It is not only Miller's record which suggests he can add thrust from midfield now that he has given Hillsborough fans a flash of the marauding style that prompted Laws to sign him last summer.

The Owls boss altered his team pattern to accommodate Miller slightly to the right of centre in a narrower version of his 4-4-2 set-up during the unfortunate 2-1 home defeat to Queens Park Rangers.

"I changed things slightly and Tommy fitted in nicely," said Laws. "I'm absolutely confident he can get us goals from midfield. He's always a threat.

"In every game he's played he's had two or three attempts and the QPR game was no different when he was unlucky to hit the post. The system was effective in that we retained possession. That's something Tommy does very well - he doesn't give the ball away."

The 30 year old Scot has hit 94 goals in a career spanning Hartlepool, Sunderland and Ipswich where he was released by new boss Roy Keane. Fitness problems and a recent illness have conspired, until now, to put him on the fringe of things at Hillsborough.

Laws added: "Our midfield players have been doing well and Tommy has been champing at the bit. He can be very creative and has a knack of getting in the right place."

It seems the Owls boss is edging away from using two out-and-out wingers, which suggests the mercurial Etienne Esajas will remain on the bench at Portman Road this weekend with Jermaine Johnson justifying the nod of preference. But Laws is sticking by an open, attack-minded style of play despite admitting that his side have to become more ruthless to reap the benefit.

He added: "I feel we have the players to be attractive and should be up around eighth place based on our performances. But you have to make your own luck as well. We are hurting teams and not finishing them off. We have to work at being more composed in front of goal.

"Really we should have had nine points, instead of one, from our recent displays against Preston, Bristol City and QPR. But it would be more disappointing if we were not creating opportunities.

" The finishing has let us down a bit and added pressure but if you are creating then you are always confident that things will come right."

Meanwhile, Laws has unearthed another centre back combination with Richard Hinds and Lewis Buxton having taken over from a combination of Darren Purse, Mark Beevers and Richard Wood.

"Richard and Lewis have done well in both the games they've been together," he said. "It shows this is a good squad. The downside is we've not been getting the points to reflect that."

Coventry appear to be closing in on Wood - he's already had talks with the club - although Ipswich manager Roy Keane was supposedly keeping tabs on the Owls defender.