Sheffield Wednesday paying the price for failure to invest in firepower

The club’s failure to assemble a squad with the necessary goal power over the last two transfer windows has been like watching a boxer fight with one arm behind his back this season.

The Owls failed to adequately replace the goals supplied by top scorers Steven Fletcher and Jacob Murphy last season, with the duo departing in the summer.

Both Garry Monk, and replacement Tony Pulis, highlighted the importance of the January transfer window to bring in some much-needed attacking threat, including a centre-forward, but January came and went with little activity.

Both Monk and Pulis had been removed from office by owner Dejphon Chansiri before the January window opened, leaving coach Neil Thompson to battle on with the players at his disposal.

But with less than 11 weeks before the season ends on May 8, the Owls sit 23rd in the Championship, with just 21 goals scored in 30 games.

That is the worst attack in the Championship. Wednesday had shared that unwanted tag with fellow strugglers Birmingham City, before the Blues grabbed a second-half winner at Hillsborough on Saturday, via Scott Hogan, to pick up their first win at the seventh attempt.

Hogan’s goal, the striker getting on the end of Jeremie Bela’s fierce shot-cum-cross on 64 minutes, was enough to settle a contest between two struggling teams.

Two examples, of Wednesday’s lack of ruthlessness in front of goal saw them miss golden chances midway during the first half.

Callum Paterson – the club’s top scorer with six league goals this season – saw his determination keep the ball alive, led to him sending in a cross to the unmarked Tom Lees. But the defender should have done better than fire straight at goalkeeper Neil Etheridge from the penalty spot.

Two minutes later, Wednesday were once again guilty of spurning a great chance to take the lead.

Barry Bannan’s free-kick was headed back across goal by Lees, and Liam Shaw arrived late in the area but volleyed high into the empty Kop.

It was the sort of chance which would have had supporters holding their head in hands if only fans had been inside Hillsborough to witness the miss.

Birmingham were also guilty of missed chances, the best one seeing Gary Gardner escape his Owls markers but head wide from a deep free-kick.

When midfielder Shaw was sent off for two ill-judged tackles, either side of half-time, Wednesday were deep in the mire.

The 10 men lasted 14 minutes before Hogan’s match-winner.

Thompson responded by making a clutch of substitutions and formation changes, and the Owls looked like grabbing an unlikely late equaliser but substitute Jordan Rhodes saw his goalbound header stunningly saved by Etheridge.

“It’s been the same all season,” admitted Thompson. “We haven’t scored enough goals, wherever they come from, whether it’s set-plays, forwards, midfielders, lads at the back, it doesn’t matter. You have to score goals to win games.

“We had one or two opportunities in the second half, but we weren’t able to put it in.

“It was a scrappy first half, we played too long. We weren’t brave enough in possession, to get on the ball. In the second half, the sending off changed it.

“But I thought we dug deep, changed our system a couple of times, and had a bit of a go in the second half.

“We had one or two little opportunities to get back on terms, but it wasn’t to be. It’s been a disappointing week.”

That was no under-statement. The defeat to Birmingham – ending a run of five Hillsborough wins – came just four days after another 1-0 defeat at Stoke City.

Next up are back-to-back trips to second-placed Brentford on Wednesday, before Luton Town on Saturday.

With just nine goals scored in 15 away games this campaign, the Owls need to grind out results quickly if they are to avoid being cut adrift of the teams above the bottom three.

“We have to dust ourselves down, there is still a long way to go,” said Thompson.

“We have got to fight. We have a game against Brentford on Wednesday which will be very difficult, then Luton on Saturday.

“You can lick your wounds, but you still have to go out and play next week.

“Without a shadow of doubt, this week has been (a missed opportunity). We fell short of where we need to be, that’s everybody.”

Birmingham manager Aitor Karanka said: “The main thing was to win today. With this togetherness, you have to keep the trust in these players because they have more than enough to stay up.

“Words can’t explain how important this game was at the beginning. It was difficult to play because there was a lot of pressure on this game. We were controlling the game before the sending off and when they got the sending off, it was easier.”

Sheffield Wednesday: Westwood, Palmer (Dele-Bashiru 85), Lees, Dunkley (Reach 66), Penney, Harris, Shaw, Hutchinson, Bannan, Paterson (Rhodes 75), Windass (Kachunga 75). Unused substitutes: Wildsmith, Pelupessy, Borner, Urhoghide, Brown.

Birmingham City: Etheridge, Colin, Dean, Clarke-Salter, Pedersen, Sunjic (Halilovic 62), Sanchez (Roberts 75), Harper, Gardner, Bela (San Jose 74), Hogan (Leko 90). Unused substitutes: Prieto, Friend, Valery, Jutkiewicz, McGree.

Referee: L Mason (England).

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