Sheffield Wednesday's draw with Cardiff City showed the Owls can bark - but they need to start biting
Danny Rohl’s first summer at the helm emitted positivity across the blue side of the Steel City as fans dared to dream of a target higher than survival.
Expectations have not been met on a regular basis this season, yet there have been clear signs of sustained growth being possible.
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Hide AdIn many ways, Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with lowly Cardiff City on a dreary South Yorkshire afternoon was emblematic of the side’s problems.


There were slick exchanges, sublime passes and moments of genuine brightness on a dull day. Fortunately for Cardiff, Wednesday were all bark and no bite for the most part. Again.
The bark was rather loud too, with fire evidently in the bellies of the Owls after their derby defeat to Sheffield United.
Rohl’s men pressed high and with aggression, particularly early on, helped by Cardiff’s struggles to play out from the back with any real conviction.
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Hide AdBarry Bannan, less than a fortnight before his 35th birthday, schemed with his usual class. Djeidi Gassama was a bright spark, harrying defenders and surging forward with intent. Di’Shon Bernard and Max Lowe took no prisoners at the back and Josh Windass posed a threat.
Yet, when Cardiff opened the scoring through Ollie Tanner, there was shoddy defending to blame.
Too often this season, the Hillsborough faithful have seen promising work wasted.
“I’m not happy we haven’t won but I know we tried everything to win,” Rohl said. “We had all the chances, ball possession and set-pieces; everything you need to win a game.
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Hide Ad“We controlled everything Cardiff did throughout the game. I know we have to win and getting the result is the only thing we’re missing at the moment.
“We suffered again because of the small details. We conceded the goal and it was not necessary, we have to drop in that situation.”
The Bluebirds lead was short-lived, as Windass slid a delivery across the box and enabled Bernard to poke home. Bernard was a colossus and deserved his goal but the appearance of a centre-back on the scoresheet placed further emphasis on Wednesday’s forward troubles.
While there were lulls and fleeting moments of attacking promise from Cardiff, the game was mostly controlled by the Owls.
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Hide AdCardiff very much appeared to be there for the taking yet as the game progressed, the familiar acceptance that Wednesday would not capitalise crept in.
The Owls may not have come away empty-handed but it was the very definition of a missed opportunity.
Ike Ugbo drew ire for his struggles to convert and looks devoid of confidence as his Championship goal drought continues. Michael Smith linked play effectively but was not quite a thorn in Cardiff’s side.
Few will have taken umbrage with Wednesday’s creativity but there was a glaring absence of a clinical edge.
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Hide Ad“All in all, we cannot create more chances,” admitted Rohl. "This is what I said on Thursday. All the games are very tight in this moment, we always have the chances to win games.
"We have to work on it and try again and again, this is a small step, a draw. It is not a big step with a win. I am reminded of my sentence, that for a lot of games we are always in the right direction and we must take this.
“We missed four big chances. This is hard to take but I can’t blame my team because we’ve made a small step in the right direction today.
“We have had many games like this so far this season. We could be much higher up the table but I can’t be angry as the performances have been really positive."
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Hide AdIt has mostly been praise thrown in Rohl’s direction since his arrival on British shores but he is now being tested in a way he has not been before.
There is a greater weight of expectation, which invites scrutiny, but Rohl retained perspective in spite of the frustration.
“This time last season we were losing these types of games but then came a turning point when we started winning,” he said. “This will 100 per cent come again if we keep performing like this.
“I’d be more concerned if we weren’t showing improvement but we are. There are lots of games between now and the end of the year and we will have many chances to take points from the teams around us and move up the table.”
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Hide AdSheffield Wednesday: Beadle, Valery (Palmer 75), Bernard, Lowe, Johnson; Charles, Bannan, Windass, Gassama (Musaba 82); Ugbo (Valentin 75), Smith (Lowe 82).
Unused substitutes: Charles, Iorfa, Ingelsson, McNeill.
Cardiff City: Alnwick, Ng, Daland, Goutas, O’Dowda; Robertson (Bagan 60), Turnbull (siopis 71); Tanner, Colwill, Meite (Ralls 60); Robinson (Kanga 84).
Unused substitutes: Horvath, Fish, Collins, Rinomhota, Willock.
Referee: Martin Coy (Lincolnshire)