Sheffield Wednesday are without a win in two games now, but they won’t find it easy to change that when they face Hull City on Tuesday night.
After a narrow defeat in the Steel City derby before the international break, Sheffield Wednesday returned to action at the weekend but failed to beat Cardiff City.
Danny Rohl’s side controlled the game but a 1-1 draw was all the Owls could muster, with Ike Ugbo continuing to struggle in front of goal and a number of good chances passing the home side by.
While their next opponents, Hull City, may be sitting in the relegation zone right now, Wednesday should not expect an easy ride when they travel to the MKM Stadium.
Hull City are tough to break down
Speaking to the press (via Hull Live) after Luton’s 1-0 win over Hull at the weekend, Rob Edwards offered his thoughts on the style of play Tim Walter’s side employ, and how difficult they were to break down.
“Hull are a really difficult, complex team to play against and I admire a lot of what [Tim Walter] does with his team and how they play,” Edwards said. “It’s not easy to come here and if we get it right, the press, it’s difficult to play against that.”
“They make it really challenging,” he added. “I’ve not come up against that kind of style before. They make you think and make you have to be almost perfect all the time positionally. We weren’t and we had to rely on a block or a save, whatever it might be, so it was a difficult day.”
Clearly, despite their league position, Hull City will be a complicated proposition for Wednesday this week, especially away from home.
Danny Rohl has suggested Sheffield Wednesday cannot afford to be anything less than 100% at all times, and it sounds like that’ll certainly be the case on Tuesday night.
- READ MORE: One key Danny Rohl decision questioned as Sheffield Wednesday drop points in Cardiff City draw
Sheffield Wednesday are not converting their chances
All of this spells bad news for Sheffield Wednesday’s struggling strikers. Ike Ugbo is still yet to score a goal in the league this season, Jamal Lowe hasn’t found the back of the net since August, while Michael Smith has only managed three goals all season.
Despite those struggles, it is likely Rohl will gamble on the partnership of Ugbo and Smith once more for the trip to Hull, and hope that the former can finally kickstart his season.
| Opponent | Sheffield Wednesday big chances created | Goals scored |
|---|---|---|
| Cardiff City (H) | 2 | 1 |
| Sheffield United (A) | 0 | 0 |
| Norwich City (H) | 3 | 2 |
| Watford (H) | 4 | 2 |
| Portsmouth (A) | 2 | 2 |
While the Owls are creating a decent amount of chances in most of their games, they simply aren’t converting those opportunities, and they’re dropping points as a result.
If Hull City are as stubborn and compact as Rob Edwards suggests, then Wednesday could be set for another evening of frustration in front of goal.
Danny Rohl has challenged his team to find a different way to goal against Hull, be it a scrappy tap-in or a deflected effort, and that may be exactly what it takes to separate the two teams on Tuesday.