Tony Pulis spoke about the size of the job facing him following this afternoon’s disappointing goalless Hillsborough draw with Stoke.
After two points and two goals from his first three games inside a week, the Owls boss said: “It’s tough. I knew it was going to be a tough one, before I came to the football club I had spoken to people.
“The chairman has spent over £350m on this football club, so the challenge is to try to help him as much as possible, to try to stabilise and keep the ship pointing in the right direction. That is the most important thing and then take a view from there.”
We managed only one shot on target against Stoke, stretching our record at Hillsborough this season to just three goals in seven games and that includes an own goal and a penalty, leaving Pulis to comment: “We are short in areas and we need to address them.
“You need goals. You need people who can sniff that goal out for you and that’s what we’ve got to do.”
He felt it was a solid Wednesday display today with his disappointment being that the players didn’t show more confidence after getting the midweek point at Swansea, saying: “We had three or four players at Swansea who were prepared to get on the ball and move the ball.
“I don’t want backward and square, I want it played through the pitch but Barry Bannan was really the only one today who settled us down and when he got on the ball we played and opened up situations for Harris and Reach.
“I was pleased with the defence but to win football games you’ve got have it at both ends of the pitch, you can’t have it just at one end.”
Pulis said he coudn’t criticise the effort and commitment of the players but added: “Kaz on the left-hand side looked our only threat really during the game and we need more than that.
“We need to have more threat than that if we are going to win football matches.”
On the possibilities of strengthening the squad, he said: “We need to get through to the January window and hopefully, fingers crossed, we can then possibly get some more quality in.”
Jordan Rhodes, who came on as a sub for the second half but was then substituted himself five minutes from time, looked unhappy with the decision. Pulis explained: “I thought the team would benefit from that change.
“It’s not about Jordan, it’s about the team. I am more concerned about the team than individuals.
“Jordan willl be disappointed but I’ll have a chat with him on Monday.”