Frustrated Garry Monk on Sheffield Wednesday's failings in front of goal after 2-1 Swansea defeat

Sheffield Wednesday boss Garry Monk delivers his message to his players during the drinks break at the Liberty Stadium.

The Owls boss, whose new-look side have now lost two games in a row despite large periods of positive play in their four matches back from the coronavirus suspension, watched on as Jacob Murphy and Alessio Da Cruz missed chances in a first half their side dominated.

A defensive lapse and a penalty conceded by Adam Reach allowed the hosts to take a lead that was unharmed by a late Atdhe Nuhiu goal.

Asked about the personal frustration at his player’s inability to make dominant periods count, a crestfallen Monk told The Star: “We’re all frustrated. They’re [the players] just as frustrated as me. It’s hard.

“You sit here with a loss and the coaching part inside of you, you can see how well the players have done in such a short period across the four games. And then you sit with this result.

“Of course, the result is what everyone will look at. Even Wednesday night, you see that game, 3-0, today 2-1, it’s another loss. That’s what I’ve got to live with.

“To have that many chances, it’s something that we have to be better at, it comes down to the training ground, getting into those positions and showing that clinical side.”

All four of his available strikers took the field as Wednesday chased the game but they were unable to bring themselves back into it as Swansea, buoyed by their lead, took control of the clash.

Asked whether he felt his current squad has enough firepower up front, Monk said: “I thought we have and I believe so. As I said before there’s so much you can see we’ve worked on. All credit to the players, you can see the work they’ve done in a short space of time. You can see a lot of what we want to do.

“But ultimately, you’ve got to get a goal at the end of it.”

The importance of taking the lead in this period of matches is paramount to Monk and their inability to do so was all too familiar given their front-foot performance in the midweek defeat to West Brom.

“That’s the key in these games, especially without crowds,” he said.

“If you get yourself into that lead and into a comfortable position it makes it difficult for the other team to get into it.

“It’s so frustrating that with all that good play that we did, that control, we dominated that first half and the chances we had. That leaves the door ajar where we had a couple of 10 minute periods, we made poor decisions and we were punished.

“Again we’re the ones thinking ‘how the hell are we in this position?’, then we’re scrambling, we’re stretched, they’re trying to pick us off.

“It was so frustrating today.”

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