Johnson Expects Expansive Affair

City were frustrated by a Rotherham United side whose spoiling tactics made it difficult to find a sustained rhythm in midweek, but still battled back to earn a 1-1 draw and edge one point closer to safety.

But the Owls are a very different animal with an expansive approach that Johnson hopes will produce a far more fluent affair to thrill another sell-out crowd in BS3.

“Even I wanted my money back after Tuesday night!” Johnson joked, speaking to Bristol City Player HD.

“It wasn’t one for the purists, but I’m sure this one will be different because they (Sheffield Wednesday) are a really good footballing side.

“You’ve got to win games in different ways. It’s important that you can compete, and we stood toe to toe with the form team in the table.”

The head coach is not surprised to see the South Yorkshire club occupying a play-off place with just six games to go.

“They’ve got very good individuals with good quality, and everybody is comfortable on the ball,” he added.

“They’ve spent big in their striking area, bringing the likes of [Gary] Hooper in, which is a good signing.

“It’ll be a good game and a difficult game for us – one we’ll have to be at our very best to make sure we’re on the front foot, not put on the back foot.

“I think they will be more expansive on the ball, but not necessarily open off the ball. They’ve kept four clean sheets in their last four games on the road.

“That just goes to show they can mix it up. Not only have they got players who are good on the ball, they also get back into their shape very quickly, and it’s important we match that.”

Johnson revealed he has “a couple of niggles” in his squad following Tuesday’s exertions, but is hopeful of selecting from the same set of players this weekend.