A Striking Dilemma For Owls Boss

In recent years Wednesday could have only wished to have had a ‘nice’ problem in selecting their two first-choice strikers – but now Alan Irvine is faced with just that.

Over the summer Irvine brought Neil Mellor, Paul Heffernan and Clinton Morrison in to bolster Wednesday’s attacking options – quite a line-up alongside Marcus Tudgay, especially for League One.

So it always looked likely that the Owls boss would have somewhat of a ‘problem’ in selection his two first-choice strikers.

But now he’s faced with just that, following Neil Mellor’s well-taken late goal that gave Wednesday a share of the spoils at Colchester United on Saturday.

Irvine has made his intentions clear of using Morrison and Tudgay as his two frontmen – they’ve started both league matches so far, despite Morrison being far from 100 per cent.

But that could all change following Mellor’s ‘super-sub’ appearance at the weekend.

Irvine told the Yorkshire Post: ‘I feel as though he is still finding his feet and I know that he can make an impact coming off the bench.

‘But I don’t see him just as that – he’s not going to just be a sub for us, that’s for sure.’

The Owls boss could stick with the Tudgay-Morrison combination for this weekend’s clash against Brigthon if the above quote is anything to go by, but it may not last long.

And of course, should the rumours linking Tudgay with a move away from Hillsborough before the close of the current transfer window at the end of the month come to fruition, Mellor could be thrown straight in alongside Morrison. The ‘M&M’ combination, if you like.

Let’s not forget Jermaine Johnson, who is yet to return from injury and can give the Owls something very different in attack – pace.

Irvine isn’t afraif to use JJ in attack, and that could well be his preferred role given Gary Teale and Chris Sedgwick’s performances on the wings for the Owls so far.

Wednesday’s attacking options are certainly welcome problems, and they’ll make for interesting discussion if their current form continues throughout the season.