Are the wheels starting to fall off for Sheffield Wednesday? It’s a question that we’ll have to wait until the next decade to find the answer to.
Heading into 2020 the Owls are in a perilous position as far as their future is concerned.
In the Championship, they sit in the final playoff position but that could all change if a points deduction hits the club after Dejphon Chansiri’s antics.
On the pitch, however, their performances are also faltering.
The need for a new striker has never been so evident while Steven Fletcher has been absent with illness as Garry Monk’s men have now lost two on the trot.
An experiment that took place against Cardiff last Sunday, meanwhile, did not pay off.
On the chalkboard
With both Fletcher and Massimo Luongo absent through sickness and injury there had to be a bit of a change in tactics.
Monk opted to go with a formation he hasn’t used since the final week of November as he ended a run of six straight games in the 4-4-2 system.
After suffering defeat against Stoke, this not only seemed like a reactive decision but also a completely baffling one.
Up against a physical Cardiff side, Monk left Sam Winnall isolated in attack. He was surprisingly successful in five aerial duels but that wasn’t enough against someone like Aden Flint who still managed to win seven during the game.
He was also lacking support from Adam Reach who played in a number 10 position.
The versatile 26-year-old has predominantly played out wide but has taken vast amounts of criticism in 2019/20. His performance against Cardiff in a different position was also unlikely to gain many admirers.
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The decision to move him inside was a failure as he failed to provide much impetus, making two key passes but proving too careless in possession of the football.
Via WhoScored, Reach was dispossessed twice while he also registered three unsuccessful touches throughout the clash.
His rating of 6.2 has only been worse on three other occasions this season. The Owls midfielder hasn’t had the greatest of seasons and this only exemplified his alarming inconsistency.
Meanwhile, Wednesday have been handed a major fitness boost ahead of their clash with Hull…