Sheffield Wednesday were left to rue their missed chances against Cardiff City on Saturday afternoon, and the game has made it abundantly clear what the Owls need in the next transfer window.
A home tie against a struggling Cardiff City side should have presented Sheffield Wednesday with the perfect opportunity to get back to winning ways, but it wasn’t to be for Danny Rohl’s men this weekend.
Despite controlling the game in terms of possession, and creating plenty of chances, it was a wasteful Wednesday performance that sees them drop points once again.
Rohl has been questioned for his use of one Sheffield Wednesday attacker, but across the board, it seems the forward line simply isn’t delivering for the Owls right now.
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Sheffield Wednesday need better attackers
According to Dom Howson on Twitter/X, this is precisely Sheffield Wednesday’s biggest issue right now, and is something the club need to try and rectify in the January transfer window if possible.
Howson highlighted the fact Wednesday produced just three shots on target throughout the entire game, to claim an xG of 2.27 against Cardiff. That is despite having a huge 16 attempts on goal, equating to a very concerning 18% shots on target rate.
Howson claims this is “not enough” for Wednesday, and insists “attacking reinforcements are a must in January” if the S6 side are to show signs of improvement.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. Howson points out that Rohl’s side have now taken seven points from losing positions in the last two months, and commends the “character and spirit” of the Sheffield Wednesday squad.
January transfer window may be a struggle for Sheffield Wednesday
Too many times now, the Owls have looked the better team, created ample opportunities, and failed to put the ball in the back of the net. In an ideal world, signing a proven goalscorer in January would be a no-brainer.
However, it has already been made clear that Sheffield Wednesday will not have any money to spend in January, so it’ll be down to loan moves and free agents to bolster that attacking line.
Ike Ugbo struggled once more against Cardiff, and the big-money summer signing is certainly the main culprit when it comes to Wednesday’s issues in front of goal.
| Statistic | Ike Ugbo vs Cardiff City |
|---|---|
| Minutes played | 75 |
| xG | 0.95 |
| Shots on target | 1 |
| Shots blocked | 1 |
| Big chances missed | 1 |
| Touches | 21 |
One has to think, and hope, that if Rohl can get the best out of the Canadian striker, he may end up going on a decent goalscoring run like last season, and save Sheffield Wednesday a lot of hassle in the New Year.
Otherwise, a solution will have to be sourced in the transfer market, to prevent the Owls from slipping into a relegation fight once more.