No easy fix for Sheffield Wednesday as they strive to make their ‘big chances’ count - Stuart Rayner

The clearing of the Hillsborough decks started with Sam Hutchinson, Sam Winnall, Fernando Forestieri, Morgan Fox and Steven Fletcher leaving last month. More will follow.

Under normal circumstances, the resumed season would be a trial period for the Owls having played themselves into a position where neither relegation nor promotion are serious propositions. A possible points deduction which could leave them having to fight against the latter removes that luxury.

This season the Owls have been too heavily dependent on Fletcher for goals. Even with five matches to play without him, he will end the season as top-scorer.

After his 13 league goals, Jacob Murphy has five, Atdhe Nuhiu four. Murphy is on loan, Nuhiu out of contract in a few weeks.

The problems were obvious at Swansea City on Saturday, where the Owls took their tally of what statisticians call “big chances” missed to 52. Only Leeds United, with 79, have missed more.

Terms like “big chances” are woolly but the broad pattern is clear: Wednesday do not make the most of their football – even with Fletcher starting more than half those games.

“You cannot be that dominant and not come out with the rewards,” complained Monk at full-time in South Wales.

In the short-term, Connor Wickham is a sticking plaster, but beyond that? Wickham is on loan from Crystal Palace but it is hard to imagine Wednesday being able to afford him and pay his wages next season. Even another loan might be a push.

The club cannot afford a player of Fletcher’s profile to replace him.

When the Scot signed in 2016 he was a 29-year-old free agent released by a bottom-end Premier League club – Sunderland – who paid £12m for him, with wages to reflect that.

Wednesday spent a lot on players like that in recent years, but even before the coronavirus pandemic it was clear the brakes had to be applied.

The eye-watering 2018-19 wages-to-turnover figures (last season’s accounts have been delayed), the need for the accounting gymnastics of selling Hillsborough and leasing it back to avoid breaking financial fair play regulations and the delay in a portion of some wage payments this month are warnings.

The squad will have to be younger, signing more players with the potential to improve. It will probably mean shopping down the divisions but the League One goalscoring charts offer slim pickings.

The cat is out of the bag with regards to 24-goal Ivan Toney, who is being linked with Premier League clubs.

The three comfortably behind him on 15 goals are 28 (Armand Gnanduillet), 30 (Paddy Madden) and 35 (Ian Henderson).

Tyler Walker is only 23 and the son of former Owls centre-back Des, but after 14 Lincoln City goals in the first half of the season, Nottingham Forest recalled him from his loan.

Loans could be the answer for Wednesday. Rhian Brewster, a 20-year-old borrowed from Liverpool in January, opened the scoring on Saturday with his seventh Swansea goal.

Taking an unproven youngster and polishing him for someone else is a risky strategy with only short-term reward. Trawling the lower divisions for goalscoring instincts that can transfer to a higher level is also difficult.

Ultimately, though, sure bets are likely to be out of the Owls’ reach. They must gamble well.

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