Sheffield Wednesday manager Danny Rohl has a number of huge decisions to make ahead of the Steel City derby this weekend, but one could pay dividends for the whole season if he gets it right.
Danny Rohl arrived at Sheffield Wednesday last season with a mammoth task on his hands in trying to keep the Owls in the Championship, and somehow, despite all hope being written off, he succeeded.
Now, his biggest challenge to date looms in the form of his first-ever match against Sheffield United, a derby Rohl has described as ‘special’ and ‘important’ in the buildup.
It has been an up-and-down season for the club this term, but Wednesday will be feeling relatively positive going into the upcoming game against the Blades, after a convincing win over Norwich City in midweek.
There are plenty of tactical decisions Rohl needs to make if he wants to get a result against United, with formation changes, personnel choices, and overall gameplan to consider.
But, one big dilemma Rohl faces is in the attacking line, so will he stick or twist when it comes to the out-of-sorts Ike Ugbo?
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Ike Ugbo needs to be backed by Danny Rohl
After an incredible campaign last time out with the Owls, Ugbo was hailed as a ‘fantastic’ striker, and the decision to sign him on a permanent basis in the summer was a straightforward one. Given his exploits in keeping the Owls up last season, expectations were high that he could continue his goalscoring form.
That has not been the case, though, and the Canadian striker is still yet to score in the Championship this season (though he does have one in the Carabao Cup).
The 26-year-old appears to have lost all composure in front of goal, and statistics even suggest Ugbo is the second-worst player in the division this season. But, Wednesday fans believe Ugbo is merely low on confidence, and he just needs a boost to get back to his best.
He was handed the start against Norwich City on Tuesday, but the main talking point around his performance was that unbelievable missed chance early on in the game where Ugbo headed the ball back whence it came rather than sticking it in the net from one-yard out.
However, if Rohl were to give him another chance in the Steel City derby this weekend, it could end up being a masterstroke. Ugbo is a difficult customer, and United’s defence will not enjoy playing against a quick, skillful striker who loves to find pockets of space.
There is only one way out of this slump, and that is for Rohl and the supporters to rally around Ugbo and show him some love. Indeed, Rohl has already insisted Ugbo will find his confidence and start scoring again soon.
What better place to do that than at Bramall Lane, in front of the near-2,500 travelling Owls supporters on Sunday?
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One goal could kickstart Ike Ugbo’s season
Strikers are the players who feed on confidence more than any other position on the football pitch, and it all it often takes is one goal to open the floodgates.
You only have to look at Ugbo’s run of form in February and early-March of this year, where he registered six goals and two assists in six games, to see that he could very easily come alive again if things start going his way.
Interestingly, his shots on target percentage is up this year (50%) compared to last (33%), so it’s just a matter of being more clinical with those efforts.
| Statistic | Ike Ugbo 2023/24 | Ike Ugbo (2024/25) |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 7 | 1 |
| Assists | 1 | 1 |
| xG | 5.7 | 1.3 |
| Shots on target per 90 | 0.87 | 0.51 |
| Shots on target % | 33.3 | 50 |
| Shot-creating actions per 90 | 2.23 | 1.41 |
The one area of real concern, is that chances are not coming his way as often this season. Last term, Ugbo was recording 2.23 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes, but this season, he’s at 1.41 shot-creating actions per 90.
That paints a picture of a player low on morale, who is not trying to make things happen, to beat his man, to work that inch of space to get a shot away. One goal, be it a tap-in, or a header from one-yard, could change all of that.