Goals win football matches, and right now Sheffield Wednesday simply don’t look like a team with enough of them.
Henrik Pedersen might publicly say that he isn’t worried about the lack of goals and that the team can share the responsibility, but I can’t help thinking this could become something he regrets as we get further into the new season.
You don’t necessarily need a 20-goal striker to have a successful campaign, but having one can completely change the outlook of a team.
And in my opinion, Wednesday should be doing everything possible to add some genuine quality up front.
Wednesday need someone who can find the net
It’s great to have young players coming through, especially after everything the club has been through.
But surround those youngsters with a few experienced players who have proven quality at this level and suddenly you could have a very different team.
Wednesday haven’t had a player score 20 or more league goals in a season for a long time, and that’s something I’d love to see change.
My concern with Pedersen is that we don’t currently look like a side that’s going to create chance after chance and blow teams away.
That makes having somebody clinical up front even more important.
If most games are going to be tight, we’re going to need someone capable of turning a draw into a 1-0 win or finding the goal that gets us over the line in a 2-1.
Those goals could be the difference between constantly looking over our shoulders and having a comfortable season.
Could the free-agent market provide the answer?
There are still strikers and centre-forwards available as free agents, and I’d certainly be looking at that market.
Names such as Fernando Forestieri and Jamie Vardy will inevitably attract attention because of their Wednesday connections, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be either of them.
There are other options out there.
Of course, being available on a free transfer doesn’t automatically mean someone is going to improve the squad. Players are without clubs for all sorts of reasons, and Wednesday can’t afford to sign somebody simply because they’re available.
But surely there is someone out there who could give us another option and, most importantly, some more goals.
The Bolton game hasn’t changed my mind
The win against Bolton was obviously welcome, but I’m not convinced it answered the questions surrounding our attack.
In my opinion, Bolton going down to ten men helped tip the game in Wednesday’s favour.
That’s football and you take advantage of those situations when they come along, but we won’t get that helping hand every week.
If Wednesday can’t consistently put the ball in the back of the net, this season could quickly become a struggle.
You can play some nice football and compete well for 90 minutes, but ultimately goals turn performances into points.
And without enough points, you’re looking down towards the relegation places rather than upwards towards the other end of the table.
Someone needs to step up
Hopefully the answer is already in the squad.
Maybe one of our current players steps up, finds some confidence and becomes the goalscorer we’re currently missing.
If not, I think Wednesday need to look outside the squad and find someone who can give us that extra quality in the final third.
It’s still very early.
There’s a long season ahead, and we’ll have a much better idea of where this team really stands after 10 or 15 games.
But one thing isn’t going to change.
Goals win games – and Wednesday need to start finding more of them.
