeau the boot, switching Ian Nolan to right back and installing the Yugoslav at left back instead of his more normal role in the centre of defence.

But there may be cause for a rethink after the shambles of last Saturday when Wednesday, by all accounts, were at their most woeful.

Stefanovic can only pray he has done enough to face Rovers and a Stuart Ripley carefree after ending that goal drought. For, as the Owls go searching for revenge, the defender is desperate to continue in English football.

"I am happy here and I want to stay," he said.

"But I must play games.

"It's good when I am playing but difficult for me when I am out of the team.

"I had a terrible first six months in England but I have settled here with my wife, we have a baby now and I hope to stay."

Atkinson has given the player a vote of confidence in his new club position - providing, of course, that it isn't all turn around after the 4-1 drubbing by Chelsea.

"If he does well he could have a run in that position," said the manager.

"He has played there for Yugoslavia and has a good left peg. "And Dejan needs to play in most of the games to qualify for a work permit."

Stefanovic isn't the only one battling for his Wednesday career prospects.

The Owls are fortunate to have Carbone as a ready-made replacement for Di Canio, who starts a two-match suspension on Friday.

Under the new regime it is now a non-starter, it seems, to play the two Italians together which must pose a threat to the long-term future of one of them.

And, while Carbone - who made his Premiership bow against Rovers at Hillsborough in Ray Harford's last League match in charge - is a top-class player, the Owls will still miss a man of Di Canio's quality.

As the manager said of his absent star: "He has got excellent talent. The one thing he does do is that he attacks the goal and I don't mind if, sometimes, things don't always come off for people like him.

"You've at least got to give them the licence to fail. If you knock that out of them then you take their biggest strength away."

The other side of Di Canio, however, means Rovers won't have to worry about the former Celtic star's threat. A fifth booking of the season in the win over Barnsley condemns him to the sidelines and forced Atkinson to admit: "He's excitable. He is exciting, but he is excitable."

That is a description which could easily apply to the manager, not least after Saturday's defeat.

Survival in the Premiership - that's what it's all about for Wednesday and several individuals.

And, as Rovers know themselves, it can be a strong motivating factor.

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